Inter Miami, MLS Feeling The Messi Effect On And Off Field

Lionel Messi’s move to MLS continues to pay off for the league — and especially his club — both on and off the pitch.

Sunday’s Inter Miami-Dallas FC Leagues Cup match sold out in just 10 minutes after initially going on sale last week. The secondary market saw tickets to the match at the 20,000-seat Toyota Stadium being sold for as high as $20,000 —  just the latest sign of Messi-mania in the U.S.

Soccer’s power brokers want more and more of Messi, too. Ares Management has acquired another significant equity stake in Inter Miami — this time for $75 million — bringing the self-proclaimed alternative-investment manager’s total money spent with the MLS club to $225 million.

Earlier this year, prior to Messi’s joining, Inter Miami was valued at $600 million by Forbes, ranking No. 11 in MLS. While specific details haven’t been released, it can be assumed its value has risen since then and is certainly higher than in 2021, when Ares made its initial $150 million investment.

Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas has said that the club’s revenues are expected to double over the next year.

Getting In On The Action

When Fanatics first made Messi’s Inter Miami available to buy, it became the highest-selling jersey in its first 24 hours of all-time.

Meanwhile, Apple TV hasn’t released viewership figures for any MLS matches this season — including Messi’s games with Inter Miami — but the tech giant was so enthused by the arrival of the Argentinian icon joining that it reportedly agreed to share revenue from new subscriptions to MLS Season Pass with him.