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Kyle Bonagura, ESPN staff writer
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Outside the front door of Argentino Las Olas, a seven-year-old restaurant serving empanadas and other Argentinian dishes, there is a large poster of Lionel Messi Nakheel World Cup.
“Bienvenido Capitan“,” she reads. Hello captain.
The interior walls are almost entirely covered in photos and banners honoring the nation from which the restaurant draws its inspiration. Football memorabilia is everywhere, and Messi’s presence looms large.
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When Messi led his country to its first World Cup victory since 1986, Argentino Las Olas was packed with players. The relationship between the success of Argentina and the success of Argentine restaurants was crystal clear. However, the support that came with the start of the World Cup was expected to wane once the excitement died down. And in most places, that happened.
In Fort Lauderdale, that was also the case. Except, of course, Messi moved to town — and Argentino Las Olas has evolved into a gathering place to watch him play for Inter Miami, which plays its home games 6.5 miles away. Ownership expects a big day on Wednesday as Miami hosts Real Salt Lake (8:10 p.m. ET, Apple TV+, MLS Season Pass) in the MLS season opener.
Messi’s economics is far-reaching and immeasurable. His appeal is the only reason Inter Miami – the worst team in MLS before Messi arrived last season – motivated them to embark on a pre-season world tour that took them from El Salvador to Dallas to Saudi Arabia to Hong Kong and, finally, before the Japanese national team returned. He returned to his country to conclude his matches with a friendly match against Messi’s childhood team, Newell’s Old Boys, last week to prepare for the new season.
It was an ambitious lineup for which Miami compensated well, but it was also designed to serve as a marketing vehicle — for Inter Miami and Major League Soccer. From that standpoint, the tour fell through, as Messi’s unavailability and Inter Miami’s mediocre performance spoiled what was expected to be something more festive.
On 4 February, Messi missed Miami’s match against FC Hong Kong, leading to a series of boos and public criticism from the local government of the event organiser, Tatler XFEST Hong Kong, which continued to express its “extreme disappointment regarding” Lionel’s non-participation. Messi and Luis Suarez.
The backlash led to the cancellation of a friendly match between Nigeria and Argentina that was scheduled for March in China, and on Monday, two weeks after the match, Messi still felt compelled to release a video explaining his reasons for not playing in the exhibition.
“I read and heard a lot of things said after the match in Hong Kong,” he said. “I wanted to record this video to give you the real version so that no one has to keep reading false stories.”
He went on to explain that adductor muscle inflammation – and concern about further injury – was the reason for his absence, rather than any number of political theories that may have been circulating online.
For MLS, the Miami tour was far from ideal. But it will also have very little impact at home.
“I think when you have a player that’s so legendary and he’s still competing, introducing him to the world is a very good thing for a club, Inter Miami,” MLS commissioner Don Garber told ESPN. “It’s good for [MLS]but obviously it doesn’t always go as perfectly as you want.
“But overall, I think it was an important experience for everyone. I’m sure there will be some things they learn and maybe do differently in the coming years. But I certainly hope Inter Miami tours with Mes and the rest of the club in the coming years, because I think he represents A great debut for the club and great exposure for the league.”
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In the United States, the script is often flipped, Garber noted. It’s the big foreign clubs that look to the United States for an appearance as they prepare for their regular seasons, but there’s also usually a widespread understanding that those pre-season showcases won’t always feature who’s back in marketing campaigns.
“Players are getting hurt. Players should get some rest,” Garber said. “Everyone has to remember that these are pre-season rounds, not regular season matches or official competitions. I think the bottom line is that international tours are part of the dynamic of professional football. It has been that way for many years, and there is no shortage of international clubs that Come here and play.
“Not every match is perfect, and not every experience is everything you want it to be.”
After years of touring with Barcelona, the world tour was nothing out of the ordinary Sergio Busquets, also. He understands the advantages, but during an MLS media availability last month, he also made it clear that the priority should be to use those games to prepare for the season.
“For us, it’s about balancing the sporting side as well as the growth of this club and the revenues and taking advantage of the commercial side,” he said. “So we understand that very well. But we will also be competing against great teams that will prepare us to be at a very high level before the season.
“And when it comes to time changes and long trips, we have to prepare well for that. The most important thing is to prepare physically for the season.”
Inter Miami coach Tata Martino said during his press conference on Tuesday that Messi and Busquets, Luis Suarez And Jordi Alba They are all valid for editorial.
As of Tuesday evening, the entry price via StubHub, the ticket resale marketplace, was $68, a relatively low price considering the incredible demand for Inter Miami tickets. The average ticket price to watch Inter Miami this year – round-trip – is $275.
Messi’s presence is a big factor in driving demand league-wide, but before the season, ticket sales for every MLS team — even those that don’t play in Miami — were up, StubHub spokesman Adam Bodelli told ESPN. League-wide ticket sales are up nearly seven times year over year.
“the demand [to see Messi] “It’s in line with Aaron Judge just two years ago for the Yankees going for the all-time home run record, or last year when LeBron James was going for the all-time NBA home run record,” Bodelli said.
After StubHub sold MLS tickets to buyers in nine countries last year, that number rose this year to 44. To illustrate, StubHub sold tickets to Major League Baseball games to buyers in 45 countries last season. The top 25 most requested MLS games on StubHub are Miami games, which saw demand grow 150-fold, Bodelli said.
