Lionel Messi’s presence at Inter Miami is truly making a huge difference, as the soccer star is on track to boost the club’s revenue fourfold, as per the club’s commercial director. Ever since Messi joined the team in July, he has made a sensational impact by scoring 11 goals in nine games. His remarkable performance includes leading Inter Miami to victory in the Leagues Cup, advancing to the US Open Cup final, and making a memorable debut in the MLS. It is rumored that Messi has been offered a whopping $60 million per year contract, along with new partnerships with adidas and Apple.
However, the impact of Messi joining Inter Miami goes far beyond just his performance on the field. According to the club’s commercial director Xavier Asensi, Messi’s arrival has significantly boosted the club’s income, exceeding $200 million. Asensi, who previously worked at Barcelona for 11 years before joining Inter Miami in 2021, emphasized that while Messi’s presence is aimed at winning games, it has also brought significant financial success to the club.
According to the commercial director of Inter Miami, Lionel Messi is expected to increase the team’s revenue fourfold next year.
After spending 11 years at Barcelona, Xavier Asensi joined in 2021 and has been making waves at Inter Miami. According to Asensi, Lionel Messi is the biggest commercial draw in the world, far surpassing other players like Modric, Ramos, Griezmann, or Busquets. Asensi believes that Messi’s presence will multiply Inter Miami’s income by four in 2024, taking the club to a whole new level financially. If his projections are correct, Inter Miami could potentially see a staggering windfall of $224 million in 2024, compared to their $56 million generated in 2022. Messi’s impact on Miami and the MLS as a whole is undeniable, marking a new era for the club and the league.
Inter Miami is already reaping the financial rewards of having Lionel Messi on board, with majority owner Jorge Mas predicting a potential doubling of the club’s income to $110 million this year. Mas had been instrumental in bringing Messi to the team, with plans in motion since 2020, according to Asensi. Upon arriving in Miami, Asensi recognized Mas’s ambition to make Inter Miami a leading force in North American soccer. While acknowledging the business aspect of the sport, Asensi emphasized the importance of having top players to drive success both on and off the field. Recognizing Messi as the ultimate game-changer, Asensi was quick to endorse Mas’s pursuit of the football legend as the key to unlocking greater opportunities for the club.
When Barcelona let him go, it was like a new door opened for us. If they hadn’t done that, he would still be there. But now, the rest of us had the opportunity to step in. He moved to Paris, and we just had to wait until June 2023. While everyone was focused on Saudi Arabia, we were busy planning his arrival in Miami. It’s interesting to note that no one was using the number 5 or 10 in Miami before he arrived. The demand from fans was so high that Inter Miami had to increase the seating capacity at DRV PNK Stadium by around 3,000 seats to accommodate everyone who wanted to see the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner in action. But soon, Miami will have an even bigger and better home for their star player, with a soccer-specific stadium seating 25,000 people planned for the $1 billion Miami Freedom Park complex.
Asensi revealed that Inter Miami, with star players like Messi and David Beckham, is anticipated to shift to its new stadium, Miami Freedom Park, by 2025. The team has been playing at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, since the start of their inaugural season in 2020. The new stadium, located near the airport, is scheduled to begin construction in October this year. It is expected to boast 30,000 seats, alongside a vast leisure area and a sprawling park for fans to enjoy.
Currently, we are making do with the size of Lionel Messi playing in a stadium that holds only 21,000 spectators, which is a unique luxury compared to larger venues with 50,000 fans. The timeline for the new stadium coincides with Messi’s contract ending in 2025, but there are hints that he may stay longer. Asensi mentioned the potential for Messi to stay beyond 2025 and expressed the excitement for upcoming events like the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Inter Miami has been overwhelmed with ticket and merchandise requests following Messi’s MLS transfer announcement.
Messi has clinched victory in the Leagues Cup final and secured a place in the final of the US Open Cup.
Young fans were spotted sporting the jersey of their favorite superstar before Inter Miami’s recent triumph over the New York Red Bulls. Following the news, Fanatics, the official MLS online store, has reported a significant increase in team merchandise sales, surpassing the total sales for the entire year of 2023. Inter Miami has emerged as the top-selling MLS club for the company. Asensi, a representative from Fanatics, shared that meeting the high demand for jerseys with Messi’s name on them has been a challenge, as they have quickly sold out in stores. He described the overwhelming popularity of Inter Miami as a “tsunami” that has taken over the MLS. While at Barcelona, he mentioned that plans were typically made well in advance, unlike the unexpected frenzy caused by “Messimania.” Despite the current shortages, a large shipment of products is expected to arrive in October, with optimistic sales forecasts for 2024 on a global scale.
