In a Wednesday interview with a Spanish media outlet, Sport and Mundo Deportivo, football superstar Lionel Messi stated he has decided to pick Inter Miami|Hossein Zohrevand|CC BY 4.0
Lionel Messi, the GOAT, announced yesterday that he is joining the David Beckham co-owned Inter Miami CF.
In response, the team welcomed the Argentinian star’s decision and posted a video in which Messi is in the club shirt.
Inter Miami released a statement that said, “We look forward to welcoming one of the greatest soccer players of all time to our League.”
Fresh off his World Cup win last year, Messi has been bombarded with million-dollar deals from Europe, the US and the Middle East. Saudi club Al-Hilal reportedly offered him a deal worth $400 million.
Why Inter Miami?
The lucrative deal is said to offer Messi additional deals with brands like Adidas and Apple, per The Athletic. He signed a lifetime footwear sponsorship deal with Adidas in 2017.
Apple already owns exclusive rights to MLS streaming and will share the revenue of new subscribers to its MLS Season Pass with Messi.
The Messi effect
Following the news, ticket rates for the September 3 Inter Miami vs LAFC match skyrocketed from $81 to more than $400, per TickPick. One presale ticket was even listed for $9,000, per Axios.
The Argentinian football star bid farewell to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) this month.