Messi still a hot ticket. Prices range from $179 to $1,000 for Inter Miami vs. Charlotte
When Lionel Messi touched down in South Florida in a private jet on July 11, Inter Miami had the worst record in Major League Soccer at 5-14-3 and was 12 points short of the playoff line with 12 league games remaining in the regular season.
All that remains true, as the MLS season is on hiatus during the monthlong Leagues Cup tournament. But after four games of the Messi-anic Era, Inter Miami looks and feels like a team that could not only contend for the Leagues Cup and U.S. Open Cup titles, but one that could dig out of the league cellar to make a playoff run.
Inter Miami, which was mired in an 11-game winless streak before Messi’s debut, is 4-0 in Leagues Cup play heading into the quarterfinal Friday night at home against FC Charlotte (Time TBA, Apple TV MLS Season Pass).
Messi has scored seven goals in those four games, which already ties him for the team lead this season with Josef Martinez, who took 28 games to reach that number. Robert Taylor is second with five goals in 27 games, and Leo Campana is next with four goals in 22 games.
His latest stellar performance was Sunday night on the road against FC Dallas. Messi scored in the sixth minute, scored again on a sublime free kick in the 85th minute to tie the score 4-4, and then made his penalty kick as Miami won the shootout 5-4.
A large segment of the fans in the sellout crowd at Toyota Stadium wore Messi Argentina jerseys and had their cellphones up to record his entrance to the field, his celebration of his first goal, his free kick and his penalty kick. After the game, a handful of FC Dallas players approached Messi to pose for photos during handshakes, which did not sit well with some Dallas fans, who vented on social media.
Inter Miami coach Tata Martino was asked after the game what his team would be like without Messi. He replied:
“We have the best player in the world. That can’t be ignored. When we have our moments, the team is lethal in front of the opposing goal. This question always gets asked in the places where he is. Someone can bet on what Barcelona would’ve looked like without Messi, what the Argentina national team would look like without Messi or anywhere he’s been. Fortunately, we have him, and he once again showed he’s a tremendously important player.”
Despite the victory, Martino stressed that this team with the additions of Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba is not a finished product.
“We can’t lose sight of all the things we need to improve,” Martino said. “Fortunately, we have been able to overcome them with wins, which helps us to keep evolving, but we are far from a reliable team…Inter Miami in 20 days has the ability to transform into a great team and with the players we have, and we have big players, they are doing well, but you can’t form a good team with just 15 days of work.”
Tickets start at $179 for Messi’s fifth game
Tickets are on sale for Friday’s quarterfinal between Inter Miami and Charlotte through TicketMaster and secondary markets and were going for $179 to $1,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.
If Miami wins Friday and advances to the semifinals Tuesday, the opponent would be either Mexican club Queretaro, which beat New England Monday night, Philadelphia Union or New York Red Bulls. The Union and Red Bulls had their round of 16 match postponed to Tuesday night due to stormy weather in the Philadelphia area.
Miami would host if it is Queretaro, and would be on the road if it is Philadelphia or New York. All the games are being hosted by MLS teams, and the advantage goes to the teams with the better record in 2022.
Ares invests another $75 million in Inter Miami
Inter Miami announced that funds managed by Ares Management’s Credit Group closed on an incremental $75 million preferred equity investment in the club. Ares’ investments in Inter Miami since September 2021 total $225 million.
The new capital will support the continued growth of the club, including the development of the proposed Miami Freedom Park stadium as well as several other initiatives.
“Ares has been an important collaborator over the last two years in helping to accelerate the growth of Inter Miami,” said Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas. “This latest investment comes at an inflection point for the Club with the planned development of our new stadium and the joining of Lionel Messi, among other key initiatives that are positioning the Club for long-term success.”
“We are strong supporters of Jorge, David [Beckham] and Jose [Mas] and their shared vision for Inter Miami, and we are excited to upsize our strategic investment in the club,” said Jim Miller, partner and co-head of the U.S. Direct Lending and the Sports, Media and Entertainment strategies at Ares. “Our work together and the progress made since our initial investment has only reinforced our confidence in Inter Miami’s bright future. We look forward to helping create an even more exciting experience for fans of the Club and MLS globally.”
This story was originally published August 8, 2023 at 3:37 PM.