Lionel Messi's Impact on Inter Miami: Tickets Surge by 1000%

Ticket prices for Inter Miami matches in MLS are skyrocketing due to the news of Lionel Messi joining the club. This is, however, despite the fact that an official unveiling of the superstar has not yet taken place. Messi is not technically a Miami player, as there are still a few contract details to be ironed out. In fact, the earliest he can play is July 8, but even that is no guarantee.

The superstar sent shockwaves through the sports world when he announced that he was taking his talents to South Beach. In the move, Messi essentially turned down around $1 billion to play in Saudi Arabia. Many assumed the star would take the money, especially considering he is already an ambassador of the Middle Eastern nation’s tourism board. Nevertheless, Messi will soon storm Miami.

Inter Miami has already felt the impact of Messi’s move less than 24 hours since the decision was revealed. The club’s official Instagram page has gained record followers. Inter’s follower count has quintupled over the last day. The team now has over 5 million Instagram followers. That gives the club more followers than any NHL, MLB, NFL or MLS team.

Tickets to select MLS matches involving Messi skyrocket in price

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Along with social media buzz, matchday ticket sales are already booming as well. Messi’s first match with Miami has yet to be confirmed, but it appears likely to be on July 21. The MLS club will host Cruz Azul in a Leagues Cup match in Florida. According to TickPick, tickets to the game were as low as $29 on Tuesday. However, they have since surged to $329, a 1000% increase in price.

Kyle Zorn, brand manager at TickPick discussed the phenomenon with Reuters. “We saw an almost instantaneous jump in Inter Miami ticket prices when the word got out that Messi was leaning towards joining the club,” claimed Zorn.

“Given his status as arguably the greatest player in the world, every time Inter Miami plays on the road, we’re going to see record-breaking ticket prices.”

Ticket prices to road games also rising fast

Tickets to road matches are experiencing a major increase as well. The aforementioned online marketplace for event tickets claims that Miami’s visit to New York Red Bulls saw a 1000% increase in price. Miami’s matchup with LAFC on September 3 has experienced a 420% increase.

PHOTO: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire