Messi-Mania has taken over America. The legendary Argentinian has been wearing the pink of Inter Miami for almost 1 year now, with fans across the States still in dreamland that he decided to join them from PSG. It was only right that David Beckham, MLS legend and now co-owner of Inter Miami, would be the one to get the $150 million contract over the line. This officially made Messi the highest-paid player in MLS history — and he's living up to the hype.
How Lionel Messi Has Changed the MLS
The impact of Messi on the MLS brand has been exciting.
Apple has received more than one million sign-ups for its MLS Season Pass, MLS team sponsorship revenue has soared to a record-breaking $587 million, the official MLS TikTok account has witnessed a 26% increase in followers, the MLS Instagram page is now experiencing 50% more engagement, and the league reports that it has experienced more than a million viewers for its biggest games on the MLS Season Pass.
Messi has elevated Inter Miami to new heights, too. The club generated $140 million revenue in 2023, sold out its season tickets for 2024 in record time, and officially became the second-most-valuable MLS team at $1.03 billion, a 72% increase in evaluation following the arrival of the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. And with Inter Miami projected to generate $200 million revenue in 2024, more than triple the original target prior to Messi's signing, it's fair to say that Messi has been a commercial juggernaut.
The impact of “The GOAT” doesn't end there, though. Messi has also become the top-selling player on merchandise website Fanatics and Inter Miami officially has the most popular Adidas MLS jersey, with the 'easy pink' home jersey having now become iconic.
Alex Windsor, founder of the popular sports betting review site Gamble-USA.com, has spoken about how Messi is the best signing in MLS history:
“From a footballing standpoint, signing Messi was a masterstroke by Inter Miami and the MLS. At 36 years of age, Messi clearly has a lot left to offer, highlighted by the fact he was happy to sign a 2½-year deal. It was a genius signing from a commercial standpoint, too, as the 'Messi brand' has helped take the MLS to an entirely different level on the global sportsfront. Now, more eyes are on the MLS than ever before, with millions of people around the world following Messi's every footstep.”
This came just before Messi broke yet another record in the MLS, when more than 70,000 people (a record-high) paid for tickets to watch Inter Miani beat Sporting Kansas City on April 14 at the Arrowhead Stadium.
Messi's MLS Stats So Far
On the field, Messi has been on fire for Inter Miami.
In 2024, he has so far achieved the most assists in a single game (5), most goal contributions in a game (6), and broke the record for multiple goal contributions in five consecutive matches. Collectively, this takes his stats to:
- 👕 25 games
- ⚽ 23 goals
- 🎯 16 assists
- 🏆 1 trophy (Leagues Cup Championship)
Undoubtedly, the partnership between Messi and Inter Miami has proven to be a big success. As things stand, Messi will remain with the club until 2025 but the option for an additional year is also on the table if both parties agree to it.
The Future of the MLS and Lasting Impact of Inter Miami's Messi Signing
The MLS has a long-term vision to “be one of the top leagues in the world”. With Lionel Messi onboard, viewership records being broken, and new sponsorship deals flying through the door, this goal is highly realistic. And now that the MLS has stacks of money to spend, you can expect plenty of other big-name players to start arriving in the league soon, as has already been seen with the likes of Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets. There has even been a recent report from Saudi Arabia claiming that Inter Miami still has a strong desire to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, which would finally see the two greats of the modern game team up in America before retirement.