Traffic, long lines plague Inter Miami fans during Messi’s debut

Thousands of fans gathered at DRV PNK Stadium on Friday to catch a glimpse of Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest soccer player alive. But getting there wasn’t a quick and easy process.

It was especially bad for fans traveling from Miami to Fort Lauderdale as they experienced horrible traffic on their commute, especially on I-95 with the Rolling Loud music festival also in town this weekend, and even troubles with parking if arriving too late.

Three hours before the gates opened at DRV PNK Stadium, hundreds of fans gathered outside of the stadium to eat, drink, socialize and enjoy music.

In the midst of a sea of pink and black, there were also splashes of blue. Outside the stadium, Cruz Azul fans could be seen tailgating and blasting the Cruz Azul anthem.

“They might as well start packing up to go home now,” Lola Muñoz, an Inter Miami fan, said. “They will have no chance against the greatest athlete in the world and this Inter Miami fan base. Look at all of the people here. It’s gonna get so loud in there.”

Frederico Musgrove, an Argentenian living in Miami, has supported Inter Miami for years and said that since Messi came into the picture, he has never seen more fans at the stadium before.

“I was here on Sunday as well [for] the presentation,” Musgrove said. “That was the most people I’ve seen so far and there’s a lot of people here today. I expect more people here as we get closer to the game.”

According to Musgrove, it took him an hour and 40 minutes to get to the stadium, a commute that generally takes about 45 minutes without traffic. But most fans came prepared, getting on the road hours before the game.

Maria and Alex Osusa, Argentenians from West Palm Beach, were just two of those fans who began their day early to prepare for the big game.

“I woke up at 11 just to get ready and make sure that we’re here on time,” Maria said. “We got here at least three hours earlier, just because of how packed it was on Sunday. We knew there were gonna be a lot of people here today.”

For Miami native Alejandro Granada, there was once a time where leaving many hours before an Inter Miami game was unnecessary. But now, it’s essential.

“Normally, we get here an hour and a half before the game,” Granada said. “We got here four hours before this game today.”

Granada has been a fan of Inter Miami since 2018 when the team kicked off its inaugural season in the MLS.

Certainly, things back then were far more different than it is now with massive security upgrades, more seats being added and even changes in the food items at the concession stands. He details the transformations that he has witnessed when it comes to attending a game since Messi joined the team.

“Everything’s totally different now from coming to the game, to leaving,” Granada said. “Everything’s more upscale now, but I’m excited.”

But Friday’s game wasn’t as much of a hassle compared to Sunday’s sold out “Unveil” ceremony according to Granada.

“It was terrible,” Granada said about Sunday’s ceremony. “It took us an hour just to get in. But today, it was actually pretty smooth.”

Seeing a win would have been great for Inter Miami fans to see, but most were simply just happy to witness history and the new era of Inter Miami football.

“Today, it’s not even about the results,” Musgrove said. “Hopefully we win. But it’s a new team and they haven’t even practiced together that much. We’ll see how it goes.”

Inter Miami ended up defeating Cruz Azul 2-1, capturing its first win since May against Nashville SC in the US Open Cup.