In just over a month of playing for Inter Miami CF, Lionel Messi has changed the landscape of soccer in America. The Argentine legend already has 11 goals and 3 assists to his name from just nine games played. In the process, he has resurrected playoff hopes for the last-placed team in the competition and led them to their first-ever Leagues Cup trophy. Off the pitch, Messi has managed to drastically change the financial side of the game, mainly the ticket prices. Let’s take a look at how Messi’s arrival impacted ticket prices in the MLS and rank them.
Messi’s impact on MLS ticket sales
People often underestimate the United States’ love for soccer. The staggering surge in ticket prices for late-season MLS games proves this. Witnessing a master at work comes at a cost and the greatest footballer of all time is no exception to this rule.
Messi's impact on MLS:
• Apple MLS Season Pass subs have doubled
• Resale ticket prices have jumped as much as 1,700%
• Messi's Miami jersey is Fanatics' top seller across all sports
• Inter Miami's Instagram account has more followers than any team in the NFL or MLB pic.twitter.com/7qzQGDcfpV
— Morning Brew ☕️ (@MorningBrew) August 21, 2023
The difference in ticket prices for MLS games in the primary and secondary markets is almost unbelievable after Messi’s arrival in Miami. According to insiders, the average list price on the secondary market for Inter Miami home tickets went from $152 to $864.
If you think this 500% increase is shocking, you will be stunned to learn how much away games’ ticket prices have changed. Average ticket prices in the secondary market for Inter Miami games have skyrocketed by 1,002%, which is essentially 10 times the original cost.
Before the match, the cheapest ticket was 500 USD, in the end they were satisfied because they spent money and watched Messi play and score, but not sure if they regret it.#InterMiamiCF #Messi pic.twitter.com/f8nXfQbcbi
— RyoP (@RyoGaming1880) August 27, 2023
This surge in ticket prices ranges from the cheapest possible seats to the most premium spots in the stadium. As a result, the overall average ticket prices per stadium are going off the roof, all thanks to the World Cup winner.
MLS Tickets Price List ranked
Let’s take a look at the top 10 highest average ticket prices for the upcoming Inter Miami games featuring Lionel Messi. Interestingly, most of the top rankers in this list are for away games.
| # | Match | Avg. Ticket Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inter Miami vs LAFC | $2,395 |
| 2 | Inter Miami vs Orlando City | $1,755 |
| 3 | Inter Miami vs New York Red Bulls | $1,674 |
| 4 | Inter Miami vs New York City FC | $870 |
| 5 | Inter Miami vs Charlotte | $766 |
| 6 | Inter Miami vs Cincinnati | $650 |
| 7 | Inter Miami vs Nashville | $515 |
| 8 | Inter Miami vs Houston Dynamo | $507 |
| 9 | Inter Miami vs Atlanta United | $494 |
| 10 | Inter Miami vs Chicago | $486 |
The list considers only secondary market prices and does not include unofficially auctioned tickets. For example, Messi’s debut game saw some tickets selling for $110,000 online.
How much is Messi earning at Inter Miami CF?
For someone who brings so much revenue to MLS and soccer in America, is Lionel Messi getting compensated enough? Almost unsurprisingly, the answer is a definite yes. The former FC Barcelona superstar signed a contract valued around $50-60 million per year.
On the surface, this contract seems less compared to his counterpart Cristiano Ronaldo’s $200 million contract with Al Nassr. However, Messi’s contract includes an equity stake in the team as well as confidential revenue-sharing agreements with Apple TV and Adidas.
Apart from ticket sales, Messi’s arrival in Inter Miami increased the club’s Instagram followers. The count shot up from under 1 million to over 14 million followers.
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