The Lionel Messi factor? Miami ranked 6th on best sports cities in America list by WalletHub
From the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat, Americans are passionate about sports.
Personal finance company WalletHub compared 397 U.S. cities for its Best Sports Cities in 2023 list. Miami had a strong showing, ranking as the top city in Florida and sixth overall.
Cities were compared across 50 key metrics related to the top five sports in the country: football, basketball, baseball, soccer and hockey.
The Magic City is home to professional teams in each sport and soccer team Inter Miami FC happens to have the best player in the world, Lionel Messi, on its team.
Los Angeles topped the ranking, followed by Boston, Pittsburgh, New York and Dallas.
Did Messi Mania influence Miami ranking?
That's hard to say, but since Messi joined Inter Miami, Major League Soccer has seen his No. 10 jerseys fly off shelves, sold out home and away games, rising ticket prices and new sponsors. He's become the face of MLS.
"He's the best player in the world. What did you think he was going to do when he came here?” LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said after Inter Miami's sold-out match in Los Angeles.
Messi led his home country Argentina to win the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and he recently won his eighth Ballon d’Or award. The prestigious prize is awarded to the best player in the world over the previous year.
How did Miami rank in each sport vs rest of US cities?
Here's how Miami ranked for each of the five largest sports:
7. Football
6. Basketball
26. Baseball
7. Soccer
450. Hockey
Top 10 best sports cities in the US
The best sports cities for 2023 ranked by WalletHub are:
Los Angeles
Boston
Pittsburgh
New York
Dallas
Miami
Philadelphia
Washington, DC
San Francisco
Cincinnati
Best sports cities in Florida
While 21 Florida cities were ranked, most ended up in the lower half of the list.
6. Miami
28. Tampa
40. Orlando
41. Jacksonville
55. Tallahassee
173. Gainesville
190. Boca Raton
219. DeLand
221. Daytona Beach
258. St. Petersburg
264. Fort Myers
308. Coral Gables
309. Sunrise
318. Palm Beach
328. Pensacola
330. Port St. Lucie
342. Dunedin
347. Lakeland
348. Clearwater
357. Bradenton
371. Jupiter
Source: WalletHub
What pro sports teams call Miami home?
Miami is home to five major league professional teams:
Miami Dolphins (football)
Miami Heat (basketball)
Miami Marlins (baseball)
Inter Miami FC (soccer)
Florida Panthers (hockey)
Note: Some of the teams that call Miami home don't actually play in the city. Inter Miami's stadium is in Fort Lauderdale and the Panthers play hockey in Sunrise.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Miami 6th on 2023 best sports cities list. Was Lionel Messi a factor?
