Ever since he arrived in America at Inter Miami, Lionel Messi has become a household name in the US. The 36-year-old World Cup winner has turned the attention of the wider footballing sphere towards the MLS with his move from PSG.
Messi continues to enjoy his superstardom in the United States, even though soccer is not as popular a sport there. Wherever he goes, Messi captures attention, frequently encountering fans who eagerly seize any opportunity to interact with him.
Fan interaction in middle of busy road shows Lionel Messi’s true nature
Recently, a video of Messi went viral on X (formerly Twitter), showing him interacting with his fans. In the video, fans approached him, requesting him to sign an Argentina jersey. Messi wholeheartedly agreed, took the jersey from the fan, signed it, and instead of tossing it back to the fan, he respectfully returned it by hand.
This is not the first time that Messi has been publicly spotted in recent days. He was recently seen attending a party with fellow Inter Miami teammates at a night club with actor Sofia Vergara.
It’s not just fans who are left in awe of him. When Lionel Messi joined the MLS, a plethora of other sports figures welcomed him, including NBA legend LeBron James and NFL star Patrick Mahomes.
Messi’s fan following translated into numbers for Inter Miami
On January 24th, according to Sportico, it was disclosed that since Lionel Messi’s arrival, Inter Miami’s valuation surged by seven hundred million dollars. The club, owned by David Beckham, was previously valued at five hundred and eighty-three million dollars before Messi joined. Same has been the fan following, which escalated incredibly, with the club socials gaining over 15 million followers across all platforms.
Since Lionel Messi became associated with the MLS, global attention has pivoted towards American soccer. Messi helped Inter Miami secure its first-ever trophy in club history by winning the MLS-Liga MX League tournament, and he aims to clinch the MLS Cup in the upcoming season.
In a team sport like football, individual contributions typically don’t singularly determine a team’s performance, but for Inter Miami and Messi, that doesn’t hold true. Since his arrival, the club has shown immediate improvement, with Messi scoring eleven goals and assisting in five others in just twelve games.
How do you make of Messi’s arrival in the MLS? Let us know in the comments below!
