Lionel Messi’s signing sparks sharp rise in Inter Miami ticket prices

On June 7, soccer superstar Lionel Messi said he’s going to join the Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, a blockbuster announcement that shocked the sporting world — more so since it followed rumors of a lucrative deal in Saudi Arabia and reports of a move back to Barcelona, the team that made him famous. (Benoit Tessier/Reuters)

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“Messi mania” has reached the United States, if ticket prices are any indication.

On Wednesday, soccer superstar Lionel Messi said he’s going to join the Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, a blockbuster announcement that shocked the sporting world — more so since it followed rumours of a lucrative deal in Saudi Arabia and reports of a move back to Barcelona, the team that made him famous.

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Ticket prices have soared nearly 1,000 per cent for some games, with extraordinary prices rarely seen for MLS games, VividSeats told CNN.

It’s unclear when Messi will make his debut, but sources told the Athletic that his first fixture could be on July 21 during the Leagues Cup between Inter Miami and Mexican team Cruz Azul. A ticket on average costs US$1,248 as of Thursday — a 922 per cent increase compared to Monday’s price of US$120, according to data from VividSeats.

Prices for in-league MLS games skyrocketed, too. For example, a ticket for the Inter Miami match with New York Red Bulls on August 25 now costs US$983 — an 883 per cent increase from Monday’s prices of US$99. A fixture between Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC in the California city on September 3 rose 400 per cent, with the average price increasing from US$150 to US$785.

Of course, buying any of these tickets comes with some risk, since a deal isn’t 100 per cent and the Argentine’s official first match hasn’t been announced. In a statement, MLS welcomed the prospect of Messi playing in the league.

“We are pleased that Lionel Messi has stated that he intends to join Inter Miami and Major League Soccer this summer,” the league said. “Although work remains to finalize a formal agreement, we look forward to welcoming one of the greatest soccer players of all time to our League.”

It’s also a boon for Apple, which broadcasts MLS games on its fledgling TV streaming service. Messi’s deal includes an option for part-ownership of Inter Miami and a cut of revenue from new subscribers to Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass streaming service, according to multiple reports.

Apple recently dropped the price of a soccer subscription to US$49 from US$99 for the remainder of the season. The company doesn’t disclose viewership figures, but Apple SVP of services Eddy Cue recently said it’s doing “much better than forecasted” for number of subscriptions and viewership numbers.

CNN has reached out to Major League Soccer, Inter Miami, Messi’s representative, Apple and David Beckham, who is part of Inter Miami’s ownership team, to confirm the financial details.

Before landing in Florida, Messi previously played for Paris Saint-Germain, where he went on to win two Ligue 1 titles in his two seasons, but was unable to help the club win the Champions League for the first time in its history. Before his stint with PSG, Messi spent 17 trophy-laden years at Barcelona.