Lionel Messi will be starting his new adventure in the MLS and Leagues Cup with Inter Miami, and this is a rare opportunity for you to witness the world champion in action at the highest level of football in the United States.
After days full of uncertainty, Lionel Messi finally chose to join Inter Miami in MLS (United States) starting next season instead of Al Hilal in the Saudi Arabian Pro League.
This decision has had an immediate impact on Inter Miami’s popularity on Instagram, where the number of followers more than doubled in the short time after the world champion announced his move to America.
Followers of Instagram Inter Miami Soaring Doubles
Previously, only 1 million people were interested in the news of Inter Miami, the team that is at the bottom of the MLS Eastern region standings. However, that number increased rapidly and had doubled in just a few hours.
In fact, more than 60 minutes after Messi was interviewed by Spanish outlets Mundo Deportivo and Sport, his follower count has already reached over 2.3 million (currently 3.6 million).
Messi also sparked a ticket rush in North America, where demand for tickets rose by more than 1,000% as people wanted to see the Argentina captain play for the fourth club of his career.
The most obvious example is the match on 7/21 against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup, a tournament hosted by Liga MX (Mexico) and MLS teams from that date until 19/8.
Ticket Prices to Watch the Match Rise Drastically
According to TickPick, an online platform for buying tickets for various events, the ticket price for Messi’s (expected) inaugural match has gone up from 29 USD to 459 USD. Due to high demand for tickets, the game will likely be moved from DRV PNK Stadium to Hard Rock Stadium to increase capacity from 16,000 to 60,000. Thus, SeatGeek offers a ticket price of 334 USD, while StubHub is 373 USD.
Similarly, one of the most anticipated fixtures will be on 26/8 when Inter Miami meets New York Red Bulls – which promises Messi’s official MLS debut. Ticket prices have soared from their initial $30 to $512, according to TickPick, that’s a 1,700% increase.
A few days later, on 3/9, Inter Miami will travel to reigning champions Los Angeles FC and tickets are becoming a fan rarity as the lowest price rose from 81 USD to 599 USD within hours of the announcement of Messi’s arrival.
Meanwhile, to watch Inter Miami as a guest of Charlotte FC on 21/10, you have to be willing to pay for tickets which are up 748% (from 42 to 356 USD).
