According to TickPick, the match between Inter Miami and Los Angeles FC this Sunday will have the most expensive ticket pricing in the history of Major League Soccer.
The average ticket price for an MLS game now stands at $690 (Ksh. 100,533), up from the $110 (Ksh. 16,027) average before soccer star Leo Messi entered the league.
Just days before the match, the least expensive ticket to see Messi take on the MLS Cup champions from the previous year would set you back $785 (Ksh.114,375). Prices drop significantly without Messi, with the cheapest seat, according to TickPick, costing only $151 (Kshs. 22,000) for the next LAFC game.
But this might be the highest price for tickets. The market is "likely to stabilize prices at their current level, although there is potential for an upward shift in price due to the increased demand," TickPick co-CEO Brett Goldberg told CNN.
Did you read this?
Demand is also consistently high because LAFC is one of the most well-liked MLS clubs in the league, according to Goldberg, who added that "in this case, you have one of the biggest athletes in the world coming."
Ever since he joined the MLS, Messi's presence have consistently raised ticket costs. Prices for New York Red Bulls tickets were approximately 1,000% higher than typical for last week's game, in which Messi made his regular season debut.
The term "Messi mania" goes beyond the field of play. Since Messi joined in July, Apple claims that subscriptions to its soccer streaming service have skyrocketed. Additionally, Adidas claimed that the demand for Messi's jersey has been "truly unprecedented," causing a backlog of orders that will last until October.
Soccer.com, a retailer, revealed to CNN last week that Messi-related apparel makes up the top eight best-selling jerseys on its website, including his Argentina uniform and the Inter Miami shirt. Except for Vermont, all US states' top-selling MLS club jersey is currently that of the Florida squad. In the past, the Inter Miami jersey was the top-selling jersey only in Florida.
