First game at Nu Stadium a dream come true for Miami´s local boy Ruiz

Inter Miami will finally make the move to Nu Stadium on Saturday, with David Ruiz describing Saturday’s curtain-raiser against Austin FC as a “dream come true.”

Miami have played at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale since joining MLS in 2020, with team owner David Beckham repeatedly outlining his plans for a purpose-built stadium.

And on Saturday, they will welcome supporters to the 26,700-capacity Nu Stadium, which features a stand named in honour of captain Lionel Messi, for the first time.

Having played their first five games of the MLS season on the road, picking up 10 points, Ruiz – who grew up in Miami – cannot wait for their home opener.

“I’m honestly very happy; I grew up literally three miles away and seeing how the city continues to grow is just an amazing thing,” Ruiz said.

“Having a whole new stadium is a dream come true for everybody. Everyone was waiting for this for a long time, and it’s amazing to see how beautiful the stadium is.

“I feel so honoured, to go from local clubs in Miami to the academy to where I am now, winning trophies with one of the best, well… the best player in history, in my opinion.

“I’m very happy to be able to experience that and being able to play this weekend would be the cherry on top.

“I think with the stadium being in the heart of Miami, we’re going to have a lot more fans. Everybody’s excited for this debut of the stadium, and they will have it right next to them.”

This one hits different.
Saturday, we’re HOME pic.twitter.com/PFx5MKDOHr

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) March 31, 2026

Austin, meanwhile, are 11th in the Western Conference with five points from as many games in 2026, having drawn 0-0 with Los Angeles FC prior to the international break.

“We’re going to go to Miami with the same mentality,” goalkeeper Brad Stuver said after that match.

“We know that they have really good individual players, but we also know that they have vulnerabilities.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Inter Miami – Lionel Messi

Over his career, Messi has scored 316 goals in 322 home league matches, but he did not find the net in his first home match at Camp Nou with Barcelona, the Parc des Princes with Paris Saint-Germain or Chase Stadium with Inter Miami.

Playing in front of a stand bearing his name, will Messi mark Miami’s move to Nu Stadium with a goal?

Austin FC – Brandon Vazquez

Vazquez has scored seven goals in 11 career appearances against Inter Miami in all competitions, the most any player has scored against the Herons.

That includes goals scored in MLS and the US Open Cup, as well as one in the CONCACAF Champions Cup with Monterrey in 2024.

MATCH PREDICTION: INTER MIAMI WIN

Miami’s move to Nu Stadium comes after they scored at least three goals in 14 of their final 17 MLS matches (regular season and playoffs) at Chase Stadium, including the last 10 in a row.

No team in MLS history has previously scored three or more goals in more than six straight home matches (including playoffs), so they could make history immediately at their new home.

And the Herons are overwhelming favourites, with Austin losing five straight away matches in all competitions, dating back to last season.

Snapshots from this week’s grind pic.twitter.com/6o3ji8uEoQ

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) March 28, 2026

It is their joint-longest away losing streak since dropping 10 straight on the road from June 2021 to March 2022.

Austin have scored in all five matches during their current losing run, though, and they are unbeaten in their two all-time meetings with Miami.

Both of those came before Messi made the move to Florida, though, winning 5-1 in March 2022 and drawing 1-1 in July 2023.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Inter Miami – 71.1%

Austin FC – 12.4%

Draw – 16.5%