Lionel Messi is coming back to the Caribbean — and this time, the stage is Puerto Rico.
Inter Miami CF is set to play a February 13 friendly at Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel in Bayamón, a high-profile match Puerto Rico tourism officials say could generate an estimated $18 million in direct economic impact.
It’s the kind of event that immediately shifts the conversation from “sports travel” as a niche to something much bigger: a reason to fly in, book a hotel, and build a weekend around a single night.
The Puerto Rico Match: What We Know So Far
The match is scheduled for February 13 in Bayamón, just outside San Juan, at Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel. Puerto Rico’s tourism leadership confirmed the game as part of the island’s FITUR 2026 announcements, positioning it as a marquee sports tourism moment for the destination.
It’s also the perfect weekend vacation. You get a Caribbean city break, beach time within easy reach, and a rare chance to see Messi play without doing the usual long-haul scramble.
This Isn’t the First Time Messi Has Played in the Caribbean
The bigger story is that Puerto Rico is part of something that’s already happening: Messi has been quietly turning the Caribbean into a legitimate stop on the calendar.
Inter Miami recently played in Jamaica, where Messi’s appearance drew massive attention and turned the match into a full-scale event weekend. The energy around that game made something very clear: when Messi shows up in the region, it doesn’t feel like a normal friendly. It feels like an arrival.
Puerto Rico is now next in line.
Why This Is a Big Deal for Caribbean Travel Right Now
Caribbean travel is usually built around beaches, resorts, festivals, and winter sun. But major sports moments — the kind that pull in fans who travel specifically for a single event — have been rarer.
Messi changes that.
A match like this has an immediate ripple effect: flights tighten, hotel rates jump, restaurants fill up, and the destination gets a global spotlight that tourism boards can’t buy in the same way.
Puerto Rico is betting on exactly that.
Tickets
You can find tickets in the secondary market like Stubhub for about $200 per seat right now in several different sections.
How to Turn This Into a Trip
If you’re planning to go, the smartest move is to treat it like a San Juan weekend with a built-in headline.
Bayamón is close enough that you can stay in San Juan or nearby Isla Verde, do the city properly, and still get to the stadium without turning your trip into a logistics marathon. That means Old San Juan in the daytime, beaches within easy reach, and then a stadium night that feels like something you’ll remember for years.
Where to Stay
At the center of San Juan’s city experience, O:live Boutique Hotel offers a refined, design-forward stay with easy access to dining, nightlife, and the historic heart of the city. Its boutique character makes it a strong choice if you want a base that feels local and distinctive while still putting you close to the action.
For a beach-adjacent option with a newer feel, the Hyatt Centric in Isla Verde (the transformed former Verdanza) marries modern comfort with ease of access to both sand and city.
How to Fly
Puerto Rico has some of the cheapest flights in the Caribbean; you can find nonstop flights from Miami to San Juan for that weekend for about $284 on carriers like Frontier.
Karen Udler
2026-02-08 18:58:00