Lionel Messi shocked the soccer world when he turned down Barcelona and announced he is signing with the MLS team Inter Miami. The seven-time Ballon d'Or recipient is one of the most popular soccer players in the world, so it's no surprise that people in the United States are wanting to get their hands on tickets to see the legend play in person.
Immediately after Messi's announcement, tickets started flying off the proverbial shelves. "Since the stunning news that Lionel Messi will sign with Inter Miami, sales for the club have more than doubled on StubHub. Inter Miami's games in July and beyond have seen a 28x increase in sales, an impact that can only be made by one of the greatest sports figures of all time," said Adam Budelli, spokesperson for StubHub. "Messi will be a draw for soccer fans across the country, drawing fans to away games much like we see with big stars in the NFL and NBA. As an example, Inter Miami's visit at LAFC at SoFi Stadium in September has jumped from LAFC's 15th to second highest-selling event of the 2023 season, on track to be the number one."
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) June 7, 2023
Since the announcement Inter Miami have gone from being the seventh highest selling team of the 2023 season to the fourth highest selling MLS team in the season on StubHub.
And it's not just the volume of tickets either. The average price of tickets sold for Inter Miami's games from July onwards have seen a 4.5x jump according to StubHub information.
Messi is set to have an unparalleled influence on the game of soccer in America. It's not surprising that fans are preparing to turn out in droves when he arrives. July 2023 games onward have already sold as many tickets as the entire 2022 season, compared to this time last year, and the Messi experience in America is just getting started.
