‘Like seeing Michael Jordan at his greatest!’ – Why tickets to the Lionel Messi show at Inter Miami will remain expensive

Supporters have flocked to catch a glimpse of the Inter Miami travelling circus ever since eight-time Ballond d’Or winner Messi stepped aboard in the summer of 2023. He has become the hottest ticket in any town he visits, while entrance passes in Florida are increasingly difficult to acquire.

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There is no sign of that interest waning, as Messi and Co head into the 2024 campaign, and demand will continue to outweigh supply. That means costs will stay high, particularly on the resale market, with fans aware that they are buying into a special event.

FC Dallas president Dan Hunt has told Dallas News when asked for his take on the surge in ticket prices across MLS: “Basically, I’ve been consistent in my messaging. This is like seeing Michael Jordan at his greatest. This is Lionel Messi still at his greatest because he won a World Cup recently, right? I mean, this is a guy who is the best in the game. But yeah, people have this opportunity to pay and see it because you don’t know when it will stop and you should enjoy it because these are lifetime memories. I hope that all this inspires generations of players, and eventually, the United States will produce players who are considered the best in the world. I don’t know if that’s going to be tomorrow or in 30 years, but you hope we have that moment. My biggest hope is that we produce superstars on the heels of this.”

Messi is tied to a contract at Inter Miami through to the end of the 2025 MLS campaign, with there an option within those terms for a further 12-month extension. That clause may well be triggered as the all-time great is expected to play on at the very highest level through to the 2026 World Cup finals.