Next week, Colorado Rapids will play a historic match against Inter Miami as part of their 30th anniversary celebration in Major League Soccer. That occasion, combined with Lionel Messi’s presence, has helped the club reach a new ticket sales record.
“The race to history is on,” the club announced Friday in a post on its official X account. “We’ve surpassed 60,000 tickets for our 30th Anniversary Match!” This highlights the massive anticipation surrounding the matchup scheduled for Saturday, April 18.
This will be just the second time Colorado Rapids face Lionel Messi since his arrival in MLS in the summer of 2023. The only previous meeting was a 2-2 draw at Chase Stadium during the 2024 season, meaning Messi has yet to play an away match against Colorado with the Herons.
The arrival of the Argentine superstar is one of the main reasons this match is so special. Another is that the club has chosen this date to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its first MLS season, as Colorado Rapids were one of the league’s 10 founding teams in 1996.
Venue change for Colorado Rapids vs Inter Miami
Aware of the significance of the match against Inter Miami, Colorado Rapids anticipated an unusually high attendance and decided to change the venue. The MLS Matchday 8 game will not be played at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, as is usually the case, but at Empower Field at Mile High.
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The selected stadium is home to the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) and has a significantly larger capacity. While Colorado Rapids typically host crowds of around 18,000 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Empower Field at Mile High can accommodate up to 76,000 spectators.
Colorado Rapids set ticket sales record
Until now, the highest-attended match in Colorado Rapids history took place on July 4, 2002, against Chicago Fire in MLS. On that occasion, the club also played at Empower Field at Mile High, with approximately 59,500 fans in attendance.
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That mark has now been surpassed, with more than 60,000 tickets already sold and over a week remaining before kickoff. That figure is expected to continue rising, potentially bringing the stadium close to full capacity.
