Messi and the unbelievable things he did for American soccer.

It's a remarkable coincidence that, as they entered the twilight of their careers, both Pele and Messi chose the United States as their destination, even though football isn't the most popular sport there.

In 1975, Pelé left Santos to play in the United States for the New York Cosmos. In three seasons, Pelé scored 65 goals in 111 games for the New York Cosmos and led the club to the 1977 US Championship title.

In 1975, at the age of 34, Pele moved to the United States to play for the New York Cosmos, having already won three World Cups (1958, 1962, and 1970). His arrival caused a surge in American interest in soccer. The North American Soccer League (NASL) at that time consistently attracted an average of 25,000 spectators per game, an unimaginable number in a country where people were primarily interested in basketball, football, or tennis.

Pele during a match in the USA

Forty-eight years later, at the invitation of David Beckham, former England international and current co-chairman of Inter Miami, a club playing in Major League Soccer (MLS), Messi arrived in the United States immediately after becoming the 2022 World Cup champion, the only title missing from his career.

Unlike Pele, many believed Messi would struggle to succeed in the US and bring freshness to the league because he was approaching retirement age (35). But despite all that, Messi has still achieved incredible things for American soccer.

Messi arrived in the United States after becoming the 2022 World Cup champion.

According to online ticketing platform StubHub, ticket sales for Inter Miami's MLS 2024 season this February have increased 150 times compared to the same period last year and are currently selling 35% more than the second-highest-earning team, LA Galaxy, and double the revenue of the third-highest-earning team, New England Revolution. Ticket sales on StubHub for the entire MLS season this year have also increased sevenfold compared to the same period last year.

Inter Miami's most expensive match was their away game against LA Galaxy on February 26th in the MLS, with ticket prices ranging from $250 to $7,820. One fan even spent $790,000 on tickets to see Messi and his teammates play, setting a record for the most expensive ticket in world soccer history.

American fans flocked to the stadium to watch Messi play.

Furthermore, during the first half of the 2023 season playing for Inter Miami, Messi had a huge impact on the growth of the MLS league. Ticket sales increased, sponsorship deals surged, and MLS television subscriptions skyrocketed. Specifically, revenue from television subscriptions increased by 25%, game-day sponsorship and club sponsorship revenue increased by 15%, sponsorship revenue from Canada increased by 45%, and revenue from league-related merchandise also increased by 45%.

In 2022, Inter Miami generated approximately $56 million in revenue. But from 2023 onwards, Messi helped Inter Miami, which was valued at around $600 million, enter the "billion-dollar club" group, with a value reaching $1.03 billion (a 72% increase) by the beginning of 2024.

It's all thanks to the Messi effect!

A recent poll by SSRS shows that Messi is the most popular and famous athlete in the United States, surpassing even legendary American sports figures like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, and Kobe Bryant.

The explosive moments Messi brought to American soccer.

Both world champions, both arrived in America in their twilight years, but both Pele and Messi have achieved and continue to achieve the impossible for American soccer.

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