“When we wrote the club’s dream, this is exactly what we meant. A year since Messi debuted in the pink shirt of Inter Miami , everything has come true,” David Beckham wrote on Instagram to celebrate the first anniversary of the 37-year-old Argentine player joining the team he is president and co-owner of. The former English player also posted a viral clip, reviewing Messi’s achievements at Inter Miami over the past year, most notably the Leagues Cup championship trophy.
Messi signed a contract with Inter Miami on a free transfer from PSG on July 16, 2023. He immediately made his debut for the new team on July 22, 2023, and immediately scored the winning goal for his team in the 90+4 minute with a super free kick (winning 2-1 against Mexico’s Cruz Azul). Witnessing this goal, David Beckham burst into tears and the elite American sports community was overwhelmed by the “magical football” displayed by Messi.
In one year playing for Inter Miami, with a total of 29 matches so far, Messi has scored 25 goals, contributed 16 assists and won 1 Leagues Cup championship title.
In 2024, after winning the Copa America with the Argentina national team to set a record of 45 championship titles, the most in world football history , Messi will have another chance to increase his record of championships when Inter Miami is about to defend the Leagues Cup championship in August. Next is the biggest goal of winning the MLS Cup championship (playing from October to December 7).
Messi is nursing a ligament injury to his right ankle. He has been wearing a protective shin guard at recent Inter Miami events.
However, according to the American press, this famous player is about to return to competition when Inter Miami meets UANL Club (Mexico) on August 4 in the second round of the Leagues Cup group stage.
Inter Miami has just set a record when in the last 7 matches, they won 6 and lost only 1, topping the MLS Eastern Conference standings with 53 points after 25 matches (5 points ahead of the second-placed team FC Cincinnati), and have secured a spot in the MLS playoffs from round 1. If they maintain this achievement in the remaining 9 matches, Inter Miami will win the Supporters’ Shield (for the team with the best record in the MLS scoring round).
In the year since his arrival in the United States, Messi has helped David Beckham’s club grow from $600 million to $1.03 billion (up 72%), increase annual revenue from $60 million to $200 million (up 233%), and increase Instagram followers from 1 million to 17 million to date (up 1,600%).
Not only with Inter Miami, Messi also helped MLS increase the number of spectators at the stadiums to 6.5 million, an increase of 725,000 people compared to last year. Matches with Messi, regardless of the stadium, are always sold out, setting records such as the Arrowhead Stadium of Sporting Kansas City with more than 70,000 spectators, or the stadium of the New England Revolution Club with 65,612 spectators coming to watch…
“Remember the ticket fever? The cheapest ticket price for Messi’s debut match increased from $29 to $459 overnight. Chicago Fire FC sold out the 62,000-seat Soldier Field just because of Messi. Even when the star player was injured and could not play, the match still generated 55% of the club’s ticket sales for the entire season,” Marca ( Spain) expressed.
Messi’s influence also extends globally, helping Inter Miami have a lucrative Asian tour (early 2024). Despite Cristiano Ronaldo playing in Saudi Arabia, Messi’s arrival here immediately attracted all the attention. The demand for Messi has not slowed down, with Inter Miami having sold out all their season tickets for 2024, despite ticket prices nearly doubling compared to last year, according to Marca .
Messi is still under contract with Inter Miami until 2025 with an option to extend the following year. The club’s leadership, with David Beckham as president, has always hoped to extend the player’s time playing for their club as long as possible. Even after the 2026 World Cup.
