Just two days before the Vancouver Whitecaps were set to host Inter Miami at BC Place, the Canadian side made an unprecedented announcement that infuriated fans, forced newsrooms into overdrive and left Miami scrambling for a response.
“While we haven’t received an official update on the availability of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Sergio Busquets for this weekend, we understand they will not make this trip,” Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster said in a statement last season. “Unfortunately, we have no control over who plays for our opponent, and it was important for us to communicate to our fans as soon as possible.”
Despite Messi’s absence, the Whitecaps vowed to follow through with their scheduled pregame celebrations that included a block party, tailgates and several activations outside of the stadium. A team being first to reveal a roster update about an opponent was unusual; even more unprecedented was the Whitecaps’ decision to offer a 50% discount in stadium food as a way of making up for the disappointment of an opposing player’s absence.
Messi’s power to disrupt teams’ typical gameday protocol was seen again when the Chicago Fire last season offered an unprecedented compensation package to fans in case Messi failed to feature in an Aug. 31 match against Inter Miami. If Messi didn’t play, the Fire offered to credit single-match buyers $250 off two or more new 2025 Chicago Fire season-ticket memberships or $100 off two or more single match tickets for the 2025 home match against Inter Miami.
Still, a Messi-less Inter Miami produced season-high crowds for the Whitecaps (51,035) and the Fire (55,385), which helps explain why teams are bending over backwards to fan the flames of “Messi mania.”
Messi brings bigger stadiums, higher prices
When Messi joined MLS in the summer of 2023, teams swiftly adjusted to host one of the game’s greatest. Now, heading into Messi’s third season in the American league, MLS continues to navigate the revolutionary circumstances surrounding games that feature Messi’s Inter Miami.
When teams prepare to host the Herons, it’s not just a matter of stopping Messi on the field: they must also try to cash in by moving games to larger venues, preparing for massive crowds and campaigning around the arrival of a star-studded Inter Miami squad. New specialized marketing strategies and targeted efforts began running on team social channels and websites the day the 2025 schedule was announced.
The anticipation to face Messi drove every Inter Miami opponent to different decisions, but all made changes to account for a surge in attention, and 2025 is sure to bring more of outside-the-box approaches. After all, Messi is in the last year of his Miami contract, and teams might not have another chance capitalize on his presence.
Sporting Kansas City regularly plays at the soccer-specific Children’s Mercy Park, which holds 18,467 spectators. But when facing Inter Miami last season, the Western Conference team moved to Arrowhead Stadium, the NFL venue boasting a capacity of 76,416. The price for tickets ranged from $100-290 in the upper bowl and $180-600 in the lower bowl, depending on proximity to the pitch — multiples more than typical tickets at Children’s Mercy Park, depending on the section.
That match in Kansas City was a sellout, despite the larger venue. It drew 72,610 fans, the fourth-largest standalone crowd in MLS history and the most attended match of the 2024 regular season.
Charlotte FC, the New England Revolution, the Chicago Fire and Atlanta United already play in large NFL stadiums, but opted to expand the usual range of tickets so they could accommodate newfound local Miami supporters. These teams often close the upper bowls, leaving only the lower sections available for purchase, but changed their policies against the Herons and Messi.
In 2023, Atlanta boasted a crowd of 71,635 spectators at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to face Miami — the team’s average attendance at the time was 47,526, the highest average of any MLS team in 2023. When Atlanta United stunned the Herons last season with a 2-1 victory in front of 68,455 spectators, it was the fifth-highest postseason attendance in MLS history, and the only first-round MLS playoff match to make the list.
In Charlotte, around 66,000 fans filled Bank of America Stadium for a regular season game that many described as one of the most anticipated games in franchise history. The only time Charlotte FC has seen a larger audience was their inaugural match in front of 74,000 fans. Otherwise, the team averages around 36,000 supporters at a regular-season game.
