Lionel Messi's Inter Miami makes up MLS' 25 most in-demand games on StubHub
Messi joined MLS last summer
Lionel Messi may now be an MLS fixture, but the list of people who want to see him remains impossible to measure.
Messi, arguably the greatest soccer player ever, announced last June that he was joining MLS' Inter Miami CF, and ticket prices to see him immediately skyrocketed.
In the wake of Messi's announcement, Inter Miami CF's July games saw a 28x increase in sales on StubHub, and tickets for July 2023 games surpassed the team's total amount from the entire season prior.
Well, the demand to see the GOAT has not slowed down.
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Lionel Messi celebrates scoring a goal for Inter Miami during the Leagues Cup match against Orlando City SC at the DRV PNK Stadium on Aug. 2, 2023, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images / Getty Images)
According to information from StubHub, not only is Inter Miami CF the highest in-demand team in the league, but based on cumulative ticket sales, each of MLS' top 25 in-demand games on StubHub are Messi's games, both on the road and at home.
Ten of those 25 games are road games, including each of the top-six, with the highest being their matchup against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Feb. 25.
That game will be played at Dignity Health Sports Park, which holds 27,000, with the get-in price being $337.
The second-highest is Inter Miami's game in New England against the Revolution. They play at Gillette Stadium, the home of the Patriots, which normally only seats 20,000 for soccer games. But for Messi, they'll obviously make an exception. Thanks to increasing the attendance to the full stadium that seats nearly 65,000 fans, that get-in price is a bit lower at $157.
Lionel Messi of Inter Miami CF celebrates after kicking the game-winning goal against Cruz Azul at DRV PNK Stadium on July 21, 2023, in Fort Lauderdale. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images / Getty Images)
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Messi's impact is even helping his opponents – every MLS team has seen an increase in StubHub sales since he arrived.
As for Inter Miami CF themselves, they sold out their season tickets for the 2024 season, and their StubHub sales are up 150x since the start of last year.
In fact, people from 44 countries have bought MLS tickets on StubHub this year, as compared to just nine at the start of last season. Messi's home country of Argentina ranks second behind the United States.
"The impact of Messi's arrival to Inter Miami CF continues to be momentous, with increased global demand on StubHub. The surge in sales for Inter Miami, and the league as a whole, are a testament to his legacy as a soccer star," said StubHub spokesperson Adam Budelli. "Messi's influence extends beyond the confines of his home stadium, driving demand on the road, from buyers all over the world and most especially his native country, Argentina."
Inter Miami is doing 35% more sales than the Galaxy, and more than double the amount of the Revolution.
In his MLS debut, he scored the game-winning goal in the 94th minute, which came just months after his first World Cup victory.
Lionel Messi of Inter Miami smiles after a goal against New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on Aug. 26, 2023, in Harrison, New Jersey. (Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
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The eight-time, and defending, Ballon d'Or winner will be in south Florida through at least the 2025 season.
Inter Miami kicks off the MLS season on Tuesday when they face Salt Lake at 8 p.m. ET in southern Florida.
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