The "Messi effect" comes to the United States: find out the figures and details of the start of the Lionel Messi era at Inter Miami

Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Once the "Messimania" was declared in Miami and Fort Lauderdale After the presentation last Sunday, this Friday has served to confirm, on the day of his debut with Inter Miami, that the fever for the Argentine star is only increasing.

Thousands of people gathered in the vicinity of the DRV PNK Stadium hours beforeadding to the fervent growth of Inter Miami fans also those displaced from Mexico to cheer on Cruz Azul.

And both locals and foreigners had a clear objective: get hold of Leo Messi's pink shirtforming long lines around the official store without caring about the price of $184.99 dollars for each of them.

“Each person who goes through the box takes one or two. It is the best seller today along with the Leagues Cup commemorative scarf, which is also selling at a good pace," one of the shop assistants told Efe.

The “no tickets” sign was posted days ago; everything is sold and at gold prices. The cheapest tickets were registered at $291 dollarsbut the average that each fan has paid is $712 for being in the stands at Messi's debut.

If it's special stadium locations, the number skyrockets to almost $7,000 dollarsspecial seats for millionaires or celebrities who have come to the game as Kim Kardashian, Tom Brady or LeBron James.

The club itself has moved quickly this week and has set up two additional stands in the corners that increase in 2,000 seats plus stadium capacity. More fans, more support for the team and also more money for the club's coffers in these first matches of the Leagues Cup.

Argentina very pending

The passion that Argentina lives for Messi was also reflected in the coverage of the match, with the main television channels present in Fort Lauderdale not only this Friday, but also in the previous days.

TYC Sports, ESPN, TN and Fox They traveled to Florida and did so with their main talents to do special programming around Messi's debut against Cruz Azul. Coverage at the height of any match of the Argentine team.

Federico Román, a Miami-based journalist for Infobae, has seen his workload overflow this week.

“These days were quite busy. Everything changed since they announced that Messi would be an Inter Miami player and even more so when he arrived in the city. It is the 'Messimania'. Media have come from all over Argentina, print media, television, radio… It is lived almost like World Cup coverage, I equate it to what I experienced in Brazil and Russia”, he assured Efe.

The brothers Mas and Beckham enjoyed

If Messi's arrival at Inter Miami is a dream come true for many fans, for the brothers Moreowners of the team together with David Beckham, is also the materialization of a promise made when they founded the club and which sounded like a bluff: "The best soccer players in the world will play here."

Both Jorge and José Mas did not miss the opportunity to greet the entertainment group an hour before the start of the game, in a much more "natural" environment than the madness experienced last Sunday at the presentation. They both took a crowd bath and they received an ovation of recognition from their followers.

In a more private space, Beckham waited for the start of the match from his private box. He looked nervous, anxious to see his club's first star debut at the end. He took off his jacket and let off steam by chatting with those present inside his “VIP box”.