5 MLS Teams to Get 3rd Kits as Miami Dolphins Inspire Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami’s Adidas Kit

The preparations for the 2024 MLS campaign are in full swing. While the domestic sides continue their on-pitch preparations, some off-pitch preparations are also planned. Jersey fanatics might want to brace themselves as MLS’ official sponsor Adidas is poised to reveal third kits for five prominent teams, with Inter Miami making the cut. Adding a touch of uniqueness to the anticipation, the jersey of Lionel Messi’s side features the NFL’s Miami Dolphins-inspired design. 

The arrival of Messi has undoubtedly brought a seismic shift in the American soccer landscape and it looks like it has led to Inter Miami getting a third kit as well.

Messi’s magic leads to Inter Miami getting a third kit

According to Footy Headlines, Adidas plans to release third jerseys for five MLS teams in 2024. The list includes Los Angeles FC, Inter Miami, the LA Galaxy, Kansas City, and the Portland Timbers. Although the official announcement is not expected for some months, it is significant that Adidas had signed agreements for third kits for Major League Soccer teams before Lionel Messi’s arrival. It is possible that the Herons acquired a third uniform due in part to La Pulga’s involvement. 

MLS teams need to sell a certain number of kits—100,000, presumably—to be eligible for third kits and it seems possible Inter Miami is getting one due to Messi’s jersey being regularly sold out. Messi was the top shirt seller in the league on the official MLS store. On top of that, Forbes reported that the Argentine soccer legend’s move to the US led to an increase of 30 percent in Adidas’ share prices with the market cap rising by around $10 billion.

Adidas are the kit manufacturers for every team in the MLS and the two signed a new $830 million contract extension in February this year. The record deal lasts until 2030.

Though the exact details of Inter Miami’s third jersey are sparse, Footy Headlines claims that the Herons will don a ‘blue mint’ color in 2024 same as the NFL AFC East side Miami Dolphins. This will be the first third kit in Miami’s history. In 2023, four MLS teams also released third jerseys, including Atlanta United and the New York Red Bulls.

A third kit is good news for Miami, who have often seen Messi’s jersey get sold out. However, David Beckham’s soccer franchise cleverly tackled this situation with a novel approach.

READ MORE: After Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi Calls Ex-Manchester United Star Marcos Rojo to Join Inter Miami, Per Reports

The jersey scarcity of Inter Miami Messi jersey was tackled efficiently!

Remarkably, Inter Miami chose to increase sales by adding Messi’s name to their three-year-old shirts. The team’s regular sell-out of their well-liked pink home kit motivated this unusual approach to materialize. A US-based podcaster, Franco Panizo, shared a clip of the Herons’ first white home jersey from 2020, which Messi never wore, being sold. 

Panizo also branded it as a ‘clever’ move from Miami. Notably, Messi’s official pink jersey went out before it even hit offline stores. Either way, Inter Miami is smartly utilizing the presence of its star player. The Argentinian superstar’s kit sales will help the Florida-based club roll in the dough and bolster its financial empire. What do you n

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