Inter Miami will host Austin FC on Saturday in Major League Soccer at Nu Stadium, but bureaucratic issues have emerged. This Saturday, Inter Miami will play their first match at Nu Stadium at Miami Freedom Park, in Matchday 6 of the 2026 Major League Soccer season against Austin FC. However, in the hours leading up to the game, complications with the venue have arisen.
“Inter Miami’s match on Saturday may have to take place under a ‘limited event permit… with restrictions and additional precautions’ if Nu Stadium does not receive a temporary certificate of occupancy, city officials say,” reporter Andy Slater wrote on his X account Friday.
The core of the issues Inter Miami are facing ahead of the Austin match relates to the stadium’s construction and the subsequent administrative permits. In particular, the problem involves the Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO), a document issued by local authorities that allows partial or temporary use of a facility before final inspections are completed.
“The city is working diligently with the representatives of Nu Stadium to issue the TCO by April 4th’s inaugural game,” Slater’s post on X added. “However, if the TCO is not issued there is an avenue to proceed under a limited event permit, which is limited to that day, with specific hours, restrictions, and additional precautions. This is a recourse often used in these situations.”
🗣️ Leo Messi: “Nu Stadium is truly impressive. It’s going to be a beautiful day.” pic.twitter.com/sXeBbpe9V2— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) April 3, 2026
Despite these last-minute administrative permit complications for the use of Nu Stadium, there are no reports suggesting that the Inter Miami vs Austin FC match will be postponed or rescheduled to a future date.
Inter Miami have been waiting for this moment for a long time
The construction of the new stadium at Miami Freedom Park has been a priority for the Herons practically since Lionel Messi’s arrival in the summer of 2023. As the construction progressed, the issue gained increasing importance in the club’s day-to-day operations.
In fact, Inter Miami executives coordinated with MLS to schedule this season’s fixtures so that the team’s first home game would occur after the completion of Nu Stadium. That’s why the Herons played their first five league matches away from home, with Saturday’s match against Austin FC marking their first as hosts.
The only exception they couldn’t avoid was in the Concacaf Champions Cup. There, they had no choice but to host Nashville SC in the second leg of the Round of 16 at Chase Stadium on March 18, where they were eliminated after a 1-1 draw.