Inter Miami, the Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise owned by David Beckham, is already reaping the rewards of having Lionel Messi on board. In a remarkable turn of events, the club witnessed a staggering 400% increase in their Instagram followers within a single day.
The announcement made by Messi, 35, about his decision to join Inter Miami as a free agent left fans worldwide astonished. It had been widely anticipated that the former Paris Saint-Germain star would rejoin Barcelona, but he has now chosen to continue his illustrious career in America, having led Argentina to World Cup glory just six months ago.
Messi, undeniably one of the most prominent and beloved sports figures on the planet, boasts a remarkable net worth of nearly £500 million. A significant portion of his wealth, amounting to over £50 million, is derived from lucrative sponsorship deals.
The impact of Messi's arrival has already started to reverberate on Inter Miami's Instagram account. Prior to the announcement, the club had amassed 900,000 followers from around the globe. However, within less than 24 hours, that figure skyrocketed to an impressive 5 million.
Reflecting on his decision to join the Americans, Messi said: “I’m at a point where I want to step out of the spotlight a bit, think more about my family.
“I had two years where I was so unhappy on a personal level that I didn’t enjoy it.
“I had that month that was spectacular for me because of winning the World Cup, but apart from that it was a difficult period for me.
“I want to rediscover joy, enjoy my family, my children, the day-to-day.
“And that’s why the decision for Barcelona didn’t happen.”
