Even before the announcement, before Lionel Messi said the words that will transform American soccer, before MLS could even clarify that no, hold on, no contract has yet been finalized, the bonanza began. It swept across the league, and picked up an unofficial name. “The Messi Effect,” some team officials are calling it. On Day 1 of this wild new world, MLS opponents sold tens of thousands of tickets, prices soared, and Inter Miami gained 4.1 million Instagram followers — to become the most-followed U.S. sports team on the platform.
Messi is at least a month away from debuting in MLS.