Saturday, August 15, 2026

Messi Business Still Growing Despite Inter Miami’s Slim Playoff Hopes

  • Inter Miami will likely miss the playoffs this season but will be among the 2024 championship favorites.
  • Season ticket demand is skyrocketing as fans anticipate a full season with Messi.
Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

Inter Miami has four games left to pull off a miracle and make the MLS Cup Playoffs, but Lionel Messi is still dealing with a nagging leg injury. Some projections give Miami just a 6% chance at succeeding even with him.

But after Messi’s incredible debut run in MLS, leading Inter Miami to the first-ever Leagues Cup title — interest is still high in the club that will certainly be among the favorites to win a championship in 2024.

Inter Miami season ticket prices for next year are reportedly close to double what they cost in some sections this year. Current season ticket holders are reviewing their options for 2024. Additionally, season ticket applications have reportedly surged by 1,215%.

In the meantime, fans with tickets to Inter Miami’s remaining matches — two home, two away — are left wondering whether they will get a glimpse of Messi as he recovers. The Chicago Fire, who host Miami on Wednesday night, have been anticipating four times more fans than they typically see for home matches. 

Final Farewell

Barcelona could get an official goodbye-to-Messi match in the coming years, so the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner can play in front of his longtime fans one last time.

“Inter Miami will go [to Barcelona] or we will have some kind of match,” Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas said. “Messi’s departure from Barcelona was not to his liking.”

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for
The Memo Newsletter

Get the biggest stories and best analysis on the business of sports delivered to your inbox twice every weekday and twice on weekends.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

New MLS commissioner Larry Berg speaks with Front Office Sports.

Incoming MLS Commissioner Sees ‘Uncapped Upside’ in Media Rights

NYCFC’s CEO called broadcast revenue the league’s biggest weakness.

6 Takeaways From Larry Berg’s Introduction As MLS Commissioner

Berg told FOS that media revenue is “uncapped upside.”
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

NBA Owners ‘Stunned’ by Lakers Sale, Knicks’ $67M Run, WTA Sex Testing Starts

0:00

Featured Today

Trendy Golf Hat Divide Is More Than a Fashion Fight

As golf has gotten trendier, so has the sport’s style.
Joey Spallina of the Maryland Whipsnakes
August 6, 2026

How Eye Black Became ‘War Paint’ on the Field

“You’re going into battle, doing something you only do on game days.”
August 6, 2026

Tom Brady Explains His Aggressive Push Into Trading Cards

Brady talked to FOS about his eponymous card company.
FILE PHOTO: Cricket - Indian Premier League - IPL - Mumbai Indians v Chennai Super Kings - Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, India - April 23, 2026 Mumbai Indians' Suryakumar Yadav in action
August 5, 2026

India Is Stealing Cricket’s Throne From England and Australia

India’s insatiable appetite for cricket has shifted the traditional locus of power.
WPBL
July 30, 2026

Who’s Playing Women’s Professional Baseball?

Sixty players from 11 countries are descending on Illinois for six weeks.
Mar 12, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers majority owner Mark Walter and team executive Jeannie Buss in attendance at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit

In Sudden $12.5B Lakers Sale, Big Questions Remain

Why did Mark Walter flip the NBA’s crown jewel in 10 months?
August 13, 2026

Knicks’ Title Run Creates $67 Million Bump for MSG Sports

The NBA team’s parent company reported across-the-board financial lifts. 
Oct 13, 2024; London, United Kingdom; The Chicago Bears logo in the end zone before an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
August 14, 2026

Bears Call Indiana Stadium Plans Their ‘Sole Focus’

Bears chairman on Illinois: “Hope is not a strategy.”
Sponsored

Saints Great Turns to Ownership

Marques Colston discusses his Champions Fund launch and finding success after football.
Mar 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers owner and chairman Mark Walter walks on the field after the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.
August 13, 2026

‘Totally Nuts’: Mark Walter’s Lightning-Fast Lakers Flip

“It is the fastest flip I know of,” a sports economist tells FOS.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event to sign an executive order regarding vaccine flexibility, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 10, 2026.
August 12, 2026

White House Denies Involvement in Lakers Sale to Kushner

“This has nothing to do with President Trump or his administration.”
May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Former Disney CEO Bob Iger watches pregame warm ups before the game between Angel City FC and the San Diego Wave at BMO Stadium.
August 12, 2026

Iger, Kushner, Walter Have Sports Empires Beyond the Lakers

The three businessmen already own stakes across major sports leagues.
Josh Kushner and Karlie Kloss attend the annual Allen and Co. Sun Valley Media and Technology Conference at the Sun Valley Resort in Sun Valley, Idaho, U.S., July 8, 2026.
August 12, 2026

Who Is New Lakers Owner Josh Kushner?

His older brother, Jared Kushner, is married to Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka.