Following Lionel Messi’s announcement of his intention to bring his remarkable skills to South Beach, ticket prices for Inter Miami experienced an astronomical surge on the secondary market. Fans eagerly sought the opportunity to witness the Argentine great play on American soil, propelling prices to unprecedented heights.
Early reports on Wednesday about Messi’s plans to join the Major League Soccer side quickly ignited ticket price inflation, a surge that was later confirmed by the player himself. The potential date for Messi’s debut with the team is July 21, when Inter Miami is set to host Cruz Azul in their Leagues Cup opener in Fort Lauderdale.
While tickets for that game were initially priced as low as $29 on Tuesday, they skyrocketed to $329 on Wednesday—a staggering 1,034% increase, as reported by TickPick.
Kyle Zorn, the brand manager at TickPick, indicated that Messi’s inaugural match in a Miami jersey is likely to become the most expensive MLS game on record. He stated, “We saw an almost instantaneous jump in Inter Miami ticket prices when the word got out that Messi was leaning towards joining the club.” Zorn added, “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.”
According to the ticket retailer, Inter Miami’s away games experienced significant price surges as well. The team’s visit to the New York Red Bulls on August 26 witnessed a staggering 1,236% increase in ticket prices, while their encounter with LAFC in Southern California on September 3 saw a notable 420% surge.
In summary, Messi’s decision to embark on this new chapter with Inter Miami has ignited an unprecedented demand for tickets, resulting in an astonishing 1,034% surge in prices and setting the stage for potentially historic MLS match attendance records.