Journey into the bowels of the Florida Blue Training Center: a world-class campus and “the best temporary stadium in the world” serving Messi

Thirty minutes, without too much traffic, separate the beach of Fort Lauderdale from Chase Stadium, the old new home of Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami. Along A1A, a palm-lined beachfront, cars, many high-end, drive incessantly as people of all ages walk, jog and run along the pedestrian path. No number 10 shirt of the Argentine national team can be seen on the beach: only the Inter Miami one with the name Higuaín. On the opposite side, with an enviable view of the sea, there are tower-shaped hotels, restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner and own businesses on viale 3 of Villa Gesell with all types of products: from floats to conservatives, including muscle T-shirts and posters with slogans that walk that thin line that separates the funny, the ironic and the undoable.

There are hours left until Inter Miami’s debut against Real Salt Lake City at the start of the 2024 championship of the increasingly coveted MLS, but thirty minutes from the stadium, almost no one knows that Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez will soon meet again play football and score goals.

“I have no idea what Messi is playing”, replies Roberto, a 45-year-old Cuban who walks hand in hand with his wife. “I came to get away from work. Don’t watch football“, he continues. The companion reveals a family of Argentinians sunbathing on Sebastian beach. They come from the North. Did they come to see Messi? “No, we came on holiday. Will they try to go and see him?” They told us that there are no tickets, even if you can find them on sale… Besides, there are a lot of us. And When you return you will have to pay for the card“answers Lisandro, the father of that albicelestial tribe which also includes two grandparents.

The thermometer reads 22 degrees, but the sea water, of an intense blue colour, invites you to take a dip without needing a wetsuit. In case it wasn’t clear: It seems that Messi and his Inter Miami play in a galaxy of this paradise overlooking the Atlantic. But the fever for football – and not for football – increases as the minutes are removed from the pitch. There are no choripán stalls. Nor manteros with trout merchandising. Not even the clothes. But the machine of this new football club does not stop. It’s not La Bombonera, but the Chase Stadium and its surroundings not only beat, but have a tachycardia since they became the home of the best footballer in the world.

A luxury home

The field and sports complex are located near Fort Lauderdale International Airport. Leo lands there with his private jet every time he returns from Argentina. or anywhere else on the planet. He and his family live a few miles away in a gated community with its own beach north of town. He’s like he’s a Nordelta, but “recontramegamuchomore” at the top. But it is impossible to enter the venue if you are not the owner or the guest. The Inter Miami headquarters is a few minutes’ drive away and they spend part of the day there taking into account that Thiago, Mateo and Ciro are already part of the training academies, the lower divisions for us. And the place, it is insisted, has nothing to envy of the facilities of the best clubs in Europe. They say it from the club and a group of English journalists who came to experience the first performance of 2024 up close agree with their heads.

The sports complex is a few meters from the stadium. It’s sponsored – it’s called the Florida Blue Training Center – and it’s divided into three essential parts. It has six football fields. Five are natural grass. It is cut so well that it looks artificial. The ball slides like a carpet.. The other is synthetic and presents, as chromatic information, the axes of a rugby field. The professional team trains there, but the teams from the different categories of the franchise also train, from those under 12 to those of the MLS Next, which in Argentina would be the old Reserve.

They’re not just football pitches, of course. Next door is a two-story building divided into two. There are some facilities for the youth sector and another, more exclusive, for Messi and his teammates. The first has a gym and several changing rooms. The second is the top of the range. There is another gym – which appears to be equipped by NASA – which is flanked by a physiotherapy room, with stretchers and hot and cold water pools. The outlined routines for each player are visible on a whiteboard.

There are two changing rooms and also a sort of microcinema which acts as a tactical meeting room, where videos can be projected and where the technical staff led by Gerardo Martino holds weekly meetings. And there is also a large living room, all glazed, with a pool table, ping pong and game console, where the footballers have breakfast and lunch. There are no dormitories because here in the MLS nobody concentrates when playing at home.

The last space in the Florida Blue Training Center is the offices. There is Martino, of course, and his technical staff, but there are also those from the different departments – marketing, fans, media, public relations, among others – who make the company work and are visible beyond what they make the company work. as if it were a powerful multinational. In fact, it already is. The first world wherever you look.

The best temporary stadium in the world

Gabriel Gabor, MLS PR, says it, and it may seem exaggerated. But he isn’t. Chase Stadium, until the day before yesterday DVR PNK Stadium, is ““the best temporary stadium in the world”. And this Argentine who has lived in Miami for several decades is right: it is a luxury stadium. And even more so if you take into account that it was built in just eight months and that in a few years it will no longer be used by the main Inter Miami team because it will move to Freedom Park, which will be next to Miami International. Airport.

The field, built with tubular structures, has almost no concrete or cement support. It has a capacity of 21,500 spectators seating divided into four stands. But it’s not just about seating to watch football, it’s an experience that goes far beyond that.

This is known Sports here in the United States is also a space for having fun, eating and drinking. And that’s what you can do at the NorthWest Club, which overlooks one of the corners. There is a restaurant belonging to a well-known fast food chain – which is also Messi’s sponsor – but there is also a bar to drink Argentine wine. Maybe it’s not the best place to watch football, but it’s for fun.

Where football is seen well is in the suites, which are flush with the playing field. This is where the owners are, the famous ones. -LeBron James and Serena Williams From there they saw the debut of Messi and the relatives of the team’s stars. That is “the place” of the stadium. Have space for 14 people, catering service and costs around 15 thousand dollars.

There is a second floor, which also has a kind of food court, with a great view, which is worth 1,200 Washington dollars. And a third, even better, which also has its seats sold out. Behind it is the preferential stall which ranges from 160 to 670 dollars depending on how close you are to the central circle.

On the opposite side there is a stall which has lower values ​​because the Florida sun is strong during the day. And there are also the headliners, whose tickets cost $140. Sure, it looks good from all sides. And those who do not have access to the catering services in the suites or on the terrace can turn to the food trucks located at the exit. A can of beer costs $15. A can of wine costs the same. For an extra dollar you can have a drink made with vodka or tequila. A soft drink costs 6 and a refillable glass 12. And what about eating? A pretzel 5.75; a bucket of popcorn 9.50. And there are also more elaborate dishes such as Dominican empanadas or Mexican quesadillas.

The main course, however, is served on the playing field. Seeing Messi on the pitch, even if many here don’t even realize it, is priceless.