Sporting KC reveals 2024 MLS schedule. Here’s when Lionel Messi comes to Kansas City

Major League Soccer released the 2024 regular-season schedule on Wednesday, which included an early gift for Sporting KC fans ahead of the holiday season.

Headlining Sporting’s list of home games in 2024 is a salivating matchup against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday, April 13. The match will bring Messi and the rest of his former Barcelona pals — including Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets — to Kansas City, not to mention rumors that Barcelona legend Luis Suarez is seeking to join the Miami club.

Sporting kicks off the 2024 season with a Western Conference Semifinal rematch with the Houston Dynamo on February 24. The home opener is Saturday, March 2, against the Philadelphia Union.

On April 20, the rivalry with St. Louis City SC will be renewed for the first time since Sporting swept St. Louis out of the playoffs in October. After traveling to St. Louis twice during the 2023 regular season, St. Louis will travel to Kansas City twice in 2024, returning again on Saturday, July 20. Sporting will play at St. Louis on September 28.

The schedule is also fairly spread out for Sporting KC, with only four midweek matches. Sporting’s toughest travel stretch will be from June 19 to July 7, when the club plays six games over 19 days.

More midweek games and fixture congestion are possible with the U.S. Open Cup and Leagues Cup schedules, which are expected to be released in the coming months. Leagues Cup 2024 will run from July 26 to August 25.

Here is how Sporting’s full 2024 schedule shakes out (home matches in bold; all times central):

• Saturday, February 24 — at Houston Dynamo, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, March 2 — vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, March 9 — at Los Angeles FC, 9:30 p.m.

• Saturday, March 16 — vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, March 23 — vs. Los Angeles Galaxy, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, March 30 — at Toronto FC, 6:30 p.m.

• Sunday, April 7 — vs. Portland Timbers, 12:30 p.m.

• Saturday, April 13 — vs. Inter Miami FC, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, April 20 — vs. St. Louis City SC, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, April 27 — at Minnesota United, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, May 4 — at Real Salt Lake, 8:30 p.m.

• Saturday May 11 — vs. Houston Dynamo, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, May 18 — at Austin FC, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, May 25 — at Portland Timbers, 9:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, May 29 — vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, June 1 — at Minnesota United, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, June 8 — vs. Seattle Sounders, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, June 15 — at LA Galaxy, 9:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, Jun 19 — vs Real Salt Lake, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, June 22 — at Columbus Crew SC, 6:30 p.m.

• Saturday, June 29 — vs. Austin FC, 7:30 p.m.

• Thursday, July 4 — at Colorado Rapids, 8:30 p.m.

• Sunday, July 7 — vs. FC Dallas, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, July 13 — at San Jose Earthquakes, 9:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, July 17 — at Vancouver Whitecaps, 9:30 p.m.

• Saturday, July 20 — vs. St. Louis City SC, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, August 24 — vs. Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, September 7 — at New York Red Bulls, 6:30 p.m.

• Sunday, September 15 — at Seattle Sounders, 6 p.m.

• Wednesday, September 18 — vs. Colorado Rapids, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, September 21 — vs. Minnesota United, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, September 28 — at St. Louis City SC, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, October 5 — vs. LAFC, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, October 19 — at FC Dallas, 8 p.m.

Sporting will start preseason play on January 13 — but in a different location than normal. Instead of Arizona, Sporting will head to Coral Gables, Florida, from January 14-31 and February 4-17 for its preseason preparation and friendlies.

MLS rule changes coming in 2024

Major League Soccer instituted a number of new initiatives for the 2024 season that were approved by the league’s Board of Governors Last Week. The changes include in-stadium VAR decision announcements (similar to the NFL’s explanation of a ruling following video review) and approval of the in-stadium clock to continue running through stoppage time of any half.

For fans, that means no more guessing how many minutes past 45 or 90 it has been.

Two more changes to prevent time-wasting were also approved. The “Off-Field Treatment Rule” was trialed over the last two seasons in MLS NEXT Pro and found to be successful in eliminating time-wasting efforts. MLS will enforce it at the top level this year.

If a player with a “suspected injury” stays down for more than 15 seconds, once the medical evaluation is complete, that player must exit the field for two minutes before returning. The exceptions to this rule are head injuries, goalkeeper injuries, serious medical events and fouls that result in yellow or red cards.

A timed substitution rule will penalize teams attempting to waste time as well. If the player being substituted fails to exit the field of play at any point within 10 seconds, the substitute coming on will be held off the field for 60 seconds and won’t be allowed to enter the game until the next stoppage. That player’s team will play down a man for that time period.

There are additional injury and goalkeeper substitutions that are exempt from this rule.