Lionel Messi came off the bench to score on his MLS debut as Inter Miami beat New York Red Bulls 2-0 on Saturday to lift them to 14th in the Eastern Conference. After playing 390 minutes in 4 games in the last 2 weeks, Miami coach Tata Martino has opted to leave the Argentinian Messi and former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets off the bench much to the disappointment of the record of 26,276 fans at Red Bull. Arena. Chants of "We want Messi!" started in the sixth minute of the game and continued in the 35th minute with loud "My-si!" "Well - if!".There was also a lot of booing, three minutes into the second half when Messi came off the bench for the first time to warm up. He was strong when Messi was substituted in the 60th minute, and strong when he scored in the 89th minute to seal the win for Miami.
It was Messi's 11th goal in nine games in all competitions since joining Miami in June. This is Miami's first win since May 13 against New England, losing all 3 games in that stretch. They are 9 games unbeaten since Messi joined and will look to lead them to an MLS title. The team's chances of qualifying for the tournament are still slim, but it is unlikely that eleven games will go with Lionel Messi in the squad. It's easy to see why everyone would be upset that Messi won't be playing, having paid a huge price just to get a glimpse of his greatness. Advance ticket prices for Messi's MLS debut against the New York Red Bulls have risen nearly 1,000% since joining Inter Miami. A year ago, the average Red Bulls ticket sold between $ 46 and $ 66, but after Messi signed with Inter Miami and in the last month, the average price to see him has reached $ 503.That's 48% more expensive than the New York Jets' home opener ($339) and 67% more expensive than the New York Giants' home opener ($301), according to TickPick.
Do it, outside and outsideAccording to Xavier Asensi, Chief Commercial Officer, Inter Miami CF is forecasting $200 million in revenue by 2024. That is more than three times the target before Messi's arrival. This tally exceeds the single-year turnover record of all previous MLS teams and Inter Miami ranks among the world's top-grossing clubs. During the 2021-22 season, only 33 teams worldwide made more than $200 million, while Flamengo of Brazil was the only American representative, according to Sportico. The increase in income includes ticket sales, and Inter Miami is now the most popular ticket in the competition for home and away matches, but it is also the result of the company's cooperation for a long time. Asensi revealed that Inter Miami is eager to make a deal that will increase the fee for the team, if they sign a player of the caliber of Messi (a player with many Ballon d'Or), although the contract His name is not clearly mentioned. Among the updated deals, Inter Miami jersey interaction with the cryptocurrency platform XBTO, a major MLS support business, appeared. However, not all clubs' commercial relations follow this model, Asensi shows that the group has chosen to negotiate, rejecting some contracts that do not take into account this detail. Inter Miami's sponsorship deal also includes arranging a partnership to coincide with Messi's contract expiring in two and a half years. The team will be looking for a New Jersey partner for the upcoming season, and those relationships are some of the most valuable in terms of business value. Last year, Sportico valued Inter Miami at $585 million, ranking it the 10th most valuable team in the league. The acquisition of Lionel Messi quickly changed the commercial prospects of the club. Owner Jorge Mas predicted the club's value could reach $1.3-1.5 billion next year. The impact of Lionel Messi!
Miami manager, Martino defended his decision to start the 36-year-old on the bench despite the hopes of the ‘Messi crowd’. “I understand the desire of the people who want him to play, this will happen everywhere we go,” he said. “But as the coach, I cannot be guided by those fans’ desires. My job is to make sure Leo takes care of himself,” he said.