The Revolution, a founding team of MLS that has been in the league since 1996, drew a club-record crowd of 65,612 fans at Gillette Stadium last season when they hosted Messi. That surpassed their 2002 MLS Cup final attendance record by 4,296, a record that stood for 22 years.
“To see the masses come alive whenever we show up is a cool thing,” said Inter Miami player Julian Gressel. “It’s incredible to see the support that follows us. There are some games where it’s a bit strange, like in D.C. or New England for example, the crowd is pretty much pro-Miami and pro-Messi.”
When hosting Inter Miami at smaller, soccer-specific stadiums, tickets sell out quickly, which generates a competitive resale market. CF Montreal’s Saputo Stadium can host 20,521 fans — an average ticket in 2024 could cost as much as $69 with the lowest coming in at only $13, according to Seatgeek. But against Inter Miami, the average skyrocketed to $465.
The 2024 regular season game hosted by CF Montreal against Inter Miami now ranks within the top 10 most expensive MLS matches since 2009, according to VividSeats. The cheapest ticket available was priced at $325, while the most expensive reached $729 days before the match.
The high prices didn’t stop fans either. Saputo Stadium sold out, welcoming 19,619 fervent fans dressed in all kinds of costumes to show their support.
“The impact of Messi’s arrival to Inter Miami CF continues to be momentous, with increased global demand on StubHub,” said StubHub spokesperson Adam Budelli in a press release. “The surge in sales for Inter Miami, and the league as a whole, is a testament to his legacy as a soccer star. Messi’s influence extends beyond the confines of his home stadium, driving demand on the road from buyers all over the world.”
Inter Miami creating a never-before-seen buzz in MLS
Peter Vermes, the long-time head coach and sporting director of Sporting Kansas City, says MLS has made strides since he first became manager in 2009 — he’s been witness to most of MLS’s biggest signings, including David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Villa and Thierry Henry. And yet, he says the mania surrounding Messi remains unparalleled.
“In 2010, we played Man United at Arrowhead and had something like 56,000 or 58,000 fans, and that was a big milestone for us in that,” Vermes said. “Now, you’re not bringing one of the most famous teams in the world to play against us. You’re talking about playing against another MLS team. And now you have that 72,000 crowd. That in itself is unreal. It’s a phenomenal progression that has happened in the league from that point of view … it’s like when Michael Jordan used to come to different places, all of a sudden, they sold out because other people wanted to see Michael Jordan play as well.”
When the Houston Dynamo faced Inter Miami last season in the U.S. Open Cup final, a competition that has struggled to maintain a foothold in American soccer, Messi added a boost, too. Messi’s availability for the match was questionable in the hours leading up to kick off, but Dynamo defender Griffin Dorsey said the buzz created by the Herons remains unparalleled in MLS with or without their captain on the field.
“Messi being around added something to that game that would not have been there if it wasn’t,” Dorsey said. “That buzz was very big. That whole Inter Miami team, especially last year, but also you see it this year — it brings a lot to the league. There’s always a lot more excitement and hype when you’re playing against some of the best players who have ever played the game, period.”
Indeed, the mere thought of the forward’s presence incites commotion, Dynamo head coach Ben Olsen said.
“Messi does add sizzle to this game,” Olsen told ESPN. “And he’s managed to do that to the league and to any opponent that’s preparing for that team right now. They have transformed themselves into the marquee team in this league.”
MLS announced that the overall average attendance increased by 23,240 in 2024: 10 games featured at least 45,000 fans, five games featured more than 50,000 fans and three surpassed 60,000. Inter Miami played in six of those top 10 matches, and Miami set the season record of 72,601 when playing Sporting KC at Arrowhead Stadium.
“His impact has been unimaginable,” said MLS commissioner Don Garber. “The metrics on and off the field have been spectacular. And it’s great to see Leo Messi deliver for MLS in ways that we had hoped he would.”
Undoubtedly, wherever Messi goes, crowds will follow and norms will be broken. Nothing less should be expected in 2025 as the possibility of Messi’s final season in MLS lingers in the minds of fans — and opposing teams.