SSaturday, April 4, 2026 will be a memorable day in Inter Miami’s history, as everything will be dyed pink at the inauguration of the new stadium. The “Herons” finally made their home debut in a 2-2 draw with Austin FC, and Lionel Messi scored the team’s first goal in the 10th minute, although, as expected, it was not the first goal of the match.
In Week 6 of Major League Soccer, Inter Miami conceded a goal to Guilherme Biro in the sixth minute of the game, making him the first player to score in the opening game of the new stadium. While this trend seems to be the “norm” in MLS, it has become a real “curse” for the team.
Messi’s Inter Miami could not escape the ‘curse’
Following his goal in the draw with Austin, he scored his 903rd career goal and fifth of the season, but Biro beat him and continued the stadium-opening tradition. According to Sports Illustrated, in five of the six new stadiums recently completed, the visiting team finished before the home team.
City Park in St. Louis was no exception. On March 4, 2023, Enzo Coppetti of Charlotte FC scored his first goal of the game. Although they won 3-1, the first goal was inevitable.
Nashville SC was not exempt from this rule when it opened Geodis Park for a game against the Philadelphia Union on May 1, 2022. Michael Uhle scored the first goal in the match, but Randall’s goal for the hosts ended in a 1-1 draw.
Fast forward a bit to July 3, 2021, when the Columbus Crew’s Scotts Miracle Gros Field (formerly Lower Combe Field) opened with a goal from New England Revolution’s Tajon Buchanan, ending in a 2-2 tie.
Austin’s Q2 Stadium has a special history and may have “avoided” this curse. The opening game was not an MLS match, but a friendly between the United States and Nigeria on June 16, 2021, in which Christen Press scored the opening goal. After that, Austin and San Jose Earthquakes ended in a scoreless draw in MLS. Austin FC’s John Gallagher scored the first goal in the stadium’s history, but it came after two scoreless ties.
Finally, TQL Stadium, home of FC Cincinnati, opened with a loss for the home team on May 16, 2021, with Inter Miami winning 3-2 in the game, with Breck Shea scoring his first goal in the stadium’s history in the 7th minute.
Meanwhile, after the opening of Anne Stadium, Inter Miami will once again host RB New York in an MLS match on Saturday, April 11th, before taking on Colorado on the 18th at Empower Field at Mile High.
