Saturday, September 5, 2026
The FOS App is Live Download It Now

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

9/4/26 – Judge Clears Pros for College, Good Good CEO Out, Russini Plots Comeback

0:00

Featured Today

Wild Transfer Window Shows How Premier League Towers Over Soccer

Spending in England vastly outstripped the rest of Europe.
September 3, 2026

Teams Are Spending Millions to Build Luxury Locker Rooms

It’s a recruiting pitch, a retention tool, and a seven-figure line item.
September 1, 2026

High School Football Sidelines Are Clogged With Content Creators

Administrators call these amateur newcomers the “pajama paparazzi.”
Aug 3, 2026; Washington, D.C., USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) kisses the championship trophy during the trophy ceremony after her match against Jessica Pegula (USA) (not pictured) in the women's singles final of the 2026 Mubadala DC Open at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
August 30, 2026

How Alex Eala Turned the Philippines Into a Tennis Nation

A December homecoming match could break tennis’s attendance record.
August 26, 2026

Deshaun Watson Has Done the Impossible: Unite Browns Fans

Watson was named the starter after complaining boos were “personal.”
Aug 30, 2026; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay at practice at the Rams Practice Facility

Why Are the Niners and Rams Getting to Australia a Week Apart?

The 49ers are already there, while the Rams have yet to leave.
Aug 25, 2017; Seattle, WA, USA; General overall view of Seattle Seahawks logo at CenturyLink Field during a NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Exclusive
September 4, 2026

Mark Stevens Is Seahawks’ Top Minority Investor

Other investors joined the Seahawks’ new ownership from the Mittal-Grousbeck group.
Washington Redskins football shirts and a team flag on sale at a sporting goods store in Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia, U.S., June 24, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
September 4, 2026

Native Leaders to Commanders: Drop Old Name for Good

The franchise says there are no plans to revert to its old name.
Sponsored

Kerri Walsh Jennings’s Playbook for the Future of Volleyball

The former gold medalist talks NCAA, the Olympics, & investing in volleyball.
September 3, 2026

Clippers Sanctions Pair With Already Bleak Media Outlook

The team will likely be much harder to watch this season.
September 2, 2026

Read the NBA’s Report on Clippers, Kawhi Leonard, and Aspiration

The league found the Clippers illegally went around the salary cap.
September 1, 2026

Skylar Diggins Laments Chicago Sky’s Practice Facility Delay

Diggins said she expects to be with the Sky next season.
September 1, 2026

Stan Kroenke Has Deal to Buy Angels From Arte Moreno

The side announced the deal Tuesday.