In October there was the Connor Bedard madness for his first game against the Canadians at the Bell Center and a resale of tickets at exorbitant prices. But with the arrival of Lionel Messi next May we will reach the stratosphere.
“I try to put it in perspective. This is an already existing phenomenon. If the Rolling Stones showed up at Osheaga or Taylor Swift attended the Fuego Fuego Festival, there would be the same madness. There are people who would buy a pass to the entire festival, but they would be incentivized to resell a night of the show to make a profit.
“We have to accept that Messi goes beyond MLS and football in general. He is a world star and perhaps the best player of all time. We will have the opportunity to see him in Montreal.”
The one talking about the enthusiasm for Messi is Patrick Leduc, a former Montreal Impact member and now the club's head of football culture.
On May 11, Messi and his Inter Miami team will arrive at the Stade Saputo to face CF Montreal. The Argentine has been in the MLS since July 2023 and will play on Montreal soil for the first time.
A bargain on subscription
Five months before this clash against Miami, there is already a significant impact on ticket sales in Montreal. Since releasing the schedule for the 2024 MLS season on Wednesday afternoon, CF Montreal has already sold hundreds of season tickets.
“The phone won’t stop ringing, it’s crazy,” said Roberto Linhares, sales manager at CF Montreal. In less than 24 hours we sold over 500 subscriptions. It goes by quickly.”
CF Montreal, which had already set a record with more than 10,000 subscriptions for 2024 before the official calendar was announced, therefore expects this number to increase further.
And the Messi effect, even in just one meeting, is no stranger.
“I would advise people to look at the season tickets that are still available,” Leduc recalls. It's cheaper. And you have 17 games, not just one.”
On the CF Montréal website, the cost of a subscription to the 17 games at Stade Saputo before taxes ranges from $443.86 to $2,749.91. If we look at a resale site, the price of the meeting against Messi ranges from $621 to $4445.
There are unscrupulous people who have sniffed out a good deal. You have bought a subscription, currently the only way to get a ticket, and want to resell it at a high price.
“There is a legal form of resale, it is allowed,” Leduc replied. It remains supply and demand. But it is an immense phenomenon. We were not in the club's history at the same time, but the arrival of David Beckham made it possible to fill the Olympic Stadium in 2012 (60,860 fans). He scored a goal in a 1-1 draw. I can't predict the outcome on May 11th, but you never know.
CF Montreal was not looking at the Olympic Stadium for May 11th. There are several reasons for this choice, but the simplest is that the old Expos house was unavailable due to problems with the roof. An eternal scourge.
father and son
Maxime Lalonde, presenter of BPM sports radio, is one of those who have invested for 2024. But he did this for a nobler reason than to line his pockets.
“My boy Milan has been playing football since last year and I wanted to give him this game against Lionel Messi. We watch Messi games together. He already has his Leo jersey from Argentina and the black one from Miami. Of the 17 games, I will watch several games with my son and I will sell other games to friends, but at the real ticket price.
Single game ticket sales will open for CF Montreal in 2024.
Lionel Messi in numbers
- 1: World champion with Argentina (2022)
- 4: Champions League winner with FC Barcelona
- 8: Golden Ball winner (best player in the world)
- 9: Winner of the title of best player in La Liga (Spain)
- 10: his number
- 20.4: his salary in US dollars in the MLS in 2023
- 36: his age
- 840: Number of goals
Messi's influence in North America
50-60: Messi will earn between 50 and 60 million in advertising revenue from MLS and Apple TV.
500: the average price to see Messi in New York (Red Bulls) and Los Angeles (LAFC) in 2023.
500: The day after announcing Messi's signing for Miami, Inter increased their Instagram followers by 500%. Inter Miami now has more subscribers than all teams in the NFL, NHL and MLB.
12.5: The number of viewers in the United States (in millions) who watched Messi's first game in an Inter Miami jersey against Cruz d'Azul. Highest total for an MLS game since 2004.