FORT LAUDERDALE - Inter Miami CF captain Leo Messi, midfielder Rodrigo De Paul and goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair will represent the club at the FIFA World Cup 2026 as the tournament kicks off this week with 48 national teams competing and Miami serving as one of the host cities.

Messi and De Paul were called up by Argentina, which opens Group J play against Algeria at Kansas City Stadium on June 16 at 9 p.m. ET. Argentina then faces Austria at Dallas Stadium on June 22 and closes group play against Jordan at Dallas Stadium on June 27. St. Clair, meanwhile, joins Canada’s roster for Group B, where the Canadians open against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Toronto Stadium on June 12 at 3 p.m. ET, followed by Qatar at Vancouver Stadium on June 18 and Switzerland at Vancouver Stadium on June 24.

Inter Miami’s facilities have already played a central role in pre-tournament preparations. Four nations — Haiti, Turkey, Scotland and New Zealand — used the club’s venues to gear up for the competition. Haiti, entering its first World Cup appearance in 52 years, picked up a 4-0 win over New Zealand at a sold-out Inter Miami CF Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on June 2 before falling 2-1 to Peru in the first-ever international friendly at Nu Stadium on June 5. Turkey claimed a 2-1 comeback victory over Venezuela at Inter Miami CF Stadium on June 6 ahead of a Group D draw that includes the United States, Paraguay and Australia.

Scotland’s national team used the Florida Blue Training Center from June 1 through 5 as the squad prepared for its first World Cup participation in 28 years. The training center and the club’s other venues — Nu Stadium and Inter Miami CF Stadium — are serving as official training sites for teams playing World Cup matches in Miami this summer.

The South Florida connection extends beyond the pitch. Peru and Venezuela, representing two of the region’s most prominent communities, played international friendlies at Inter Miami’s venues in the days leading up to the tournament.

Nu Stadium will host its first-ever concert on June 28, featuring Mexican singer and two-time Grammy winner Carín León, who will perform “Lighter,” the official lead single for the World Cup. Argentina’s group stage wraps up the night before, on June 27, with knockout-round matches expected to follow in early July.