This post contains affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. View the disclosure for more information. Thank you for your support!
This post is all about the best family soccer trip!
Pack your bags! I am so excited to share the itinerary from our Messi inspired family soccer trip through Florida, with the hopes that it will help you with your planning — or maybe it will spark an idea for your own custom trip!
We left from Orlando and our destination was Miami — to the Messi Experience — and we did a lot along the way (Chase Stadium, Messi murals, etc.).
Now, onto how to plan the absolute best family soccer trip — Messi edition!
As you may already be aware, my son is a Messi fanatic. If you’re here, I’m guessing one of your children is as well? If you don’t know who Lionel Messi is, he’s an international fútbol (soccer) superstar, born in Argentina, and he plays for the MLS Inter Miami team, as well as the Argentinian National Team. He’s a humble man who boasts many great accomplishments.
We had recently planned a trip to visit family in the Orlando area. I figured while we were in Florida we might as well try to have some soccer adventures by incorporating Messi as much as possible. My husband loves Miami, my son loves Messi, and the whole family loves the Inter Miami team (even our littlest one!), so I got to googling!
I was pretty surprised when I couldn’t find any blog posts or guides for some sort of Messi tour given his popularity in Miami. So, as a result, I decided to do a ton of research and put as much together as I could within the time frame we had.
In this Post:
Best Family Soccer Trip Ever Itinerary: City Place
We knew, of course, that we would need to build in a few stops from Orlando to Miami, given that it’s about a four hour car ride, and we have two young kids. I put some thought into this so we could stop somewhere we’re interested in, rather than a random gas station. So, our first destination was City Place in West Palm Beach. If you’ve never been, City Place was a pretty cool experience, full of outdoor shopping and dining, as well as other experiences like a splash pad and pop up events. Also, it’s beautiful.
While we didn’t have time to do much given that we had to be back on the road, we did grab a bite to eat and stretched our legs.
My Inter Miami shirt I My husband’s Inter Miami jersey
There was also an employee there that started chanting “MEEEESSSSSI, MEEEESSSSSI, MEEEESSSSSI!” when he saw us all dressed up in our Messi gear. It was so sweet and my son was beaming ear-to-ear. It’s these fun, unexpected moments that make a special mark.
City Place, West Palm Beach, FL
Sloan’s Ice Cream, City Place, West Palm Beach, FL
I was eager to stop by Maman’s for an iced latte, but it wasn’t quiteeee open yet. I think it was opening within the month — so close!
Sophisticated Soccer Themed Bedroom Ideas
Best Family Soccer Trip Ever Itinerary: Chase Stadium
Pink Messi kids jersey (no longer available, similar linked) I Black Messi kids jersey (no longer available, similar linked)
From West Palm Beach we had a quick trip to Chase Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale (about a 45 minute drive), which is the home of Inter Miami. I, too, was initially confused that the stadium was not in Miami. At the time I am writing this, there is a new stadium (Miami Freedom Park) being built outside of the Miami Airport for Inter Miami, projected to open in 2026.
This was a cool experience. We were able to walk around the outside of the stadium and also go to the Inter Miami store. There’s also a training facility a few yards from the stadium, though you’re not allowed to get super close to it. While we were there, we didn’t see any players training outside, but it was a fun prospect that my son may be able to see Messi on the field or walking through the stadium.
Chic Soccer Mom Gifts Any Soccer Mom Would Love
After we got our fill of the stadium, we jumped back in the car to head to Miami. While the two are not far apart, we did hit some traffic outside of Miami. It probably took a little over an hour to get from Chase Stadium to our first Miami destination.
Best Family Soccer Trip Ever Itinerary: Miami!
I had also done a lot of digging to see what we could do that is Messi related in Miami. There are some cool Messi murals around the city and it was our goal to find as many as we could! We hit the three we were hoping for, and while we did stop by a location (Veza Sur) for a fourth, it had been painted over. Wah wah. BUT — the others were super cool and it was like a fun scavenger hunt! This was an easy way to keep the kids engaged (“look out the window, it should be coming up!”), while exploring various neighborhoods in Miami, a city that’s so rich with culture.
