It is hard to deny the impact and ripple effects that soccer superstar Lionel Messi has had on the soccer landscape. His move to Inter Miami and Major League Soccer has not only ignited soccer fans in the United States but has also had a tremendous economic impact on American soccer.
As reported by Sportico.com, Messi’s contract is for two and a half years, worth $150 million, including partnerships with apparel and kit sponsor Adidas, streaming partner Apple Inc., and a stake in the club itself. When the calendar turns over in 2025, Messi’s contract will reach an upwards of $1.6 billion, ranking him in the top five of the richest contracts in sports history.
Along with the signing of Messi, Miami signed two of his longtime teammates with the Spanish club FC Barcelona. Midfielder Sergio Busquets and left-back Jordi Alba signed on the dotted line shortly after the agreement with Messi was official.
Messi has achieved about all that he can in the world of professional soccer. In his tenure with European giants FC Barcelona and Paris-Saint German, he captured four Champions League titles, 10 La Liga titles, two Ligue 1 titles, and seven Copa de Rey championships. He has won seven Ballon d’Or awards, awarded to the world’s best soccer player, and recently led Argentina to their first World Cup title since the great Maradona in 1986.
A player like Lionel Messi is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete. Spending all his career up to this point in Europe, it is not surprising that fans are chomping at the bit to get a glimpse of the magic Messi displays. The Athletic reported during a League Cup between Inter Miami and Columbus Crew in July that the 25,513-person capacity stadium only took one day to sell out with Messi in the picture.
According to data from TicketIQ, average home game tickets for Inter Miami have increased from $153 to $864 since Messi’s arrival. A ticket for Inter Miami’s 2022 game in Los Angeles against LAFC was around $140. Just a year later, the price for that same ticket skyrocketed to $2,400 because of Messi’s presence.
Messi has affected not only the spike in ticket sales but also in streams. In June of last year, Apple TV announced a 10-year agreement with the MLS, which allowed every game to be watched without any restrictions.
The club’s social media pages have also seen a huge increase in followers after the signing. Inter Miami’s Instagram has more followers than every NHL, MLB, and NFL team. They grew from 1 million to 6.1 million in just 24 hours after announcing Messi. Currently, that number has risen to an astonishing 15 million followers.
The increase in revenue for the club, league, and its business partners is due to Messi as a brand, but it comes down to how he performs on the pitch.
Most avid soccer fans would agree that the MLS is more competitve than European soccer is not as good. In the past, the MLS has served as a retirement plan for some of the world’s best, such as David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. However, Messi has kept the same excellence and magic expected from him.
In 11 games, Messi has scored 11 times and tallied five assists, catapulting Inter Miami to a League Cup win, the club’s first major trophy since it was founded in 2018. In his 11 games, Inter Miami is 10-1-0. Messi is the key to Inter Miami and their success.
Inter Miami games have become the must-watch soccer team in the United States and one of the world’s most expensive and star-studded shows.
Messi has drawn fans who were not soccer fans into the sport, along with some of the United States’ most famous athletes and celebrities. Figures such as Lebron James, Kim Kardashian, and Selena Gomez have been some of the few seen attending Inter Miami games to catch a glimpse of the wizardry Messi brings to the ‘beautiful game.’
