The first full season with Messi in the United States offers even more upside, including increased stadium attendance and higher average ticket prices. Inter Miami finished selling its entire 2024 season ticket inventory two weeks after the 2023 season concluded. The Argentine forward’s massive popularity has also opened new lines of business for the club, like its 23,000-mile global preseason tour through El Salvador, Dallas, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Japan. Inter Miami projects it will surpass $200 million in revenue this year, which would set a league record.

“This is a tsunami, and either you are ready to surf it—or you are beneath it,” Asensi says. “I think we were ready to swim and surf, but mindset-wise, it’s something that we still have to work on.”

Inter Miami now has an unparalleled window to transform its business, but it could close soon. Messi is under contract for only two seasons, with an option for 2026, and the franchise risks regressing financially after his departure. The club will get a boost in 2025 when it moves into its new stadium, Miami Freedom Park, although it still must figure out how to retain as much fan interest, global popularity and brand equity as possible from the Messi era.

Read the full story on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinbirnbaum/2024/02/02/major-league-soccers-most-valuable-teams-2024/?sh=452c8ad83347

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