Lionel Messi set to play at the home of Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs with 70,000 fans bound for Arrowhead Stadium tonight for Inter Miami vs Sporting KC

Lionel Messi will play in one of the most iconic stadiums in the United States on Saturday evening, as Inter Miami will meet Sporting KC at Arrowhead Stadium, home of Super Bowl winners Kansas City Chiefs.

Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes are usually the stars on the Arrowhead field, but Saturday night 70,000 fans are expected to show up to see one of other football’s all-time greats in action.

Sporting KC normally plays Major League Soccer matches at the 18,500-capacity Children’s Mercy Park, but with the Argentina World Cup winner in town, the match was moved to the city’s largest stage.

Messi played 90 minutes on Wednesday night as Miami crashed out of the Champions Cup with an emphatic 3-1 defeat to Monterrey – his first full 90 minutes since March 7.

“Messi finished the game in Monterrey without any discomfort,” Miami assistant Javier Morales said on Friday as he gave a brief but positive update on the star man’s condition.

70,000 fans are expected at Arrowhead Stadium for Sporting KC vs. Inter Miami in the MLS

Super Bowl winners Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are the usual stars of the show at Arrowhead, but Messi will take center stage on Saturday night

Tickets are available on resale sites starting around $120 and it remains to be seen if any of the Chiefs stars will show up at Arrowhead this offseason to see Messi play.

Kelce, who was in Cincinnati midweek to host a live version of his New Heights podcast, was expected to attend Coachella this weekend or next with girlfriend Taylor Swift.

Chiefs quarterback Mahomes, meanwhile, is part of the ownership group of women’s team Kansas City Current, along with his wife Brittany, herself a former player. He has been training in Texas this week with members of the Chiefs offense.

Miami co-owner David Beckham was in Mexico for the game against Monterrey this week and regularly attends his team’s games.

Arrowhead Stadium will host Copa America matches later this summer, including the United States’ final group match against Uruguay on July 1. It is also a venue for the 2026 World Cup.

Miami enters Saturday’s match third in the Eastern Conference with 12 points from eight games, two points behind early leaders New York Red Bulls. Messi has scored four goals in four MLS appearances so far this season.

For Sporting KC, seventh in the Western Conference, head coach Peter Vermes admitted it will be difficult for his team to treat the match like any other.

“It will be a great venue for a match like this,” Vermes said on Thursday. ‘There are guys (at SKC) who have never played in front of such a big audience. But at the end of the day, we have a game to play.

‘I have watched Messi play since he was very young. I don’t know of any team or coach that has ever come up with a game plan that has negated his incredible qualities.”

Many at Arrowhead will be hoping Saturday night that Vermes fails to find a way, too.