This mural is located near NW 2nd Ave & NW 23rd St. There were other people stopping to take pictures too!
This mural is at Fioritos, an Argentinian restaurant in MiamiI had also tried to find a restaurant that served authentic Argentinian food (we visited Fiorito’s the next day and it was closed when we arrived), but we ended up going with Peruvian (my husband’s favorite). That was just as fun and obviously also South American. The server said he saw us all walking by in our Messi jerseys (we walked past the restaurant on the lookout for a mural and then walked back to the restaurant) and he said the staff thought we might be Messi and his family. Ha! That was a cute anecdote and made my son very happy. I love these little moments!
The Messi Experience – so worth it!
Okay, so this was the whole purpose for the trip to Miami — to visit The Messi Experience in beautiful Coconut Grove. Honestly, I didn’t expect all that much from this event. I thought it would be interesting, similar to a museum exhibit, and figured the kids would be able to play a few soccer exercises/games, etc. That was what I could piece together from their website.
But, friends… this was such a cool experience. We had never been to something immersive and I won’t give it all away if you’re planning your own trip (it’s no longer available in Miami, but is available at various other locations, including NYC / NJ soon). What I will say is that the whole experience was quite captivating and immersive, and kept my son’s attention (and my toddler daughter’s!).
You get to follow Messi throughout his life and entire career. If you go, make sure you have a smart phone to make the most of your experience.
Afterwards, we stopped at the nearby Fresh Market (literally yards away) for a few items and saw this:
Ha! We didn’t try the wine, but found it funny that Inter Miami was everywhere! It made the trip that much more exciting – what will we find around every turn?!
The Ultimate Soccer Themed Birthday Party
Back to Orlando: Soccer Family Trip
While we are big Inter Miami fans given my son’s love of Messi, we have also become Orlando City fans because we have family who lives in Orlando. So, to wrap up the trip, we were able to go to an Orlando City game! Sheesh — my son’s soccer bucket couldn’t have been more full after this trip unless he met Messi himself!
Orlando City won, which made it even more worth it to sit in the rain!
More Ideas to Consider for Your Own Soccer Vacation
- We had also looked for sports memorabilia stores which had jerseys, old and new alike. There had just been a cool pop up I had found on instagram prior to our stay, but it finished before we left. Consider looking into this option if you’re planning your own trip.
- You could also consider heading to some trading card stores, if that’s not already a “go to” for you. Our son loves to find new and old cards and chat with the owners, or other patrons. It’s a cool community and we’ve found that the store owners of these privately owned shops are always so kind to the little kids.
- When you have some downtime, consider watching a soccer special or documentary, like Messi Meets America on Apple TV or Captains of the World on Netflix. Grab some fun snacks and make it an experience.
- Lastly, if you’re looking for another Messi-themed experience (or to bulk up a soccer trip), you could also just find an Adidas store or a soccer chain store. Messi has a partnership with Adidas, so his gear can always be found there and sometimes a large photo of him as well. Some larger retail soccer stores also have small pieces of turf that kids can play on.
Here was our bonus sighting:
Hahaha. When my son was really little we used to yell “FIRETRUCK!” every time we saw one. If you have kids, I bet you can relate. Now we yell, “MESSI!” I love getting to know my kids through every stage. <3
If you have any ideas to add to a soccer or Messi-themed trip, please share! You know we love recommendations here!
Thank you so much for being here!
Any other suggestions, let us know! Send a message via @peonylaneandco .
For more hosting inspo and pretty things, follow @peonylaneandco on Instagram!
If you’re interested in more entertaining and tablescape ideas, visit PL&Co.’s Pinterest page!
To learn more about PL&Co., click here!
Other East Coast travel you may enjoy:
What To Do in Lewes Delaware for the Perfect Summer Week
11 Fun Things to Do In Kingston NY (& beyond)
This post was all about the best family soccer trip!
