Ticket prices for Inter Miami game soar to $1000 expecting Messi debut
Prices on online ticketing platforms have risen to four figures with premium tickets priced at $10,000 as fans expect Lionel Messi to make his debut on July 21.
-
Lionel Messi celebrates after Argentina defeated Croatia 3-0 in the Qatar 2022 World Cup semi-final at Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar, December 13 2022. (AFP)
Tickets for Lionel Messi's potential debut match for Inter Miami are now priced in the four-figure range. Fans searching for tickets to the 21st July clash against Liga MX side Cruz Azul will not find any priced below $1,000 on online ticketing platforms. This surge in prices follows club owner Jorge Mas mentioning the possibility of Messi playing his first match during next month's game against Cruz Azul at DVR PNK Stadium.
Even though Inter Miami is currently at the bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference, having suffered six consecutive defeats, the city is buzzing with excitement and lofty hopes for Messi's arrival. The legendary Argentine player is set to join his new teammates on July 5th, and it is expected that ticket prices for all of Inter's remaining games until the end of the regular season will skyrocket.
Immediately after the official announcement of Messi's arrival on 7th June, ticket prices for the Leagues Cup clash between Inter Miami and Cruz Azul rose significantly from $40 to over $500. Currently, there are no available tickets for less than $1,100 on the Vivid Seats tickets portal.
DVR PNK Stadium, located around 50 kilometers from Miami in Fort Lauderdale, currently has a seating capacity of 19,000. The club plans to add additional seating over the next four weeks, increasing the capacity to 22,000. However, premium seats close to the pitch are being offered for a whopping $10,000.
Messi announced he would move to Inter Miami on June 7 during interviews with Spanish media on Wednesday, rather than return to Barcelona or sign a record-breaking contract to play in Saudi Arabia.
Read more: Messi announces Inter Miami move
"I've taken the decision that I am going to Miami, I don't have (the deal) 100 percent sealed or maybe there's something left to do, but we decided to continue our path there," adding that "(I decided) to leave Europe, it's true that I had offers from another European team but I didn't even think about it because, in Europe, my idea was only to go to Barcelona."
He said that "After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it's time to go to MLS to live football in a different way and enjoy my day-to-day life more."
