Lionel Messi and Patrick Mahomes’ Presence Spurs MLS History Surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr in Sporting KC vs Inter Miami

Inter Miami seems to be back in the saddle with their recent win against Sporting Kansas City. The Herons emerged victorious in the five-goal thriller in the domestic fixture. However, it’s not the final score that is dominating the headlines. Rather, it’s the notable presence of Lionel Messi and Patrick Mahomes at Arrowhead Stadium that may have ushered in a historic moment for the MLS, with the feat reaching the heights of outshining the record held by Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr.

To break the ice, today’s match marked the fourth-highest attendance in the renowned American soccer league. The exact number recorded at the Kansas-based stadium was 72,610. This is quite a remarkable number, considering it from the viewpoint of the MLS. Even the stadium looked filled, with no empty seats visible. Rest, the crowd lived up to their expectations of keeping the venue’s reputation for being the ‘loudest stadium in the world.’ Just when you think the record-breaking antics end here, there’s more!

Interestingly, the attendance at the Miami-Sporting match has also managed to outshine the Saudi Pro League. Despite boasting superstar players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Neymar, the Saudi League’s average attendance hovers around 8,399, with some matches drawing as few as 133 spectators. Notably, Al Nassr, led by CR7, falls behind Al Hilal in average attendance, with figures of 26,842 and 20,297, respectively. Even during Al Nassr’s 5-2 victory against Al Ittihad, only 20,332 fans filled the stadium.

Meanwhile, for Inter Miami, even at away games when the Argentine playmaker takes the field, the attendance is unreal. Matches against Atlanta United and Charlotte FC last season drew crowds of 71,635 and 66,101, respectively. Notably, this isn’t the most recent case where the Saudi Pro League has fallen behind the MLS. 

Lionel Messi again helped the MLS takeover the Saudi Pro League

Days ago, the Opta Analyst released its global soccer league rankings for March 2024. Surprisingly, the Saudi Pro League failed to make the top 10, landing 26th on the list of the world’s football tournaments. While Europe’s leading five leagues—the English Premier League (1st), Spain’s La Liga (2nd), Italy’s Serie A (3rd), Germany’s Bundesliga (4th), and France’s Ligue 1 (5th)—maintained their positions as expected, Major League Soccer unexpectedly secured 10th place.

However, despite boasting talents like Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Sergio Busquets, MLS trails behind the Belgian Pro League (6th), Portuguese Primeira Liga (7th), Danish Superligaen (8th), and Brazilian Serie A (9th) in the rankings. Either way, this list comes out to be quite surprising. Perhaps it all comes down to factors of popularity, with today’s attendance records serving as a testament to this notion. Let’s wait and see if any developments alter MLS’ standings.