Messi, Inter Miami Dominate MLS Jersey Sales As Playoffs Draw Near

Inter Miami is heading into the final month of the MLS regular season with a huge lead atop the standings, and—to the surprise of no one—star striker Lionel Messi is yet again leading the league in jersey sales.

Messi returned to Miami’s starting lineup Saturday after a three-plus month absence in which he helped Argentina win Copa América but also sustained an ankle injury. But his MLS squad has been humming along over the summer, and three of his teammates join Messi inside the top 15 of the league’s jersey sales list released Tuesday: Luis Suárez (second), Sergio Busquets (11th), and Jordi Alba (15th). The popular international quartet previously played together at Barcelona.

Last year, Messi topped the list in his debut MLS season, and he was joined in the top 25 by Miami teammates Busquets (13th) and Josef Martínez (21st). This year, LAFC’s Denis Bouanga, FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta, and the Columbus Crew’s Cucho Hernández rounded out the top five MLS jersey sales. 

Also benefiting from the Messi Mania are Adidas, MLS’s jersey provider, and Fanatics, which runs the league’s online store.

Building Blocks

While Inter Miami has been extremely successful on the pitch this year, there has been a setback off it.

In July, the club formally announced it was delaying the opening of its 25,000-seat, $350 million stadium by one year to 2026. When Messi signed with Miami in 2023, he agreed to a three-year deal that allowed the MLS club to market a new venue opening in 2025 with the Argentine superstar on the field. Messi would be 38 at the new stadium opening date in 2026.

Last fall, Miami sold out of its 2024 season tickets for its 19,000-seat Chase Stadium shortly after the previous season ended.