Moments ago, New York City FC announced that the club will play a friendly with Inter Miami FC at DRV PNK Stadium. Called “Noche d’Or,” the game will commemorate the “historic eighth Ballon d’Or award” won by Lionel Messi.
According to Inter Miami, the Ballon d’Or trophy will be displayed to the crowd.
The Noche d’Or will be held on Friday, November 10 at 8 pm ET, and will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Inter Miami season ticket holders may purchase tickets starting at 10 am this morning. Tickets will be available to the general public at 2 pm ET.
The announcement comes on the heels of a rumor that surfaced late last night. As previously reported in Hudson River Blue, the Miami Herald’s Michelle Kaufman tweeted that NYCFC and Inter Miami “may play a friendly at DRV PNK Stadium Nov 10, just before FIFA intl break.”
As usual, Kaufmann’s rumor turned out to be true.
Fiesta d’Or
Inter Miami promise a night filled with Ballon d’Or fun — and lots of Spanish/French mash-ups. The “Fiesta d’Or” will feature gold fireworks, a gold carpet, and $8.88 Ballon d’Or Margaritas.
The reasonably-priced drinks will go a long way to help fans sit through speeches from Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas and MLS Commissioner Don Garber.
It remains to be seen which players from NYCFC’s First Team will participate. As we reported earlier, NYCFC announced their 2024 roster moves on Monday, and First Team players Braian Cufré, Alfredo Morales, Matías Pellegrini, and Stephen Turnbull are no longer with the club.
As we posted earlier, “Are New York City’s players obligated to return to Gotham if sporting director David Lee flicks on the Bat-Signal? Will head coach Nick Cushing cancel the apple-picking trip with his family we will assume he planned for next week?”
NYCFC and Inter Miami played each other twice this past season, but New York City have yet to face Lionel Messi. When the two sides met on September 30 at DRK PNK Stadium, the Argentine talisman wasn’t in the lineup.
NYCFC and Miami drew that Noche d’Rien 1-1.
