Resell tickets are going up to $110,000 for Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami debut.
Lionel Messi was presented as an Inter Miami player on Sunday and his first match will be on Friday against Cruz Azul. But the tickets are not cheap. Per a report by CNN, resell tickets are going for as much as $110,000 for the match.
Tickets for the game are completely sold out.
The prices of some seats increased after the soccer superstar officially signed a $50 million to $60 million a year contract with the Major League Soccer team on Saturday.
Still, there are much cheaper options available for Friday’s game. The average price is $487, and some fans travel nearly 700 miles to see a game against Mexican team Cruz Azul, a Vivid Seats spokesman said. Tickets for last year’s League Cup match between Inter Miami and FC Barcelona cost about half.
Prices for Messi’s MLS debut on Aug. 20 against Charlotte are averaging $288, according to Vivid Seats, an increase of nearly 900% since early June, when speculation began that Messi would come to the US. Total ticket prices for Inter Miami, who are currently bottom of the table, have also jumped around 700% since then.
Messi, 36, is one of the most decorated athletes of all time, having won the prestigious Ballon d’Or award seven times and was part of Argentina’s World Cup winning team last year. His deal, according to multiple reports, includes an option to co-own the club and a cut of revenue from new subscribers to Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass streaming service.
At Sunday’s unveiling, Messi said he was “very excited” to be in Miami. “I came here with the same desire to compete, the desire to win and help the club continue to grow,” he told a packed stadium.
“Messi mania” also goes beyond the pitch. Last week, Hard Rock Cafe introduced the “Messi Chicken Sandwich,” which is a crispy Milanese-style fried chicken breast topped with melted provolone. The sandwich is now on sale in hotels and restaurants.
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