World

Copa América Tickets Climb in Latest Lionel Messi Effect

Tickets for Argentina’s game in Miami are pushing five figures.
The Copa América tournament is usually a preamble for the World Cup.

Feb 23, 2024 | 01:58 pm

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Lionel Messi continues to be a moneymaker in whichever uniform he dons.

The global soccer star already helped Inter Miami FC net $120 million in 2023 revenue. Now, the U.S. is seeing price increases to see his native Argentina play Peru in Miami for the Copa América tournament. Ticketmaster data shows tickets for the game in June are already going for $8,400 plus fees shortly after the presale started. As of Friday morning, tickets for Argentina’s game against Chile at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey a few days before the Peru game are going as high as $5,300 for one ticket.

Messi’s international commitments will keep him from playing every game for Inter Miami in the MLS season. But the U.S. is hosting the Copa América tournament for the first time since 2016, keeping Messi in the States for part of the event. The Copa América tournament starts in June and runs through July and is seen mainly as a dress rehearsal for the FIFA World Cup, which also comes Stateside in ’26.

What to Read

Apr 26, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) dribbles the basketball as Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) defends in the third quarter during game three for the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Kaseya Center.

by Ben Horney

Jared Kushner’s Brother Bought Small Stake in Miami Heat Last Year

Kushner reportedly sold his Grizzlies stake to buy an interest in the Heat.

by Margaret Fleming

Women’s World Cup Officially Expands to 48 Teams for 2031

The 2028 tournament will still have 32 teams.

by Alex Schiffer

Brady, Curry, Ohtani Get Most Claims Dropped in FTX Endorser Suit

The judge did call the endorsers “uninformed, negligent, or even reckless.”

by Margaret Fleming

UNC Denies Report Jordon Hudson Was Barred From Football Facility

Pablo Torre stood by his reporting on Bill Belichick’s girlfriend.

Featured Today

Mar 26, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Actor and filmmaker Spike Lee (l) greets former professional boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. during the game between the LA Clippers and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

by Michael McCarthy

‘Friends of the Garden’: Inside the NBA’s Most Exclusive Celebrity Suite

“Among the titans of industry, deals are done at Suite 200.”

exclusive

May 9, 2025

Shams Charania on Draft, Breaking Dončić Trade, ‘Whirlwind’ ESPN Tenure

Charania will work on his first NBA draft lottery for ESPN on Monday.

Fat Perez reacts after hitting his shot on the 16th tee during the WHOOP Shot at Glory on the 16th hole at TPC in Scottsdale on Feb. 5, 2025.

May 7, 2025

Golf Influencers Are the New Currency for PGA Tour and LIV

YouTube golf is big business. The rival tours are staging formal events.

Feb 8, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson talks with New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11), forward Mikal Bridges (25), and guard Josh Hart (3) during a timeout in the third quarter against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden.

May 6, 2025

Before the Villanova Knicks, There Were the Kentucky Celtics

Three decades ago, Boston tried its own version of the college-teammate experiment.

More in World

Jun 13, 2018; Moscow, Russia; A general view of a beer stand inside of Luschniki Stadium one day prior to the start of the FIFA World Cup 2018.

by Jeff Benson

Saudi Arabia Says No Alcohol at 2034 World Cup

Saudi Arabia won’t allow alcohol anywhere during the 2034 World Cup.

August 30, 2024

Premier League Transfer Spending Has Already Topped $2 Billion As Deadline Looms

Saudi Pro League teams haven’t yet matched their English counterparts.

January 13, 2025

Gavin Newsom Reveals Status of 2028 Olympics As Los Angeles Wildfires Roar

Gavin Newsom says there’s a “Marshall Plan” to rebuild Los Angeles.

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Portfolio Players is our bi-weekly spotlight on the athletes and investors reshaping the business of sports. This week, venture capitalist Kai Cunningham unpacks why athletes land top deals and how the usual investing rules don’t always apply.