It’s fair to say that Lionel Messi has taken the MLS by storm since joining Inter Miami in July 2023.
The Argentine superstar‘s impact on the US top-flight has been unprecedented, with his on-field exploits seeing the David Beckham-owned franchise head into the MLS Cup play-offs as favourites.
Messi is responsible for a huge surge in MLS viewing figuresAFP
In his last match, Messi bagged a stunning 11-minute hat-trick to help Inter to a 6-2 win over New England Revolution, as his side set a record for the highest points tally in the league’s history (74).
Having won a first ever Supporters’ Shield after finishing top of the Eastern Conference, the Herons are now gearing up for a first ever MLS Cup play-off campaign, which starts on Saturday.
With Messi set to take centre stage in the end of season series, the league will introduce a unique new feature to focus specifically on him.
MLS has announced that they will be partnering up with TikTok to provide a never-before-seen live ‘Player Spotlight’ on Messi for Inter’s first play-off game.
Broadcast from both the MLS and Inter Miami channels, the live stream will begin five minutes before kick-off, and will focus entirely on Messi’s movements throughout the entire match.
Fans must register to be able to tune in for the special event, which will mark the first time TikTok has streamed an entire live football match with a single player focus.
Explaining the innovative idea, MLS highlighted the huge interest in the league on the social media platform.
A statement on its official website read: “With over 13m posts using #soccer, and nearly 7m posts occurring in 2024 alone, the global soccer community on TikTok is incredibly passionate and engaged.
“@MLS has the largest international audience across North American sports leagues on the platform, with 65 per cent of fans outside the US, and account engagements up 194 per cent.
“With the Player Spotlight featuring Lionel Messi, fans will enjoy an unparalleled viewing experience that brings them closer to the action than ever before.”
GettyDespite sharing the pitch with former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez, the TikTok exclusive will focus entirely on Messi[/caption]
AFPInter Miami will be looking to add to their Supporters’ Shield with victory in the MLS Cup play-offs[/caption]
MLS’ growing online audience is due in no small part to Messi.
Since his move Stateside, interest in both the league and his club side has sky-rocketed, with Inter Miami’s social media following increasing by over 1,000 per cent since his arrival.
Meanwhile, TV viewership for MLS games on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass is understood to have risen significantly due to Messi’s presence.
Season ticket sales across the league have increased by 12 per cent on last campaign, with the ‘Messi effect’ also bringing huge commercial benefits to his team.
The Florida outfit have signed 11 major multi-million deals since the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s arrival, including with car giants Audi, and club revenue has reportedly quadrupled to $200million a year as a result.
But it is on the pitch where Messi will be looking to continue the enormous impact he has made over the past 15 months.
The 2022 World Cup winner has scored 33 goals in 36 games for Inter, with his latest strike seeing him become the club’s all-time record goalscorer.
With Vice City sitting rock bottom of the MLS when he first joined, Messi immediately inspired his side to victory in the MLS Leagues Cup in July 2023.
The club captain now has the opportunity to complete the ultimate turnaround as he looks to deliver a first ever MLS Cup win, starting when they face the winner of CF Montreal vs Atlanta United in their first play-off clash.
