Messi changed football in the US: the impact built in just three years | OneFootball

Lionel Messi arrived in the United States in 2023, but his impact on the country began much earlier. The Argentine already had a special presence in Miami years before, when a restaurant in the city decided to put his face on one of its walls, long before the footballer won the World Cup and became the biggest star in MLS.

Today, that mural is one of many symbols surrounding Messi in Miami. What began as an image of a Barcelona star ended up becoming an attraction for fans from all over the United States.

And in just three years since his arrival in MLS, the numbers and commercial reach show just how much his presence has changed the conversation around soccer.

From a questioned mural to a tourist attraction

In 2018, the owners of Fiorito, an Argentine restaurant located near Little Haiti, decided to place a mural of Messi on the front of the establishment.

The initial reaction was not unanimous. Although Miami has a large Argentine community, at that time Messi had still not won the titles that would later define his international career.

There were even fans who believed the tribute should have been for Diego Maradona.

Everything changed after Qatar 2022. When Messi arrived at Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, he had already won the World Cup with Argentina as well as the Copa América.

The mural then took on a new dimension.

Messi’s image stopped being just a meeting point for Argentines. American fans began visiting the restaurant to take photos in front of the mural.

Messi raised the profile of MLS

Messi’s impact was not limited to Miami.

Since his arrival at Inter Miami, MLS has experienced considerable growth in interest and demand. According to the figures cited in the report, the league’s fan base grew by as much as 37%, the highest mark in its history.

Demand to see the Argentine also drove extraordinary prices.

In 2024, for an Inter Miami match against New York City FC, the most expensive ticket was listed at $9,395, even before factoring in the resale market.

The impact also reached the commercial side. In 2025, 1.28 million jerseys were sold, a figure that placed Messi second only to Lamine Yamal among the footballers with the highest shirt sales.

But there was an even more striking indicator.

In a survey conducted toward the end of 2023, Messi appeared for the first time as the most popular athlete in the United States, ahead of figures such as LeBron James and Tom Brady. It was the first time in the 30-year history of that ranking that a footballer had taken the top spot.

Beckham was the link that brought Messi to Miami

Messi’s arrival was not a matter of chance either.

David Beckham, who became one of MLS’s first major international stars during his time with the Los Angeles Galaxy, was a key figure in building the Inter Miami project.

After retiring in 2013, Beckham exercised an option to become the owner of a new franchise for $25 million.

The result was the birth of Inter Miami in 2020 alongside Jorge and Jose Mas.

From the beginning, the project had an ambitious goal: to get Messi to wear pink one day.

The strategy used with Messi had similarities to the one MLS had used years earlier with Beckham. The difference is that the Argentine arrived after becoming world champion.

In addition to his playing career, Messi will have the opportunity to become the owner of a franchise when his career as a player ends, which could keep his business ties to American soccer going for many years.

Messi’s legacy also points to the next generation

Messi’s project in the United States is not limited to his present as a footballer.

His sons Thiago, Mateo and Ciro are part of Inter Miami’s youth academy, so the family’s relationship with the club could continue even after the Argentine retires.

Messi has also had direct contact with the institution’s young players.

In 2023, after winning his eighth Ballon d’Or, he visited Inter Miami’s youth teams and brought the trophy with him so he could spend time with them and take photos.

Currently, the club’s youth teams wear gear from Messi’s personal Adidas line.

His influence, therefore, is also present in the development of the next generations of footballers.

From Pelé and Maradona to Messi: a different story

The United States had already welcomed some of the biggest figures in football history before.

Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff, among others, spent part of their careers in the United States. However, their stays were relatively brief and they did not manage to permanently transform soccer’s place within American sports culture.

Messi arrived at a different moment.

MLS had already been around for more than two decades, American soccer had built a professional structure, and the country was preparing to host the 2026 World Cup.

The Argentine ended up becoming the link between several generations and different audiences.

Soccer is already closing in on baseball

The impact can also be seen outside the stadiums.

In January 2026, a The Economist survey asked Americans what their favorite sport was.

Soccer appeared in third place, behind only American football and basketball.

For the first time, soccer had moved ahead of baseball, one of the sports most historically rooted in the sporting identity of the United States.

Not all of that growth can be attributed exclusively to Messi. The expansion of MLS, the organization of the 2026 World Cup, investment in infrastructure, and the rise of new generations are also part of that process.

But the Argentine’s arrival accelerated the conversation and brought soccer to audiences who previously did not follow the league.

The Messi mural is still telling the story

At Fiorito, the transformation can literally be seen on a wall.

The restaurant’s owners later also put up a mural of Maradona in the inner courtyard. But when asked which of the two attracts more photos, the answer leaves little room for doubt.

Years after that mural sparked criticism among some fans, Messi’s image became one of the symbols of Miami’s new soccer culture.

Messi did not invent soccer in the United States, nor was he the first great footballer to try to win over the American public. But his arrival coincided with a historic moment and turned him into one of the main drivers of attention for MLS and for soccer in the country.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.