TAMPA, Fla. — Raymond James Stadium in Tampa will be the site of a Major League Soccer preseason version of the Florida Derby between Lionel Messi's Inter Miami and Orlando City Soccer at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14, 2025, the Tampa Bay Sports Commission announced Monday.

Orlando City confirmed the match on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The match will mark the first MLS contest hosted at Raymond James Stadium since 2001 and is anticipated to feature the likes of superstars Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Drake Callender of Inter Miami CF and Facundo Torres, Pedro Gallese and Duncan McGuire of Orlando City Soccer.

“We could not be more excited to welcome Inter Miami CF and Orlando City SC to our community,” TBSC Executive Director Rob Higgins said in a statement. “To have the potential opportunity to see a generational icon such as Lionel Messi take the field in our hometown is truly special. This is something that people will tell their grandkids about.”

Fans interested in tickets can complete a presale interest form at SoccerInTampaBay.com. The official match presale will begin at 10 a.m. on Nov. 13 for those registered at SoccerInTampaBay.com, before going on sale to the general public on Nov. 14. Season-ticket members for each club should follow their respective club’s email correspondence for details related to priority presale access.

“We can’t wait to bring the excitement of the Orlando/Miami rivalry down the road to our neighbors in Tampa, and look forward to having the opportunity to showcase our Lions in front of a great crowd at Raymond James Stadium,” said Orlando City SC President of Business Operations, Jarrod Dillon. “We are excited to partner with the Tampa Bay Sports Commission on this event and look forward to it being a great addition to our 2025 MLS preseason calendar.”

Both clubs are in the MLS Cup playoffs this year and also were last season, and Orlando City is one of two active MLS teams to reach the postseason in five consecutive seasons.

The teams have met previously 14 times, with Orlando City winning five games and Inter Miami taking five, with four draws. Since Messi signed with Inter Miami in July 2023, the Herons have won two of the four meetings, the Lions have captured one, and the clubs have played to a draw. Messi did not play in the Lions' 3-1 victory in Orlando in May or in the 1-1 draw in September 2023.

Messi, the eight-time winner of the Ballon d'Or for international soccer's best player, has not appeared in a matchup with Orlando City in Orlando since he joined MLS.

Inter Miami played 2004 preseason friendlies in El Salvador, Dallas, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Tokyo, looking to boost the team's and MLS's profile. Messi played about 64 minutes against FC Dallas, in the first half in El Salvador, for a few minutes in Saudi Arabia and in the second half in Tokyo and missed the game in Hong Kong, citing an injury.

“While our most important objective is always our ongoing pursuit of bringing titles to South Florida, we’re excited to have set one of our preseason matches for 2025," Inter Miami President of Football Operations Raúl Sanllehí said in a statement. "Planning ahead will help us prepare for a highly anticipated follow-up to everything we’ve accomplished, and everything we’re still fighting for in 2024. We’re looking forward to a thrilling atmosphere in our first visit to Tampa since our inaugural year in 2020.”

Messi has been a leader of Argentina's World Cup champion team in 2022, Olympic gold medal team in 2008, three FIFA Club World Cup title clubs, a Leagues Cup champion squad and two Copa America championship teams.