Lionel Messi's Inter Miami learn their 2024 MLS schedule for upcoming season

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami have released their schedule for the upcoming 2024 MLS season.

The Herons ended the 2023 season in 14th place out of 15 teams in the MLS Eastern Conference, failing to reach the postseason despite the arrival of Messi in the summer.

While Messi scored on his MLS debut to end their 12-game winless streak and lift them off the foot of the standings, Tata Martino's side briefly flirted with an unlikely postseason berth before eventually falling well short.

The David Beckham co-owned side have now learnt their schedule for the 2024 MLS season. They open their campaign at home to Real Salt Lake City on February 21. Their regular-season campaign ends almost eight months later, on October 19, at home to New England Revolution.

Every MLS team - including the Herons - will play 34 league games during the season, with six of them being being inter-conference fixtures, besides playing home and away against the 14 other teams in their conference.

Messi and Co. are set to face three first-time opponents in the league next season: Real Salt Lake (February 21), Colorado Rapids (April 6) and Vancouver Whitecaps (May 25).

A look at Lionel Messi's Inter Miami's pre-season schedule

Inter Miami have announced the schedule of their first pre-season tour outside American shores.

The MLS club - founded in 2018 - play El Salvador on January 19 in a hybdrid friendly to kickstart their pre-season. Lionel Messi and Co. then travel to Saudi Arabia to take on Al-Hilal (January 29) and Al-Nassr (February 1), both in Riyadh. The latter game will see Messi square up with his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

Inter Miami then travel to Hong Kong to take on Hong Kong Team, an assortment of the country's top first-division players, on February 4. Three days later, Messi and Co. play Japanese club Vissel Kobe before winding their pre-season at home against the Argentinian's boyhood club Newell Old Boys on February 15.