‘Like when WWE comes into town’ - Has Lionel Messi fever peaked in MLS? Questions asked of Inter Miami superstar & GOAT roadshow

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner continues to pack out stadiums across North America, with many rival outfits moving to bigger grounds - those occupied by NFL franchises - whenever Messi and Inter Miami pay a visit.

Tickets are still shifted at a remarkable rate, but prices are not as inflated as they once were - following Messi’s arrival in South Florida during the summer of 2023. A-list guests have become a regular feature in the stands, with it initially unclear how long the Argentina international would spend in the States.

He has, on the back of savouring MVP and MLS Cup triumphs, committed to a contract through 2028. That means there is no chaotic scramble to see the all-time great take to the field, with it suggested that the Messi bubble - while not being ready to burst - is not going to float any higher.

That is the opinion of former USMNT goalkeeper and MLS star Keller, who has told Jackpot City Casino: “[The Messi effect] has definitely peaked to a point, because there was a situation where nobody knew how long he was going to be playing in the league.

“I knew a lot of people who were wealthy enough to be able to take their kids to an Inter Miami game, because you don’t know if you’re able to see Messi again. It’s like when WWE comes into town, or Supercross comes into town. It’s like are you building something for a fanbase that is week in and week out?”

Messi has helped to attract other household names to MLS, including the likes of Heung-min Son and Thomas Muller, with the promise of more to come. He is working on the most lucrative contract in American soccer.

It has been claimed that MLS should look to relax salary cap rules at some point, allowing more money to be invested in marquee signings, but Keller is not convinced that would be the way to go - as overspending would become an obvious threat.

Keller added on issues that need to be addressed: “What I would do, I wouldn’t necessarily get rid of the cap. The way MLS works now is you have these designated players, you have these targeted allocation players. What that really does, when you get somebody that you’re paying, there’s really no other competition in the squad.

“The problem then is you say, ‘Okay, this guy is making $250,000 and this guy is making $2.5 million, and there’s no way in the cap to reward the guy that is making $250,000 when he beats out the guy making $2.5 million. I just can’t let the guy beat him out, because I’ll look [foolish] to my owner if I’m not playing the guy I’m paying 10 times the salary to.”

Fresh from the latest international break - which saw Messi take in potentially his final outing on Argentine soil - Inter Miami will return to domestic action on Saturday when playing host to Austin FC. That contest will take place at Nu Stadium, as said venue throws open its doors for the first time.