Reliable betting company 1xBet, the industry leader in professional sports betting, tells about the legendary Argentine’s first achievements at Inter Miami.

Impact on the club

Thirty-five days after signing his contract, Lionel Messi led the Herons to the first trophy in their franchise’s history. Inter Miami won the Leagues Cup, a tournament involving MLS and Mexican championship clubs. Messi’s role in the team’s triumph was tremendous: he scored 10 goals and made 1 assist in 7 matches. This success allowed Inter Miami to debut in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

Although it was impossible to recover the lost opportunities in MLS, the Florida-based franchise is leading the league standings this season. It is now on track to reach its first-ever playoff game. Messi’s statistics are impressive, having scored 12 goals and made 9 assists in 12 matches. Lionel Messi missed over half the games due to commitments with the Argentina national team and injuries. Still, his presence and example inspired his teammates, many of whom are not at Sergio Busquets, Luis Suárez, or Jordi Alba’s level. While Inter Miami won only when Messi was on the field in 2023, this season, the team has scored 26 of a possible 39 points without Leo in the line-up.

The financial benefit of Messi’s transfer is even more apparent. In 2023, Inter Miami’s revenue quadrupled and amounted to 265 million dollars. After Leo’s transfer, the average ticket price for the Herons’ home matches increased more than 5 times and reached $161. The franchise also experienced a dramatic increase in Instagram followers, skyrocketing from around 1 million to 15.4 million.

As a reminder, Messi officially joined Inter Miami in July 2023. This means the franchise was expected to see improved economic indicators in 2024.

League impact

Inter Miami’s rivals in MLS are also thrilled with Leo Messi’s transfer. American sport is driven by the business model, and the legendary Argentine’s arrival has helped increase profits for all clubs in the league.

  • The average ticket price increased from $25 to $37.5.
  • The TV audience grew from 1% to 3%, with each game now followed by hundreds of thousands of viewers on average.
  • In 2023, MLS clubs’ merchandise sales accounted for 8% of sports retail sales, up from no more than 4% previously.
  • Stadium occupancy increased from 65% to 75%.
  • Foreign investment in MLS increased by 20%.
  • More than 110,000 fans subscribed to an MLS season ticket on Apple TV on the day Messi’s transfer was announced, and another 65,000 subscribed on the day of his first game for Inter Miami.

Engine of popularity

Field results are measured in titles and goals. Financial returns can be calculated in dollars. However, Messi’s transfer will also have a huge effect on football development in the USA. The first numbers are already in:

  • The increase in American kids playing football has been 20%.
  • According to the US Youth Soccer Association, there has been a 5% rise in new teams across the country since Leo’s transfer.

The football history in the USA will be divided into the pre-Leo and post-Leo eras. Bold predictions that football will be the most popular sport in the United States in 2 years seem realistic. Hosting the 2026 World Cup will give football in the USA an even bigger boost than the 1994 Mundial. At the same time, the audiences of the traditional American NFL and MLB leagues are aging rapidly.

Lionel Messi has both loyal fans and die-hard haters. Regardless of your views on Leo Messi, you can place responsible bets with the best odds on Inter Miami and all other MLS matches at the professional sports betting industry leader’s website. Follow the football development in the USA and Messi’s career with 1xBet!