(Football News) Lionel Messi’s imminent arrival is evident throughout Miami, with various reminders scattered across the city. In the artsy Wynwood neighborhood, a mural showcasing the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner adorned with pink and black Inter Miami colors catches the eye. Additionally, an image of the soccer superstar can be found at the entrance of a local Argentinian restaurant. Furthermore, the city is sprinkled with No. 10 Argentina jerseys, further emphasizing the anticipation surrounding Messi’s arrival.
Having celebrated his 36th birthday this month, Messi made a surprising announcement on June 7, revealing his move to Inter Miami. This move has reverberated throughout the soccer world and will bring one of the sport’s most prominent figures to Miami and the United States, where enthusiasm for soccer has been steadily increasing.
While Messi is still in the process of finalizing paperwork with his new club, he is expected to make his debut for Inter Miami on July 21, playing at home against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup.
The transfer is anticipated to provide a significant boost to attendance and generate heightened interest in Major League Soccer (MLS) as preparations are underway for the 2026 World Cup, a portion of which will be hosted in the United States. This move is also expected to contribute to the growth of Inter Miami, a club spearheaded by another renowned global soccer figure, David Beckham. The club aspires to achieve the same level of popularity enjoyed by other sports franchises in South Florida.
Anson Dorrance, who has spent an impressive 47 seasons as the women’s soccer coach at North Carolina, expressed, “He will leave behind an incredible legacy, and the timing couldn’t be better. With the upcoming men’s World Cup being hosted in our country, it is vital to ensure a sold-out atmosphere in every stadium. Constructing such a platform includes maximizing the popularity of our top men’s professional league, the MLS, by filling stadiums to capacity.”
The league is making significant strides in that direction. Ever since Messi’s announcement, ticket prices for Inter Miami matches have soared, and teams are already selling extra tickets for future matches against the club.
Vivid Seats, a ticket marketplace, has provided data indicating a remarkable surge in prices. The average listed price for Inter Miami’s upcoming match against Cruz Azul skyrocketed from $126 on June 6 (just a day prior to Messi’s announcement) to $2,151 on June 20—an astounding increase of 1,607%.
According to reports, site traffic experienced an astonishing surge of 27,037% from June 6 to June 7.
SeatGeek, another ticket exchange platform, provided data revealing a notable change in ticket prices. On June 6, the average ticket cost for attending an Inter Miami match was $34. However, on June 7, that average skyrocketed to $178.
Chris Leyden, the director of growth marketing at SeatGeek, commented on the immense impact Messi’s arrival has had on ticket demand. He stated, “Messi is undeniably one of the greatest athletes of all time, and his presence has generated enormous demand to witness his play in Miami and throughout the United States. He joins the ranks of LeBron James and Tom Brady in terms of immediately and dramatically affecting ticket demand upon changing teams. Messi’s situation is particularly remarkable as many U.S. fans now have the opportunity to see him perform live for the very first time.”
Contrary to expectations that Lionel would follow his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, the Argentine football legend opted for Miami instead. Although a return to his storied franchise, Barcelona, was also a possibility, Messi stated during his announcement that he desired to experience football in a different manner by going to the United States.
Throughout his illustrious 17-year career representing Argentina on the international stage, Messi has scored an impressive 102 goals against 38 different national teams. Recognized as one of the greatest scorers in the history of the sport, he netted two goals in last year’s World Cup final against France, a match that Argentina ultimately won on penalty kicks, adding another remarkable achievement to Messi’s impressive résumé.
Anson Dorrance, speaking about Messi’s decision, expressed his belief that the move would have a significant impact on soccer in the United States, stating, “This is going to stimulate everything about soccer in this country.”
Despite joining a struggling club, Inter Miami, positioned at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 5-13 record, Messi’s arrival is eagerly anticipated. The club recently parted ways with their coach, Phil Neville, after a tenure of 2 1/2 seasons.
In Miami, Messi will find a familiar face from his Barcelona days, as his former teammate and current Barcelona captain, Sergio Busquets, will also be joining the team this summer, as confirmed through social media.
In preparation for Lionel Messi’s impending arrival, Inter Miami is making adjustments to DRV PNK Stadium, planning to add approximately 3,000 seats over the next four weeks by filling in the corners. This expansion will elevate the stadium’s capacity to around 22,000 seats.
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