Lionel Messi is often considered one of football’s greatest names, and his impact on the sport can hardly be overlooked. Since making his debut for Barcelona in October 2004 as a 17-year-old, Messi has etched his name in the game’s history books as one of the best players ever.
Messi’s playing career has seen him lift many trophies from pretty much every club he has played for. The record-goalscorer for Barcelona has lifted the treble twice with Barcelona, first under Pep Guardiola, then later with Luis Enrique. The three-time Champions League winner became a Barcelona legend during his stint with the Spanish club before moving to PSG.
Now that Messi is playing in the MLS, his influence seems to have gone beyond goals and assists. The Argentine has taken US soccer by storm, and his numbers so far and how he has impacted the MLS are quite interesting.
Breakdown of Lionel Messi’s influence on US soccer, Inter Miami
Lionel Messi has been the center of attention since Inter Miami announced his signing in June. The club’s popularity has skyrocketed since Messi was unveiled and played his first game as the club’s new player. According to Joe Pompliano, Messi’s numbers, as far as the impact is concerned, are crazy.
Messi is the second most-followed individual on Instagram, with over 480 million followers behind Cristiano Ronaldo. Inter Miami are reaping the benefits of having a player of Messi’s popularity in their team, with the Florida-based club adding 11 million more followers in the last 30 days. This makes them the fourth-most followed sports team in the United States, only behind Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Lionel Messi is already having a huge financial impact at Inter Miami CF.
The MLS club expects annual revenues to double in year one, and owner Jorge Mas says the club's valuation could increase by more than $1 billion.
Here's a breakdown of the numbers 👇
1. Social Media… pic.twitter.com/YETkN2bAwj
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) July 29, 2023
This newly-found popularity could do wonders for Inter Miami’s chances of securing sponsorship deals, and many of the club’s new social media followers could stay there long after Messi has left the club.
Lionel Messi will also reportedly earn money from Apple and Adidas, two companies strongly tied to the MLS and Inter Miami. Apple is the major streaming partenr for the MLS after acquiring the rights to broadcast the league globally in a $2.5 billion deal for ten years.
Messi will reportedly earn a percentage of every MLS Season Pass sign-up on Apple TV. Also, the Argentine will reportedly receive a cut from Adidas for every shirt sale, making his move to Inter Miami more sensible than many initially thought.
What is Lionel Messi’s contract with Inter Miami?
Inter Miami have made Lionel Messi the face of the team, so it’s no surprise they had to convince him with a multi-million-dollar contract before he signed with them. While football contracts are not made public, Messi is believed to be earning an eyewatering amount from his contract with the club and with Adidas and Apple, two companies his new club is affiliated with.
The World Cup winner has played two games for his new club so far, attracting many celebrities to the games, including Diddy, Kim Kardashian, LeBron James, and DJ Khaled, among many others.
Will Messi lead Inter Miami to a title-winning campaign before the end of the year? What do you think? Let us know below!
