Lionel Messi’s number 10 shirt was once again the best-selling shirt in Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2026. The Argentine star topped the popularity rankings for the fourth consecutive year, according to the ranking published this Tuesday by the North American competition.
Since his arrival in American soccer in mid-2023, the Inter Miami captain has remained the main commercial reference in the league. His impact transcends the playing fields and continues to generate enormous expectations among fans, even when his team plays away games.
An example of this phenomenon occurred last Sunday, when 54,000 spectators came to Gillette Stadium to witness Inter Miami’s victory against the New England Revolution.
The MLS published its ranking of the ten best-selling jerseys of the season just four days before the close of the regular phase. The list, prepared from sales recorded in the competition’s official store between January 1 and October 30, once again had Messi at the top.
Second place went to South Korean Son Heung-min, from Los Angeles FC, while German Thomas Müller, from Vancouver Whitecaps, took third place.
One of the novelties of the ranking was the presence of two European figures who arrived in the MLS in the middle of the season. The Polish Robert Lewandowski, who joined the Chicago Fire in June, finished in fourth place, while the Frenchman Antoine Griezmann, a new Orlando City player, placed fifth.
Lewandowski even led shirt sales during the months after joining the Chicago team, although the overall balance of the year ended up favoring Messi.
For his part, Griezmann has had an outstanding start in the United States, with 14 goals in 17 games, a production that has also been reflected in his commercial popularity.
The only American in the top ten was Cavan Sullivan, a 17-year-old promise from the Philadelphia Union, who reached sixth place.
The Gabonese Denis Bouanga, from LAFC, took seventh place, followed by the Uruguayan Luis Suárez, Messi’s teammate at Inter Miami, in eighth place. The German Hany Mukhtar, from Nashville SC, was ninth, while the Argentine Rodrigo De Paul, also from the Florida team, closed the classification.
The presence of three Inter Miami footballers in the top ten confirms the commercial attractiveness of a franchise that has gained prominence since the arrival of Messi and that has several international figures in its squad.
The 2026 MLS season began on February 21 and will end on December 18, with the grand final. Meanwhile, Messi continues to expand his influence in American soccer, both through his athletic performance and his ability to attract fans and generate sales.
