Lionel Messi's Bay Area debut tops SJ Earthquakes 2025 schedule

SAN JOSE – The greatest football player of all time is set to play in San Jose this season.

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami will play at PayPal Park on May 14 in highlights of the Quakes' schedule, which MLS released Thursday. This will be the Argentine legend's first match in the Gulf region since joining Major League Soccer in July 2023.

“I think it would be great for the entire Bay, and San Jose, to be able to see it,” Jared Shawley, president of Earthquakes, told Bay Area News Group.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and 2024 MLS Player of the Year scored 21 goals in 25 games for Miami last season and has scored 749 goals in 924 career games.

With Messi in the final year of his MLS contract, this may be the only chance for Bay Area fans to watch him play in person.

Demand for tickets is expected to be very high, raising the question of why the game was scheduled for the 18,000-seat PayPal, rather than Levi's Stadium (68,500) or even Stanford Stadium (50,424).

The team president said that Stanford and Levi's Stadium already have iconic games and that the team wants PayPal to have its own moment in the spotlight.

“I think it could be one of the greatest matches in the history of the stadium,” Shawley said. “Obviously we're going to have a big crowd for that.”

It is worth noting that Messi (37 years old) played only 19 regular season games with Miami last season after suffering an ankle injury in the Copa America final. He has missed a few games on the road to manage his body since arriving in the MLB. The long distance between Miami and San Jose could also affect whether or not he plays; Inter will be in Minnesota for a game four days before the Quakes game.

Here are some other big games Earthquakes fans might get excited about:

February 22: Real Salt Lake at PayPal Park

The Earthquakes will open their season at home in the first game of the Bruce Arena era. The team is coming off a dismal 2024, going a league-worst 6-3-25 (21 points).

However, the team president has promised that frugal owner John Fisher is open to signings at the request of Arena and general manager Chris Leach.

“It will be up to Bruce and Chris to follow through on the plan they have in place to improve the roster and the team, and I think the entire organization and ownership are very supportive of that plan,” Shawley said.

On Wednesday afternoon, the team brought back hometown favorite Nick Lema, who played for the Earthquakes from 2017-2020 and has plied his trade with Austin FC and New England since.

Lima is an East Bay native and was a prep star in both football and soccer for Castro Valley High School.

April 6: DC United at PayPal Park

(L-R) Chris Leach, general manager of the San Jose Earthquakes, Bruce Arena, new head coach, and Jared Shawley, president, pose for photos after a press conference at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, November II November 13, 2024. (Shay Hammond/Bay Area News Group)

This is the 30th anniversary of the Earthquakes' first match in MLS. On that day in 1996 — a 1-0 San Jose win — Arena was ahead of D.C. United. Nowadays, the former USMNT coach and MLS player will lead the Earthquakes.

The 73-year-old will be heavily involved in the front office's decision-making process, and management hopes his decades of experience will help pull San Jose out of the basement.

“Having Bruce join us has been a huge boost of energy for the entire organization,” Shawley said. “He's building a great roster for us.”

June 28: LA Galaxy vs Stanford

September 13: Los Angeles FC at Levi Stadium

Messi may not be playing in a big stadium, but the Earthquakes will face two SoCal opponents in bigger venues.

The California Clásico returns to Stanford Stadium, a game the Galaxy won 3-0 last season. Earthquakes outnumbered Los Angeles by 18 to 14, but they outperformed Los Angeles by 63% to 37%.

On September 13, Levi's Stadium will host the team's Mexican Independence Day match against Los Angeles FC. That match attracted 45,000 fans last season, and Shawley expects even larger crowds in 2025.

“In successive years, we got 40,000 spectators for each of those matches, and we hope that this year those matches will go up because we will face great opponents again,” Shawley said.

August 17: San Diego FC at PayPal Park

San Jose Earthquakes winger Christian Espinoza (10) should be one of the team's best players in 2025. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

Messi isn't the only hugely popular star to make his Bay Area debut for an MLS team. Mexican star Chucky Lozano, a regular in the country's national team, was a standout for Pachuca, Eindhoven and Napoli.

San Diego signed the winger ahead of the team's inaugural season in 2025, and he will play his first game in NorCal on August 17.

The hype surrounding Lozano's appearance and the schedule as a whole is something Chaoli hopes will continue beyond 2025.

After all, the Bay Area is hosting World Cup games in 2026. As the region's MLS team, Shawley wants the Quakes to showcase the Bay Area's passion for the world's most popular game.

“We are doing everything with an eye on 2026 and the World Cup,” Shawley said. “We are very excited to be part of the ecosystem that brings this to the Bay Area.”

Season tickets are available now on the team's website, with most single-game tickets going on sale on January 9, while tickets for LAFC's game at Levi's Stadium will be available on January 14.

Originally Posted: December 19, 2024 at 11:05 AM PT

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: cgurgu@internetmarketingcompany.BizWebsite: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos