Inter Miami sees ‘Messi effect’ after transfer move, ticket prices jump 1,000%
The match on July 21 will be Messi’s first match with the club.
Argentina star Lionel Messi has decided to join the Major League Soccer side Inter Miami. This move comes after months of speculation on Messi’s future. There were a lot of rumours about the former Paris-Saint Germain star going back to Barcelona. There was also a lot of talk swirling around the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner’s move to Saudi Arabia. But, Messi ultimately opted for Inter Miami. As per the latest information received, the Messi effect has started showing in the United States, with the ticket prices and sales rising exponentially.
Within a few hours of Lionel Messi’s announcement, the news caused an uproar in the United States. The match tickets for Inter Miami started soaring in sales and prices, with the price for the cheapest ticket in the secondary market being up by 1,000 percent.
According to a report in Forbes, the cheapest ticket for an Inter Miami League Cup match against Cruz Azul has jumped from $29 (Rs 2,3394) to $459 (Rs 37,891.60). This match on July 21 will be Messi’s first match with the club. Furthermore, the get-in price for Miami’s home match against New York Red Bulls, Messi’s first MLS match, has also jumped from $30 (Rs 2,476.58) to $512 (Rs 42,266.88).
Messi’s move to the MLS could be a big opportunity for the Inter Miami franchise and the league. Inter Miami’s followers shot up from around 1 million to 4.6 million following Messi’s announcement about leaving PSG. This also led to an adverse effect for PSG, who have now lost over a million followers since the Qatar World Cup winner left the team.
Speaking of his decision to go to Inter Miami, Messi said, "I've taken the decision that I am going to Miami, I don't have (the deal) 100 percent sealed or maybe there's something left to do, but we decided to continue our path there. (I decided) to leave Europe, it's true that I had offers from another European team but I didn't even think about it because in Europe, my idea was only to go to Barcelona. After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it's time to go to MLS to live football in a different way and enjoy my day-to-day life more.”