The world’s greatest soccer player will visit Commerce City in 2026.
As part of the Major League Soccer schedule release on Thursday, which came almost a month earlier than in previous years, the Colorado Rapids are set to host soccer legend Lionel Messi and Inter Miami on April 18. The match will coincide with the club’s celebration of 30 years since its first match, which was held on April 13, 1996.
When hosting Miami for the first time, several teams around MLS have used NFL stadiums to accommodate the attraction to the Argentinian star. It’s unclear whether the Rapids will do the same and use Empower Field, but it would make sense given the capacity and that the franchise’s inaugural match was also played there.
Colorado has been receptive to big international stars before. South Korean icon Son Heung-Min visited Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on decision day last month, drawing a bevy of fans. DSGP sold out that night — a rarity for the Rapids — and droves of fans filed out after Son subbed out in the 77th minute.
The Rapids have played against Messi’s Miami before, using a late Cole Bassett equalizer for a 2-all draw in April 2024 at Chase Stadium. That match was the coming-out party of center back Moïse Bombito, who left the club in August that year for an MLS-record fee.
Colorado, currently without a coach after parting ways with Chris Armas last month, opens 2026 on Feb. 22 at the Seattle Sounders. Its first home match will be against the Portland Timbers on Feb. 28.
With San Diego FC’s arrival to the MLS this season, the schedule-building process changed and allowed for a more consistent structure. That won’t change this year, with a home and away match against all 19 Western Conference opponents and six Eastern Conference matches to round out the 34-game regular season.
The Rapids have a chance to win the Rocky Mountain Cup for a third straight year in their rivalry with Real Salt Lake. Colorado’s 1-0 loss to RSL in October was enough for them to “retain as holders” of the Cup, which made it the second time the Rapids have ever earned it in consecutive campaigns. The teams will play in Salt Lake City on May 16 and return to Colorado on Aug. 29.
The July 4 match, often the Rapids’ biggest spectacle with the following fireworks show, will not be played this year due to the World Cup, which will take place from June 11 to July 19. No MLS match will be played during that period. The Rapids will break from May 23 to July 22.
It’s likely last year’s 2-1 loss to SKC will be the last July 4 match in history, at least in the regular season. Last week, MLS approved a calendar shift from the current February-December campaign to a July-May season, starting in 2027-28. The opening matches of the newly formatted season would likely be mid-July at the earliest. The move aligns the league with the rest of the world, which largely plays a similar schedule.
Colorado Rapids’ 2026 schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 22 | at Seattle Sounders | 7 p.m. |
| Feb. 28 | Portland Timbers | 2:30 p.m. |
| March 07 | LA Galaxy | 7:30 p.m. |
| March 14 | at New York City FC | 5:30 p.m. |
| March 21 | at Sporting Kansas City | 6:30 p.m. |
| April 04 | at Toronto FC | TBD |
| April 11 | Houston Dynamo | 7:30 p.m. |
| April 18 | Inter Miami FC | 2:30 p.m. |
| April 22 | at Los Angeles FC | 8:30 p.m. |
| April 25 | at Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 8:30 p.m. |
| May 2 | at Houston Dynamo | 6:30 p.m. |
| May 9 | St. Louis City | 7:30 p.m. |
| May 13 | at Minnesota United | 6:30 p.m. |
| May 16 | at Real Salt Lake | 7:30 p.m. |
| May 23 | FC Dallas | 7:30 p.m. |
| July 22 | San Diego FC | 7:30 p.m. |
| July 25 | at St. Louis CITY SC | 6:30 p.m. |
| Aug. 1 | Austin FC | 7:30 p.m. |
| Aug. 15 | Sporting Kansas City | 7:30 p.m. |
| Aug. 19 | Los Angeles FC | 7:30 p.m. |
| Aug. 22 | at San Diego FC | 8:30 p.m. |
| Aug. 29 | Real Salt Lake | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sept. 5 | at Columbus Crew SC | 5:30 p.m. |
| Sept. 9 | at Austin FC | 6:30 p.m. |
| Sept. 12 | CF Montreal | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sept. 19 | Seattle Sounders | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sept. 26 | at LA Galaxy | 8:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 10 | San Jose Earthquakes | 7:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 14 | Minnesota United | 7:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 17 | at Portland Timbers | 8:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 24 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 7:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 28 | at San Jose Earthquakes | 8:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 31 | Chicago Fire FC | TBD |
| Nov. 7 | at FC Dallas | 5 p.m. |
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