After his spectacular performance in the 2026 World Cup, Lionel Messi had a well-deserved vacation while his club, Inter Miami resumed its MLS campaign.
Despite the absence of their greatest star, the rosanegros were able to obtain good results on the fields, but where they did poorly was at the box office.
For the clash against the Chicago Fire, which brought its top scorer, Polish Robert Lewandowski, to Miami for the first time, the price for tickets fell to $9. Now that Messi has returned, the cheapest ones have gone up to $33 and will surely continue to rise as the championship progresses.
There is Messi for a while
Last October, Messi extended his contract with Inter Miami for three years, until December 2028, when he will be 41 years old.
Messi’s impact on the MLS is extraordinary and those small details such as the drop in ticket prices when he does not play give an idea of his unique drawing power.
Many took as fact some of Messi’s statements that when he retired he would go to live in Barcelona, which would leave Inter Miami and the MLS in an irrecoverable situation. Things, however, are developing in a different way with a long-term vision.
Not only is the contract extension involved, there is also the fact that Messi has a stake in the shares of Inter Miami.
That solidifies his ties to South Florida. And one more important thing: his family is happy to live in the Miami area. On the other hand, it is not known what will happen in Spain with a government that self-destructs, which is not capable of dealing with problems such as corruption and uncontrollable immigration, among others.
Messi could extend his career on the pitch beyond the age of 41. He is a thorough professional, he takes care of his physique, his private life, he is whole and we must not forget that an equally serious athlete like him, Tom Brady, was a Super Bowl champion at 45 years of age.
A gem like Messi, the MLS will hardly let her go. The Argentine star has contributed in a very special way to the American League acquiring a global dimension. Profits have increased and more and more sponsors are joining, eager to associate their brands with this institution that has not stopped developing.
The Casemiro case
Inter Miami made a big bet with the hiring of Brazilian Casemiro and fans wonder if the stellar midfielder will be able to make us forget the great Sergio Busquets, who hung up his boots at the end of last season with the championship title with the rosanegros.
Casemiro is one of the great midfielders in the history of football. He shone at the highest level with Real Madrid and with the Auriverde team. Despite having been a bitter rival of Barcelona and Argentina, Messi himself, according to the Brazilian’s confession, asked him to join Inter Miami.
At the moment, the rosanegros are in a magnificent position in the MLS and with the contribution of Casemiro they gain a key piece in the team, which is fighting to win the two-time championship.
The Brazilian is an essential player to link the defense and offense of the Surflorida squad. Busquets did that perfectly and Inter Miami needs someone to continue doing it when the Spaniard is no longer there.
Casemiro has the class, the experience and the stripes to know how to take the ball away from the rival and give it cleanly to Messi so that he can initiate the attacking plays of the rosanegros.
Until now, Inter Miami has done things well and thanks to this it already has a name recognized throughout the world. Messi is insured for a couple more years and everything indicates that this agreement will last for a long time.
And furthermore, the club is concerned that the “young man in the movie” has a first-rate cast. Thanks to this, a player of Casemiro’s level has arrived, who will surely establish a great partnership with Messi.
