The dog days of summer have arrived in Miami, except when it comes to sports. From NFL preseason games and Big3 basketball to visits from the L.A. Dodgers and Leo Messi, this month is loaded with tons of exciting pro sporting events and plenty of tailgating opportunities.
Here are the best Miami sporting events to attend in August: Miami Dolphins Scrimmage. The Dolphins will suck this season. Like, really suck. Like, more than usual. But there are some positives. For starters, the Fins have probably (hopefully?) found themselves their coveted franchise quarterback in Josh Rosen. Saturday, August 3, fans will get their first real glimpse of Rosen in a Miami uniform when he hits the field in a team scrimmage at Hard Rock Stadium. The future starts here! Kickoff is at noon Saturday, August 3, at Hard Rock Stadium, 347 Don Shula Dr., Miami Gardens. Tickets are free via miamidolphins.com.
FC Barcelona vs. SSC Napoli. Leo Messi is arguably the greatest soccer player in the universe. Wednesday, August 7, he'll hit the field with FC Barcelona in a match against SSC Napoli at Hard Rock Stadium. Messi’s Barca is basically the Harlem Globetrotters to SSC Napoli’s Washington Generals, but that’s why this match will be fun. Messi will bring along fellow soccer studs Antoine Griezmann, Luis Suarez, Coutinho, Frenkie de Jong, and the other Barca badasses in what is expected to be a raucous affair. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Wednesday, August 7, at Hard Rock Stadium, 347 Don Shula Dr., Miami Gardens. Tickets start at $45 via hardrockstadium.com.
Atlanta Falcons vs. Miami Dolphins Preseason Opener. Preseason football is the time to start getting excited about the upcoming NFL season. It's the time to watch for potential breakout stars and drape oneself in hope — except when it comes to the Dolphins. For Fins fans, preseason football is just another excuse to tailgate and get sloshed with friends. Thursday, August 8, Julio Jones and the Atlanta Falcons will visit Miami for the Dolphins 2019 preseason opener at Hard Rock Stadium. Get the coolers ready. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Thursday, August 8, at Hard Rock Stadium, 347 Don Shula Dr., Miami Gardens. Tickets start at $6 and can be purchased via hardrockstadium.com.
Big3 Basketball. Ice Cube will take his old-man basketball tournament to the American Airlines Arena Saturday, August 10. NBA stars Chris “Birdman” Andersen, Gilbert Arenas, Carlos Boozer, Joe Johnson, Drew Gooden, Greg Oden, Lamar Odom, Jason Richardson, Brian Scalabrine, Nate Robinson, Carlos Arroyo, and many others will compete in a three-on-three tournament at the Triple A. It’s like an NBA wax museum come to life, and it sounds glorious. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. Saturday, August 10, at American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased via aaarena.com
L.A. Dodgers vs. Miami Marlins. Does Derek Jeter have the Miami Marlins on the right path? Only time will tell. The good news, for now, is the red-hot World Series-contending, National League-winning L.A. Dodgers are in town for a three-game series against the home team. For the first time in a long time, Miami fans will get to experience what it's like to have a winning team play at Marlins Park, so there's that. First pitches at 7:10 p.m. Tuesday, August 13, and Wednesday, August 14, and 3:05 p.m. Thursday, August 15, at Marlins Park, 501 Marlins Way, Miami. Tickets for each game start at $10 and can be purchased via mlb.com.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Miami Dolphins. The third preseason game is generally where NFL fans get to see what the starting lineup will look like for the rest of the season. So when the Dolphins host the Jaguars Thursday, August 22, Fins fans will get their first glimpse of what the team will look like in 2019. Chances are it won't look all that great. But crazier things have happened. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. Thursday, August 22, at Hard Rock Stadium, 347 Don Shula Dr., Miami Gardens. Tickets start at $5 via hardrockstadium.com.