On the sunny journey to the expensive Audi Field stadium, it seemed like all the fans were wearing the pink number 10 shirt, the familiar outfit of Inter Miami star Lionel Messi.
For those who do not own a Messi shirt, they will have to spend about 50 USD for a shirt sold on the field, maybe 40 USD for those who are good at bargaining. Balloons with Messi’s image, some posters, paintings and stuffed dolls bearing Messi’s image appear everywhere and it seems that the fever that the Argentine striker brought to America has not cooled down.
Messi’s class in America
If you are Messi, you will certainly have to face pressure from the stands many times with a series of provocations from anti fans. During the match against Nashville in the 1/8 round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, Messi was taunted by the crowd of Nashville fans with chants: “Ronaldo! Ronaldo!”. Indeed, they did not foresee that Messi would not be affected by those words when the Argentine superstar was so used to pressure.
Responding to the discomfort from opposing fans, Messi simply did his best on the field. Messi’s classy goal from outside the penalty area helped Inter Miami win 3-1 against Nashville, thereby surpassing this opponent with a total score of 5-3 after 2 matches to win a ticket to the quarterfinals. Tournaments. Perhaps after this match, Messi will no longer be ridiculed by fans in the US, because the bravery of the world’s top superstar allows Messi to shine despite all circumstances.
Fans are caught up in Messi fever
Messi’s flashy performance forced even DC United fans to buy tickets to watch the match at Audi Field. Indeed, everyone expects this stage to be another memorable memory for Messi. However, perhaps they were somewhat disappointed by the owner of 8 Golden Ball titles.
Messi once again missed Inter Miami’s trip to MLS due to injury and DC United fans, funnily enough, were the ones who felt the most disadvantaged when the 36-year-old superstar was absent due to a hamstring injury. Not being able to witness the living monument of football on the field, DC United fans were even more upset because Inter Miami left both Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba, two other former Barcelona stars, on the bench. It’s no different than spending money to see Beyonce perform at Coachella, but Beyonce can’t perform at the last minute, or Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish also have their performance time cut short.
Like Coachella, people paid a lot of money for Messi’s show. It is not too much to say that Messi has the stature of the greatest player of all time. According to the latest statistics from MLS representatives, Messi’s jersey is the best-selling product in all sports from manufacturer Adidas.
“Adidas will soon announce that Lionel Messi’s jersey is ‘their number one jersey in every sport,'” MLS representative Don Garber revealed to The Athletic.
Adidas would not answer questions about whether Argentina or Inter Miami jerseys sell more because they produce both. However, Messi joining Inter Miami has helped the American team’s jerseys become famous around the world.
Last September, MLS announced that Messi’s Miami jersey was the best-selling shirt in the league in 2023. Although he had only signed with Miami three months earlier, Messi quickly created a wave of support. terrible household. In October 2023, the New York Times reported that Adidas received nearly 500,000 requests from stores and suppliers of Messi’s Inter Miami jersey after being sold out. It’s normal for Adidas jerseys to sell well globally, but for an MLS club’s jersey, this is a sign that the league will have the opportunity to penetrate new markets around the world. world, especially in the next few years when the 2026 World Cup is held in the United States.
