New York -
Seeing superstar soccer player Leo Messi鈥檚 debut in the New York area could cost you as much as a steak dinner at Peter Luger.
Saturday鈥檚 Inter Miami CF match marks Messi鈥檚 first regular season Major League Soccer game, and demand to see it is sending ticket prices nearly 1,000 per cent higher than they usually are for the New York Red Bulls.
Ticket reseller VividSeats told CNN that the average price for this weekend鈥檚 game is averaging US$483. That鈥檚 well above the usual US$46 it costs to snag a ticket to the MLS team, which plays in Harrison, New Jersey (a half hour away from Manhattan).
A search on VividSeats reveals that some seats are costing as much as US$3,600 for the first-row, but you have to buy all four, totalling nearly US$15,000. Of course, there are plenty of cheaper seats, with some as 鈥渓ow鈥 as US$345.
For the New York Red Bulls, Messi鈥檚 appearance is 鈥渢rending as the Red Bull鈥檚 hottest ticket in over a decade,鈥 a VividSeats spokesperson told CNN. The second costliest game for a ticket was a friendly with FC Barcelona in July 2022, when a ticket cost about US$270.
Prices for MLS games where Messi is playing have surged since the 36-year-old entered American competition. He鈥檚 also been on a hot streak since his American arrival last month. Last weekend, he helped Inter Miami capture the Leagues Cup title and scored the club鈥檚 first trophy. The Leagues Cup is an annual tournament between MLS and Mexico鈥檚 Liga MX.
The pressure is only intensified for Messi this weekend, when Inter Miami tries to climb out of last place in the MLS standings and possibly into playoff contention as the season nears its ending in October.
鈥淢essi mania鈥 extends beyond the pitch, too. Apple said that subscriptions to its soccer streaming package have soared since Messi joined in July. And Adidas said that demand for Messi鈥檚 jersey has been 鈥渢ruly unprecedented,鈥 sparking an order backlog until October.
Retailer Soccer.com told CNN on Tuesday that top eight-selling jerseys on its website are Messi related, including his Argentina kit and Inter Miami shirt. The Florida team is now the top-selling MLS club kit in all US states, except Vermont. Previous to him joining, the Inter Miami jersey was the only top-selling jersey in Florida.