21 July 2023 , 22:45
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The arrival of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami has seen the sales of jerseys bearing his name reach unprecedented levels.
The Argentine icon's transfer to the Floridan franchise has captured the imaginations of the public stateside, with his famous No. 10 shirt now a must-have for supporters across the US. The clamour to purchase these shirts is so ferocious that sportswear giants Adidas —the suppliers of the Herons' pale pink shirts — are now facing an issue meeting the demand.
According to Front Office Sports, the sheer volume of interest has left the German company facing "unprecedented" demand. As a result, there is now a backlog in orders, meaning that anyone who is looking to get their hands on a Messi jersey could be waiting as long as October for it to arrive.
Efforts are underway to essentially do six month's work in half that time, in a bid to get shirts from the production line to consumers by the beginning of autumn. The senior director of merchandising at Sports Endeavors — who own Soccer.com — has already explained that the backlog has been exacerbated by Messi's arrival in the US.
He said: “The backorder situation is a result of the time needed to meet demand that is 25 times greater than it otherwise would have been had Messi not moved to Inter Miami."
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As "Messi Mania" sweeps the nation, it is apparent that the 36-year-old forward will reap the financial benefits from his decision to move to MLS due to an agreement which has been struck with Adidas. The merchandise sales in question will be music to the ears of the veteran star, with the World Cup winner taking home a share of the profits from all MLS merchandise sold.
Messi has had a deal with Adidas since 2007 and is undoubtedly one of the company's most bankable stars, with the sportswear company also supplying kits for the 29 teams in the MLS, along with footwear and balls. The current deal with MLS will run until 2030 and is said to be worth an eye-watering $830 million (£645 million) in total.
Lionel Messi was officially unveiled as an Inter Miami player on Sunday (Arturo Jimenez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)On top of his wage of $150 million (£117.6m), former Barcelona hero Messi will also earn a share of the revenue from any increase in sales of Apple's MLS Season Pass. This streaming service was developed by the tech giants as part of a decade-long deal with MLS, which began earlier in 2023.
There is no doubt that Inter Miami have big plans for the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, with ambitious co-owner Jorge Mas having previously predicted that the fanfare surrounding Messi will help MLS to grow and compete with Europe's leading leagues. Speaking to El Pais, the billionaire said: "Messi can turn MLS into one of the two or three biggest leagues in the world. I think he comes with the desire to leave his mark, and he will be able to do so beyond football.
"When he retires he will have a stake in the club. I imagine a life after football for Messi very similar to that of David Beckham or Michael Jordan."