Lionel Messi's Inter Miami edges past Son Heung-Min's LAFC to become MLS’s most valuable club at $1.45 billion

According to the figures compiled by Sportico, Inter Miami have had a staggering rise from its pre-Messi valuation of $585 million. The club has also seen a projected 75 percent increase in revenue, with estimates pointing toward $250 million in revenue by 2026, a figure unmatched elsewhere in MLS.

Los Angeles FC were the previous leaders and are now second at $1.4 billion. Here is the top five: 

The average franchise value has reached $767 million, and collectively all MLS franchises were worth a combined $23 billion. The average franchise saw its value grow 39 percent from Sportico's 2021 valuations.  

However, there were some concerns about the growing disparity between the league's haves and have-nots. Inter Miami is worth 3.4 times the amount of CF Montreal ($480 million). With national TV revenues not as robust as the NBA, NFL, and other counterparts, that could impact the quality of what's on the pitch. 

According to Sportico, MLS teams only net $5 million in revenue after production costs from Apple. By comparison, NHL teams net around $40 million. Also, even as team values rise, some ownership groups are having a hard time selling their clubs. The Vancouver Whitecaps and San Jose Earthquakes have struggled in this respect. 

“We had like more than 30, almost 40 groups who signed an NDA and went into our data room and did a full analysis on our situation,” Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster told Sportico. “Not one single one is interested in buying even 1% of this club, because all of them think that our setup here, the market and the situation we are in is not something where you can invest.”

MLS is less than two weeks out from kicking off its season, with Matchday 1 getting underway on Feb. 21.