Lionel Messi is already rivaling Taylor Swift’s box-office power in the US.
The cost to see Inter Miami play next month is approaching that of clinching a last-minute ticket for Swift on Friday, and that’s even before the Argentine superstar officially joins Major League Soccer.
Tickets for Messi’s potential debut in Miami are going for about $2,600 on average before fees on resale platform SeatGeek Inc., while attending Swift’s Eras Tour costs about $2,625.
There’s no official date for Messi’s debut — the multi-million dollar deal to make him the star of Inter Miami has yet to be finalized. But fans have flocked to the July 21 match-up between Inter Miami and Mexican club Cruz Azul as the most likely date. It’s the team’s first home match after the summer transfer window opens and Messi can switch clubs.
The cheapest ticket available for that match is going for over $950 before fees. Meanwhile, tickets for Miami’s July 4 match against Columbus Crew are available for as little as $29. By one measure it’s pricier than tickets to see last year’s World Cup final. Prices for the most expensive general sale tickets topped off at $1,607, according to Statista.
The surge is a testament to the appeal of Messi, 35, who’s joining a struggling team, which lacks any other star names, although there are reports that former teammates, including Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez, could also join Inter Miami.
The World Cup winner has moved Apple Inc, Adidas AG and David Beckham to come up with a transaction that might make Messi part-owner of the club and give him a share of the revenues he helps generate, all in an effort to bring “La Pulga” to the US.
Read more: Messi Moving to Miami Crowns Beckham’s Longshot Bet on US Soccer
Of course, there’s one key reason ticket prices to see Messi in Miami have skyrocketed: Limited supply. Inter Miami currently plays at the DRV PNK Stadium (pronounced “Drive Pink”) in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. It barely holds 18,000 people — compared to a capacity of over 68,000 in Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, where Taylor Swift performs Friday.
Some season ticket holders are considering cashing in.
Daniel Corzo bought a season pass late February as rumors swirled that Messi might come to South Florida. He paid about $400 for standing-room tickets, he said. That now wouldn’t get him halfway to a single ticket in the same section for Messi’s potential debut.
“It’s absurd,” Corzo said. “The craziest part is that all these people are spending all this money for a game Messi might not even play in.”
(Updates with other players in sixth paragraph. An earlier version corrected Messi’s age.)