Lionel Messi has quickly become arguably America’s favorite and most followed sportsperson. The Argentine World Cup winner joined David Beckham-owned Inter Miami earlier this summer from PSG. Of course, given his arrival, Inter Miami’s jersey sales skyrocketed following his move to the MLS. But now, Beckham’s MLS franchise is taking it a step further.
Messi joined Inter Miami on a free transfer in this summer’s transfer window. However, he has adjusted to life in America rather quickly despite initial struggles like finding a house to live in. But that hasn’t stopped him from capturing America’s imagination.
Inter Miami rebrands old jerseys with Messi’s name
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Kit sales can be a useful source of income for clubs, especially if you have a brand name like Leo Messi in your squad. Now, in what is an innovative yet bizarre sales strategy, Inter Miami is printing Messi’s name on the back of their 3-year-old kits to push sales after their pink home kit kept getting sold out.
A tweet on X from US podcaster Franco Panizo stated: “Clever from Inter Miami: Leo Messi never wore (nor will he ever) team’s first white home jersey from 2020, but that is not stopping the organization from putting his name on the remaining leftovers to help drive sales in absence of sold-out pink ones.”
👚 Clever from Inter Miami:
Leo Messi never wore (nor will he ever) team’s first white home jersey from 2020, but that is not stopping the organization from putting his name on the remaining leftovers to help drive sales in absence of sold-out pink ones.#InterMiamiCF #Messi𓃵 pic.twitter.com/JtHuRrbhGd
— Franco Panizo (@FrancoPanizo) September 9, 2023
Messi has rocked the MLS with some spectacular performances netting 11 goals and 8 assists in 11 games this season, igniting a fervent response from American soccer fans. This has led to a widespread interest in soccer across the nation. So, it’s no surprise that Messi’s jerseys are selling like hotcakes.
Messi captains Argentina to 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier win
As the international break resumed across the world, Messi captained Argentina in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Ecuador.
In what was a tight game, Messi scored the winning goal to give his country a 1-0 win by scoring a magnificent free kick in the 78th minute. The World Cup winner hit a curling shot from the dead ball outside the box into the top corner sending Albiceleste fans into a frenzy.
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Lionel Messi's free kick goal ⚽️pic.twitter.com/kDXaxzUAgs
— Roy Nemer (@RoyNemer) September 8, 2023
This was the first round of fixtures in the CONMEBOL 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Both South American heavyweights Brazil and Argentina came away with wins. Messi’s former PSG teammate Neymar also broke Brazilian legend Pele’s goalscoring record for Brazil in the Selecao’s 5-1 win over Bolivia.
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As it stands, both Argentina and Brazil are favorites to qualify top of the South American Confederation’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers. But the burning question that remains is whether Messi will play in the 2026 installment of the tournament or not.
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