A new Major League Soccer season is about to begin, but it already brings with it some changes related to Lionel Messi and Inter Miami.
The truth is that the Argentine star’s presence on David Beckham’s team has not only had a huge impact on soccer fans, but in addition to sporting and competitive growth, Inter Miami has become the most valuable franchise among the 30 that make up MLS.
Inter Miami, the league’s most valuable club
Since Lionel Messi arrived at Inter Miami in July 2023, the club has won four titles: the Leagues Cup in 2023, the MLS Supporters’ Shield in 2024, and at the end of 2025, he led the team to the MLS Cup Eastern Conference title and they were crowned Major League Soccer champions for the first time in their history.
This led the team to make a historic leap in 2026, not only on the field and against its rivals, but also off the field, especially in terms of the club’s economic, commercial, and media value.
With a valuation of $1.45 billion, Inter Miami increased its valuation by 22% compared to 2025 and surpassed the leader of the ranking for the last four years, Son Heung-Min’s Los Angeles FC (currently valued at $1.4 billion), according to Sportico.
The truth is that Messi’s presence has helped to multiply revenue from ticket sales, merchandising, commercial rights, and sponsorships by achieving greater visibility from all over the world. Before his arrival, the club’s previous valuation was $585 million.
In addition, the “Messi effect” has facilitated the arrival of stars such as Rodrigo de Paul, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suárez, who were motivated to play alongside Leo, strengthening the quality of the team and leading it to great collective triumphs, such as the MLS Cup.
Another factor that contributed to the growth of Inter, founded in 2018 and which began competing in 2020, was the construction of a new stadium, Miami Freedom Park, to be inaugurated in 2026.
In the Top 5, behind Inter Miami and LAFC, are Los Angeles Galaxy, valued at $1.17 billion (+5%), Atlanta United with $1.14 billion (+6%), and New York City FC with $1.12 billion (+12%).
Leo is coming off a great individual year with Inter Miami, having been awarded MVP and the Golden Boot. Furthermore, with the World Cup approaching, it is no surprise that he wants to defend the title he won in 2022 with Argentina. However, he has revealed that he is still evaluating his participation in the tournament and that his decision will depend on his physical condition.
Now, as they prepare for the 2026 season, Leo and Inter Miami know that there will be some changes from 2025: they will have to defend their titles, but they will also inaugurate their new stadium and will no longer have big names such as Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.
Meanwhile, Inter Miami’s preseason has already begun after three friendly matches outside the United States. Now, the team is preparing to play Independiente del Valle at the Banco Guayaquil Stadium on February 13, before kicking off the season on February 21, when they will face Los Angeles FC away in MLS Matchday 1 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Read the full article here
