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When will Lionel Messi make his Inter Miami debut? Full schedule, ticket prices first opponent

  /  autty

Lionel Messi's decision to swap Paris for Miami shocked the world this week, as he snubbed an emotional return to Barcelona and the billions on offer in Saudi Arabia.

Instead, the Argentine World Cup-winning captain will play for David Beckham's team in MLS, and will hope he can drag them off the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

The news was first revealed on Wednesday, and just hours later Messi revealed the news himself in an interview, before Inter Miami themselves posted on social media.

It set off wild scenes in Miami, with fans taking to the streets to celebrate the news that arguably the best player in soccer history would be coming to the city.

But there are still plenty of questions to be answered. Here, Mail Sport gives you all the information you need ahead of his arrival in America...

So when will he make his debut?

As it stands, Messi is still contracted until June 30, so there is no way he could play for his new team before then.

He would then, of course, need some time to bed into his new surroundings, and initial reports claim the earliest he could play is in MLS' new 'Leagues Cup' competition.

From a league standpoint, there is huge marketing value in dropping the world's biggest player into the new competition you are trying to market, so expect to see him play some part, with Inter Miami's first game at home against Cruz Azul on July 21.

Tickets for that game are currently being sold at a cheapest price of $600.

And what about MLS?

In terms of league appearances, Inter Miami's home game against Charlotte is expected to be his MLS debut.

After that, the team travel to the Big Apple to face New York Red Bulls, and that is another game that fans are likely to have to fork out hundreds of dollars to see.

Needless to say, his presence on the field will come as a huge boost to the team that are currently struggling in last place of MLS' Eastern Conference table.

What is the schedule for his first few months in Miami?

Leagues Cup is first up for Inter Miami in mid-July, with guaranteed games against Cruz Azul and Atlanta United on July 21 and 25, and potential further games if they get past those opponents.

MLS then has its mid-season break, with the MLS All-Star Game being played in Washington DC during that time.

When it comes to league action, Inter Miami's remaining fixtures for the season are as follows:

Could he play in the MLS All-Star Game?

Messi could find himself in a bizarre situation whereby he plays in the MLS All-Star Game before he has even played an MLS game.

The game, which takes place against Premier League giants Arsenal on July 19, comes after he's started his time at Inter Miami, but likely before he has played a game for them.

He is, of course, unlikely to play a significant amount of time, but such is the clamor to see him on US soil, he could be wheeled out for a few minutes of game-time to get the crowd excited.