Lionel Messi and Inter Miami’s season ended prematurely. The David Beckham-owned side was knocked out of the race for the playoffs after their 1-0 defeat to Cincinnati. Following Miami’s failure to qualify, there have been doubts surrounding ticket sales for the MLS Playoffs. During ESPN’s recent recap show, soccer icon Ale Moreno touched down on how the league will have a tough time generating interest for the upcoming playoffs.

Lionel Messi’s season came to an untimely end after the Argentine was ruled out with injury. It is unlikely that Messi will be present for the team’s remaining games with nothing left to play for. However, it seems like Inter Miami is doing all it can to prepare for the upcoming season, with the team announcing a massive hike to its ticket prices.

Ale Moreno questions MLS ticket sales without Lionel Messi

Former Venezuelan soccer star Ale Moreno was present at ESPN’s recap as the team was discussing Lionel Messi’s first season in the MLS. Early in the show, Moreno was asked what MLS, in Messi’s absence, could do “How do you sell these playoffs now?”

Moreno noted that is a big question and even MLS will be thinking about how to get past the situation where the people are eager to watch Lionel Messi take to the field.

“That is a question that goes beyond the playoffs. That is the burning hot topic I imagine at MLS headquarters and it goes into next season. How do we make people interested in a league where people are more interested in the circus coming to town, and what happens when the circus leaves town? I don’t think this is an easy answer.”

Moreno also countered ESPN host Sebastian Salazar, who cited that Chicago Fire had filled their home ground without the Argentine.

“I know Seb mentioned Chicago Fire filled out Soldier Field and Lionel Messi wasn’t even there. I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that they aren’t packing Soldier Field if Lionel Messi is not coming! People had already committed their money into this game thinking Messi was coming, if they knew he wasn’t coming, people are not coming to Soldier Field.”

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While ticket sales could be a big issue for MLS during the season playoffs, Inter Miami is already doing all it can to cash in on Lionel Messi. The side recently released the ticket prices for the coming season, which witnessed a massive hike in prices.

Inter Miami announce massive hike in ticket prices for upcoming season

David Beckham-owned Inter Miami is doing all it can to cash on the popularity of Lionel Messi in the United States. The Argentine superstar has had a tremendous impact on the ticket sales for the Miami-based franchise. With the team raking in huge profits, it seems like the team does not want to miss out on any chance to capitalize on the player’s popularity.

Inter Miami recently released their ticket prices for the upcoming season, which has witnessed a massive hike from the standing prices. Miami’s ticket prices for the North stand, which stood at $28, have now risen to $52 for the upcoming season. It has also been noted that the expensive tickets, such as the reserved suites, have doubled in price with costs touching $46,000.

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What do you think of Inter Miami’s decision to raise the ticket prices for the upcoming season? Let us know in the comments below.