Lionel Messi, one of the best soccer players ever, is headed to the United States to join Major League Soccer after signing with Inter Miami. While he won’t make an impact on the pitch immediately, Messi is already having a historic influence on soccer’s following in the U.S.
The 35-year-old forward confirmed on Wednesday that he is signing with Inter Miami, accepting the offer to join MLS over lucrative deals from Barcelona and the Saudi Pro League. It generated massive excitement on social media and in Miami, long before he’ll even play for his new team.
Related: Lionel Messi confirms he’s signing with Inter Miami
While there’s still no definitive timeline for when Messi will make his Inter Miami debut, the July 12 match against LigaMX’s Cruz Azul is one potential target date. Unsurprisingly, the demand for tickets to that match skyrocketed and it’s only part of the massive influence the soccer legend is having on his new club, MLS and interest in soccer for Americans.
As highlighted by Front Office Sports, data from TickPick showed that the prices for the July 21 match between Cruz Azul vs Inter Miami increased by 1,034% on Wednesday from $29 to $329. Inter Miami’s Instagram account gained 3 million followers in 24 hours and the official MLS account also received a massive influx of new followers and engagements.
Furthermore, per The Athletic, excitement for Messi’s arrival is even having an influence on other MLS clubs. D.C. United tickets typically sell for around $30, but their next match against Inter Miami now has tickets selling at a starting price of $200 with an estimated 4,500 tickets sold in one day and Messi likely won’t even play in that game.
As one fan highlighted, tickets that were bought a day earlier for Inter Miami playing in Chicago sold for $37. After news broke of Messi’s signing, tickets in that same section were being listed for a minimum of $500.
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Messi’s arrival itself will influence the economy, with DRV PNK Stadium likely to be sold out moving forward, revenue to skyrocket and Fort Lauderdale, Florida will also benefit. Even if Messi doesn’t play at his peak level, his arrival is a historic moment for the MLS.