South Florida has Messi Fever.
It's been just over two weeks since soccer legend Lionel Messi announced he was departing Paris Saint-German and heading to the United States to play for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami.
Just how big of a deal is the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner's move to MLS? Well, Inter Miami's ticket prices became 16 times more expensive on one secondary ticket site the day following his announcement. Those ticket prices haven't stopped soaring, either.
Inter Miami's match against Mexican club Cruz Azul in the Leagues Club on July 21 always made the most sense as a debut date for Messi, as it's the club's first home game after MLS' summer transfer window opens. And earlier this week, Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas said Messi is indeed expected to make his club debut on July 21.
But if you aren't already one of the 18,000 fans with a ticket to the Friday night match at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, it's going to cost a pretty penny to become one.
Fortune reported last week that the average ticket for the game on SeatGeek was around $2,600, not including fees. As of Thursday morning, the cheapest single ticket on SeatGeek is $1,384 with fees while the most expensive was $14,583. There's also a pair of tickets being sold for $22,411 each.
It's not any different over on TickPick, where the all-in prices for one ticket range from $1,371 to $19,265.
The Messi effect can be seen over the remainder of the schedule as well. Every subsequent Inter Miami game, both at home and on the road, has a get-in price of at least $170 on TickPick.
With Messi in the fold, Inter Miami appears to have one of the hottest tickets in North American sports.
