Inter Miami Enters Billion Dollar Club Domain; Richer by $400M+ Thanks to Lionel Messi’s Move to MLS

In 2023, reigning Super Bowl champions, Kansas City Chiefs fell short of being the highest-selling NFL team, despite Taylor Swift’s presence in games. Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes also failed to finish 2023 as the top-selling NCAA team. Meanwhile, Inter Miami- a team that struggled to qualify for MLS playoffs became the league’s highest-selling team of the year, thanks to World Champion Lionel Messi. Well, ticket sales are just a part of the ‘Messimania.’ Now, the Miami-based franchise has entered the billion-dollar territory in terms of valuation, becoming only the second MLS side to do so.

Notably, even the Saudi Arabia-backed English Premier League giant, Newcastle United, is yet to eclipse this feat. Besides, Inter Miami is now expected to break all existing MLS revenue records in 2024.

Lionel Messi’s 72% boost puts Inter Miami ahead of top EPL clubs

In 2023, David Beckham‘s side was valued at $600 million when they signed Lionel Messi from PSG. His presence then catapulted the club’s ticket and jersey sales. Meanwhile, the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV also saw a surge. He also attracted other superstars such as Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba to Inter Miami. On the back of this increase in popularity, Inter Miami’s valuation has gone from $600 million to a staggering $1.03 billion, per reports. Apart from Newcastle United, the EPL’s top clubs like Everton, West Ham United, and Aston Villa too are way behind the Herons, in terms of valuation.

With this shot up in value, Inter Miami becomes the 2nd team to cross the billion-dollar mark in the MLS. Los Angeles FC is the other billion-dollar club with a value of $1.15 billion. Anyhow, Messi’s side could outrank LAFC in terms of revenue achieved in 2024. Experts peg Miami’s revenue to cross $200 million in 2024- a 257% jump from the club’s $56 million revenue in 2022. Meanwhile, in yet another shocking stat, the club generated a greater revenue than Manchester United and Real Madrid from their pre-season tours.

The Herons’ unsuccessful preseason still gave a major revenue boost!

Inter Miami only won a single match out of their seven pre-season friendlies. However, the lengthy campaign covered El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Japan, and Argentina. And the club has immensely benefitted from this global campaign, generating revenue between $15 and $20 million. Global powerhouses like Manchester United, Real Madrid, and FC Barcelona have failed to generate this much revenue in any of their pre-season campaigns.

READ MORE: Lionel Messi’s Son Thiago Wins Maiden Silverware & Levels Up With Cristiano Ronaldo Jr

In a move that could boost the club’s financials, Inter Miami partnered with JPMorgan Chase in a naming rights deal and introduced ‘Chase Stadium’ as their new home. Messi and Co. played their 2024 MLS opener against Real Salt Lake at the newly-named stadium. Inter Miami won the maiden match 2-0, kick-starting a new season in style.

READ MORE: “He [Lionel Messi] Would Lock Himself Up” – Sergio Aguero Claims ‘Argentina Is Leo’s Weakness’