By Joiner Martínez
08 Apr 2024, 22:40 PM EDT
Major League Soccer (MLS) and the entire United States were revolutionized with the arrival, last July, of the Argentine star Lionel Messi to Inter Miami.
According to Forbes, Inter Miami is today the second most valuable club in the MLS, with a value that exceeds 1 billion dollars. In 2023, thanks to Messi’s presence, Inter Miami doubled its income to $118 million dollars.
And now the club expects that amount to exceed $200 million this year due to ticket sales, advertising and the team’s unprecedented world tour of Central America and Asia.
To this we must add that in 2023 the league’s Apple TV subscriptions doubled because the local public and those from other countries want to watch Messi’s games.
Since the agreement between the streaming platform and the MLS stipulates that profits are distributed to the clubs, everyone won thanks to the Argentine. It is estimated that the global profits that the firm will share with the MLS will exceed $2.5 billion over 10 years.
How much does Messi earn at Inter Miami?
The majority shareholder of the Florida club, Jorge Mas, revealed that “Messi will earn between $50 and $60 million annually, with the potential to earn more through individual income-sharing agreements with Apple and Adidas.” .
Furthermore, it is worth remembering that in the contract Messi has the option of being a shareholder of the Miami entity, which does not require a purchase if exercised.
Regarding the future, Messi has a contract with Inter Miami for 2024 and 2025, with an option for 2026. But he is confident that Leo will make use of that option in the year of the World Cup that will be held in that country, Canada and the United States.
The business also made the club grow at an advertising level and, for example, Inter Miami managed to sign multi-year contracts with JP Morgan Chase and Duracell, in addition to the agreement with Royal Caribbean. By 2027, Mas wants MLS to have “between 12 and 20 of the 100 best players in the world.”
Keep reading:
“He’s back”: Messi returns to the Inter Miami squad to face Colorado Rapids for MLS
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Tickets are sold out: Rayados confirmed full capacity at the BBVA Stadium to receive Inter Miami