Messi jersey 'top seller across all sports' says MLS commissioner

Stuart Telford

• 15 Mar 2024 21:34 GMT
• 3 min read

Lionel Messi's jersey was Adidas' number one jersey of any sport' Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber has told The Athletic.

Messi created shockwaves across world football when he swapped Paris Saint-Germain for Inter Miami on a free transfer last July, spurning both a potential big-money move to Saudi Arabia and an emotional return to Barcelona in the process.

That's not to say the record eight-time Ballon d'Or winner isn't well rewarded at the David Beckham-backed franchise - Messi will reportedly earn $150 million over two-and-a-half years of his contract - but he is making plenty back for investors.

READ MORE: Lionel Messi transfer news

Inter have packed out their 21,550-capacity Chase Stadium since, while MLS Season Pass subscriptions increased nearly 2,000 per cent overnight after his signing. And his jersey has been flying off the shelves too.

"Adidas will soon announce that Lionel Messi's shirt was 'their number one jersey of any sport,' MLS commissioner Don Garber told The Athletic," reports the outlet's Melanie Anzidei.

Messi worth the outlay

Messi's on-field performance has thus far kept up. The Argentina World Cup winner led Inter to the inaugural Leagues Cup in August and although they missed out on last year's MLS Play Offs, they top the overall rankings this term.

READ MORE: Lionel Messi at Inter Miami: Goals, assists, results & fixtures in 2024

Messi has 16 goals and seven assists from his 19 games across all competitions so far, with a direct goal-involvement every 66 minutes he has played, and is still valued at €28.3 million by FootballTransfers' in-house algorithm despite his 36 years.

A significant percentage of Messi's aforementioned income comes from the 10-year, $2.5 billion deal the MLS signed with Apple in 2023.

"The Apple deal gives us the platform to be able to capitalise, through technology, on a growing international market that has interest in some of our teams and some of our players," Garber continued.

Messi might have been joined in Miami by former Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, but it is clear who is the driving force behind the MLS' future success.