Lionel Messi has only played fewer than ten games in the U.S. men's professional soccer league and has never-before-seen effects

August 28, 2023: Superstar Lionel Messi has only played fewer than ten games in the U.S. men’s professional soccer league and has never-before-seen effects.

Messi joined Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami CF in late July, triggering a rise in ticket prices and the markets the team has so far visited. His signing led to record-breaking jersey and merchandise sales. TV and streaming viewership surged.

“I don’t want to say we underestimated Messi coming to the MLS, but it’s been unbelievably impactful to our league across all points,” said Camilo Durana, executive vice president of club services and fan development at MLS.

Still, while Messi has had an unprecedented effect on MLS, founded in the 1990s, more is needed to catch up to the other more prominent professional sports leagues in the U.S., like the NFL and NBA, regarding viewership and ticket prices.

“The MLS needs more Messi’s,” sports consultant Lee Berke said, noting MLS’ history of bringing over stars like David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Thierry Henry in the twilight of their careers and beckoning more fans and viewership in those moments.

On top of competition from other, more established leagues for top players, Saudi Arabia has also joined the mix, recruiting players with offers of boatloads of cash from its Public Investment Fund, including Messi.

Brazilian soccer star Neymar recently accepted an offer, following soccer legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, with contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars.