If there was any question to whom the most popular athlete on the planet is, it looks like we may have gotten our answer on Wednesday. Lionel Messi has agreed to terms with Inter Miami CF of MLS, and the off-field effect has been immediate and overwhelming.

Inter Miami Gains 2.3 Million Followers After Messi Announcement

Inter Miami has gained 2.3 MILLION Instagram followers after signing Messi

The Galaxy previously had the most in the MLS with 1.4 million.

Miami has now doubled that pic.twitter.com/tf0tTgGRko

— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) June 7, 2023

Messi is one of the greatest soccer players of all-time, and along with Ronaldo is arguably the best of our generation. He is fresh off of leading his home country of Argentina to a World Cup victory for the first time since 1986, which was one of the final major accomplishments to check off in a storied career. The world wants to watch what Lionel Messi does, and Miami will be a huge beneficiary.

It started with ticket sales. The cheapest ticket to Inter’s first game was listed at $29 on Tuesday, a price that shot up all the way to $477 after the news broke. There will of course be spikes in merchandise sales as well as viewership numbers, and all eyes in the soccer world will be on South Florida this summer.

Lionel Messi’s MLS jersey is already making an appearance in Miami

(via @sportingnews)pic.twitter.com/9fhY1xUVEK

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 7, 2023

The following has already begun. When the day started, Inter Miami’s Instagram account had roughly 900,000 followers. As of 7PM Eastern on Wednesday, that number ballooned to a whopping 3.2 million, an increase of 2.3 million followers in roughly 7 hours time. It makes Inter the most followed MLS Instagram account, passing the LA Galaxy who previously held the distinction. They have 1.4 million followers.

We are just scratching the surface of the impact that the move will have on all parties involved. Messi becomes a richer man, with possible ownership stakes promised for the future. The team will get an obvious boost from all angles, and team part-owner David Beckham just saw his investment value skyrocket.

The deal hasn’t been officially finalized yet, but the announcements have been made by both the team and the player. The season is set to get under way on July 21st.

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