Lionel Messi Prioritizing Argentina Over Inter Miami Ended in a Big Financial Blow to MLS and Apple: Here’s Why

The steady excitement of Inter Miami has diminished following the injury of Lionel Messi. After arriving with much fanfare following a move from PSG, he made an instant impact at the Miami-based soccer club. However, things have gone south for David Beckham’s franchise following his untimely injury. Not only did he arrive to improve the team, but Messi asserted himself as a marketing magnet for the MLS. For now, the situation has calmed down. 

He missed the last five games for Inter Miami and, owing to that, the club’s performances suffered as a result. After the Leagues Cup success, they failed to win the U.S. Open Cup as Houston Dynamo triumphed. Winning trophies is one thing. But the revenue generation of the league would also take a hit!

Back to square one for MLS after the injury to Lionel Messi?

For a league that always stayed in the shadows of Europe, MLS is not a tempting destination for top-class talents across the planet to make their moves. But gone are those days when players accomplished everything in Europe and took to MLS as a retirement home. Now, players in their prime turn up to play their best soccer and elevate the league’s position. With the influx of talent, the reputation of the competition will receive a significant boost. When Lionel Messi arrived, his old amigos, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, decided to join the club.

Inter Miami skyrocketed their chances of winning matches when the trio played. But since the game against Toronto, where they won 4-0, Messi failed to make the starting line-up. He traveled with the Argentinean national squad to play for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers and suffered old scar tissue. Since then, there has been no news of Messi’s return to the line-up. 

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There are compelling fan theories on how MLS covers the extent of the injury with issues of losing revenue. As they host the prestigious World Cup competition in the USA in 2026, they brought in Messi to attract eyeballs and act as a catalyst for soccer to make inroads in the USA. 

Injury to Lionel Messi could cause adverse impacts on revenue generation!

With Messi out of the team, Inter Miami is back to square one. They were unsuccessful in securing a playoff spot and may have further implications for the club’s generated revenue. The ticket prices were at an all-time high following his arrival. The transfer of Messi saw the ticket prices rise to as high as 1700% in some cases. Those sales will turn into an income of around $256 million through ticket prices. Those are ridiculous numbers for a country that struggled to bring fans to watch the league. 

He also received a clause in his contract where Adidas would offer him a percentage of jerseys sold. Meanwhile, they telecast the MLS games on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass, and Messi would also receive a chunk of the revenue made. Around 110,000 fans took the subscription when Inter Miami announced the MLS deal. Moreover, 65,000 people signed up during his first game for Inter Miami. Those numbers cannot overstate the importance of Messi on the team. 

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Even the away grounds raised ticket prices for fans to get a glimpse of the World Cup winner. Without him, the returns take a hit as it is a cause of concern for the league. The MLS can’t depend on Messi to fluctuate the prices of tickets, as they need to sign multiple world-class players to balance it out. 

Inter Miami is set to miss playoffs!

Thus, Inter Miami’s failure to reach the playoffs could cause crises in the earnings for the MLS. With no Messi in the line-up, the TV ratings will plummet down. Notably, Apple TV would encounter challenges in attracting fresh subscribers to its platform. It will be the usual scenario where the stands will see a downturn in attendance. It could be an issue for the teams who looked to capitalize on his presence. Yet, the fans still don’t have a potential return date for the player. As a result, canceling tickets could become an issue because they want to see him grace the soccer field.

The extent of the injury is unknown to fans as the league has kept a blanket on it. By not revealing the issue, the MLS would probably suffer losses as it shows the tournament is still in its nascent stage. The fitness of Messi remains critical for the league and the surrounding clubs to grow. One must wonder what happens to the competition when Messi retires from soccer. With the Saudi Pro League growing each year, players must wonder where they choose to play outside Europe, with these two leagues becoming a viable option.

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The upcoming season would prove pivotal for not only Inter Miami but also for the entirety of MLS. With Messi in the USA, they need more players to increase the league’s reputation. In the recent David Beckham documentary, he FaceTimes Neymar and mentions how he will end up signing for the club! With Neymar arriving in the MLS, it would be a brilliant move for the club and the league. And finally, the organization can stop the overdependence on Messi for revenue generation.