Hours After Lionel Messi News, New England Patriots’ Dethroned by David Beckham’s Inter Miami in Major Popularity Contest

The announcement of Lionel Messi joining the MLS club Inter Miami sent shockwaves to the fans. His move is making headlines, and MLS and Inter Miami fans are buzzing. The stature of Messi is such that it can influence millions, and that’s what has been seen by the social media accounts of the MLS club.

The numbers are soaring exponentially and have already. It shows the fans are excited for the World Cup winner to take the field soon. And it is expected that the numbers will keep increasing in the coming days. Let us get into the details.

Lionel Messi is already having his impact

Soccer comes second to American football in the US. And it is evident from the social media following of the teams. NFL teams have outscored the MLS teams over social media numbers. But things have changed overnight. The moment Lionel Messi to Inter Miami announcement came, excited fans and Messi fanatics took to the Inter Miami Instagram page.

When the article was written, Inter Miami garnered around 4.3 million fans within a few hours. Their Instagram following stands at 5.4 million currently, compared to one million before Messi’s announcement. To put it in context, the highest-followed NFL team is New England Patriots, with 4.9 million followers. The Inter Miami numbers are insane and can go beyond those of some major European soccer teams. 

Messi’s signing will help soccer’s popularity ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It will take place in the US, Canada, and Mexico. It will be an immense step forward for the MLS and Inter Miami. The league is buzzing for the first time after the arrival of David Beckham at La Galaxy in 2007. However, the numbers behind the Messi deal are still unknown. But one thing is for sure, Beckham has played a masterclass. It wasn’t an easy task to beat a billion-dollar offer from Saudi Arabia, but MLS and Inter Miami did it.

Saudi Arabia receives major shock

In their massive soccer overhaul, Saudi Arabia was targeting superstars playing in Europe. They already have Cristiano Ronaldo, and landing Lionel Messi would have been incredible. They presented a billion-dollar offer over three years to lure the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner. 

READ MORE: “If We Have Opportunity to Bring..”- David Beckham’s 2020 Prophecy Rightly Fulfilled as Lionel Messi Lands at Inter Miami Despite Enormous $1.5 Billion Offer From Saudi Arabia

However, it wasn’t to be. Messi snubbed Al Hilal and FC Barcelona to join Inter Miami. It is a major setback to the Saudi Pro League after signing Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante. It will be interesting to see how Saudi Arabia reacts to Messi’s snub and their next steps in the transfer window.

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Let us know your thoughts on the impact Lionel Messi will have on US soccer.