Lionel Messi’s impact on Inter Miami is not going to stop on the field. His transfer is set to quadruple the club’s revenue, according to the club’s commercial director.
Since arriving in July, Messi, has taken Inter Miami by storm, scoring 11 goals in nine games in the Leagues Cup, leading his new teammates to a trophy.
Inter Miami’s commercial director Xavier Asensi, who joined the club in 2021 after 11 years at Barcelona, claimed that Messi’s arrival which has sent the club’s income through the roof to more than $200 million.
“This must be clarified: Leo’s arrival is, above all, in order to win on the field,’ Asensi told Marca. ‘Leo is the player that sells the most commercially in the world. Modric, Ramos, Griezmann or Busquets give you a little boost, but Leo is another dimension on a commercial level, he is out of this world. To get an idea, in 2024 we will multiply Inter’s income before Leo by four. There is a before and after Messi for Miami and for the entire MLS.”, Asensi revealed.
Xavier Asensi (Inter Miami business manager): In 2024, the club’s revenues with Messi will quadruple what it was before ??
Via @marca #Messi #InterMiamiCF #DavidBeckham pic.twitter.com/Lv0XXZKiVA— Inter Miami FC Hub (@Intermiamifchub) August 30, 2023
The economic benefits can already be seen with Inter Miami’s majority owner Jorge Mas telling CNBC last month that he expected Messi to double the cub’s income this year to $110 million. Because of the huge interest in Messi, the Herons had to add approximately 3,000 seats to DRV PNK Stadium to accommodate the demand of clamoring fans wanting to see the the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner.