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FC Cincinnati and entire MLS impacted by Messi to Miami

landon bartlett
·4 min read

Global superstar and soccer icon Lionel Messi has agreed to join Inter Miami CF of the MLS, kickstarting a new era of quality on and off the field for the rapidly growing league.

Messi, 35, leaves his current club of Paris Saint-Germain with plans to join David Beckham's partially owned South Beach franchise. Messi's intent to play stateside puts him with a strong list of players whose careers brought them to Major League Soccer, including Beckham himself, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Thierry Henry, and Wayne Rooney.

The move, which is unofficial but is reported to have the financial backing of Apple, Adidas, and all 29 MLS franchises, would be the largest in MLS history and will have ramifications that impact every squad on and off the field.

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When a player of Messi’s caliber joins the league – a player that has seven Balon d’Or awards, multiple Champions League titles, countless goal scoring titles, and an argument for being the greatest athlete to ever grace this Earth – eyes, ears, attention spans, and money will follow.

How might all of this impact the MLS side with the best record in the league?

FC Cincinnati still takes on Inter Miami twice this season

Thanks to FCC's stellar performances throughout the U.S. Open Cup this season, the orange and blue finds itself squaring off against Miami in the semifinals.

With luck on Cincinnati's side for the draw, TQL Stadium was selected as the host venue for the matchup on Aug. 23. Though it's unclear whether Messi will be stateside by then, fans can expect the demand for tickets to skyrocket thanks to even the prospect of the reigning 2022 World Cup Final and Golden Ball winner coming to town.

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A second faceoff between Cincinnati and Miami is slated for Oct. 7, this time on Miami's home turf. DRV PNK Stadium, the 19,100-capacity home to Miami, which has experienced a mass influx of ticket sales that has resulted in the skyrocketing of prices.

Minimum single ticket costs to the game currently float around the $200 range on the resale market. Home crowds in Miami will be louder than ever and are sure to be filled with fans donning the classic Argentine blue-and-white striped home kit. If you listen closely, there’s a chance you can already hear the slow building of “Messi, Messi, Messi!” chants echoing around the Southeast Florida.

Messi's future teammates currently sit in last place in the Eastern Conference with five wins and 11 losses, but two very important matchups against Cincinnati – Miami is FCC's second to last MLS game – makes Miami a team to keep an eye on heading into the back half of the season.

"I imagine that when that day comes (that Messi joins), you'll see an uptick in the attention being put towards our league," FCC head coach Pat Noonan said. "Anytime you can get the best players in the world in your league it's a good thing.."
"I imagine that when that day comes (that Messi joins), you'll see an uptick in the attention being put towards our league," FCC head coach Pat Noonan said. "Anytime you can get the best players in the world in your league it's a good thing.."

More eyes, more exposure, more growth

"If (Messi joining) is the case then we have one of, if not the best, players of all time potentially joining our league and I would think that's good for our league," FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan said on Thursday.

Messi has 469 million followers on Instagram, which is almost 467 million more than what the MLS official account boasts. Inter Miami's official Instagram account has already soared from under one million followers at the beginning of the week to just under six million and rising.

The Argentine puts up a case to be the greatest player to ever touch a soccer ball and through that has cultivated one of the largest surpluses of fans the sporting world has seen. There's no doubt that all eyes will be directed towards the MLS during Messi's tenure.

"I imagine that when that day comes (that Messi joins), you'll see an uptick in the attention being put towards our league," Noonan said. "Anytime you can get the best players in the world in your league it's a good thing. That certainly will be the case when that paper is signed and it's official. It's good attention being put on our league."

Messi to the MLS is sure to attract new eyes to the game in the United States, more kids to the pitch, and more quality to the stadiums.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FC Cincinnati and entire MLS feels impact of Lionel Messi to Miami