Lionel Messi is expected to make his debut for Inter Miami tonight, most likely coming off the bench. The 36-year-old Argentine player, who joined the MLS club last week, has been training this week to build up fitness. Sergio Busquets, who recently joined Miami, is also expected to feature in tonight’s Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul. However, Messi’s former Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba, who completed his move to Miami on Thursday, will not be involved due to his recent fatherhood.
After announcing his move to MLS in early June following his exit from Paris Saint-Germain, Messi’s debut has been highly anticipated. Ticket prices for tonight’s match have soared since the announcement of his transfer, with resale tickets ranging from $200 to $5,000.
Messi completed his move to Inter Miami earlier this month, signing a two-and-a-half-season contract with an option to extend for another year in 2026. He has reunited with former manager Tata Martino at the club, who was appointed as head coach in June. Messi participated in his first training session in Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday alongside Busquets.
To celebrate Messi’s move to Miami, a special three-part audio series titled “The Making of Messi” has been created, delving into the journey that led him to Florida. The series covers his on-field achievements and challenges, his relationship with Argentina, and the details of the unique deal that brought him to Miami.
Inter Miami matches can be streamed worldwide through Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass subscription service. In the United States, some matches will also be broadcast on Fox/FS1/Fox Deportes, and Leagues Cup matches will be available on Univision/Unimas/TUDN.
Messi’s contract negotiation took longer than usual due to MLS’s single-entity structure. The deal includes the option for Messi to purchase an equity stake in Inter Miami, as well as discussions with Apple regarding revenue share on new subscriptions for the MLS Season Pass service. The total value of Messi’s deal is around $50-60 million per year, including his equity in Inter Miami. He will also receive additional income through partnerships with Adidas, MLS, and Fanatics.
Both Apple and MLS view the deal as advantageous, with Apple signing a 10-year, $2.5 billion agreement with MLS and streaming a docuseries about Messi’s World Cup appearances. Adidas, which has been a partner of MLS since its inception, renewed its partnership with the league earlier this year through a $830 million extension lasting until 2030. Messi has had a long-standing relationship with Adidas since 2006 and signed a lifetime footwear sponsorship deal with the brand in 2017.
