Messi Draws Bigger Crowds Than Super Bowl

While the headline numbers are impressive, they don't fully capture the magnitude of the "Messi effect" on Major League Soccer. Before the Argentine's arrival, Inter Miami ranked last in MLS attendance in 2022, averaging just 12,637 fans per game. The club's home attendance has since surged by approximately 40%. The phenomenon extends far beyond Miami. Teams are now moving their home games against Inter Miami to larger NFL stadiums to accommodate the unprecedented demand. Sporting Kansas City moved their match to Arrowhead Stadium, drawing 72,610 fans, while the New England Revolution hosted Inter Miami at Gillette Stadium in front of 65,612, a club record. This surge in interest has had a dramatic financial impact. The average ticket price for an MLS game increased by 124% in the 2023-2024 season compared to the season prior. For Inter Miami away games, ticket prices on the secondary market have jumped by over 400%. One notable example saw the Chicago Fire generate roughly half of their entire season's ticket revenue from the single match against Inter Miami, even though Messi did not play due to injury. Despite these record-breaking MLS crowds, the all-time attendance for a soccer match in the United States remains a 2014 pre-season friendly between Manchester United and Real Madrid at Michigan Stadium, which drew 109,318 fans. The largest standalone attendance for an MLS match was 82,110 for a game between the LA Galaxy and LAFC at the Rose Bowl in 2023.