The connection between Inter Miami and Lionel Messi does not cease to grow. The personal brand of the Argentine star will wear the Academy of ‘Las Garzas’ from next season. It will be the first club to use the Messi logo, a movement that underlines the impact of the striker since he landed in Miami in 2023.
The alliance between Messi and the Academy will be effective from next season, when the pink and black shirts of the lower categories of Inter Miami will begin to carry the logo with the initial “m” and the three stripes of Adidas – Patrocator of Messi and the team – in its upper right.
Messi, captain of the first team and icon of Inter Miami, will thus inspire many of the young people who yearn to ascend to the first staff of the club.
“From a good start, when we saw that the opportunity to have the Messi brand in the team of the team of the Inter Miami Academy existed, we did not doubt a second to look for the necessary formulas so that this alliance became a reality,” the President of Inter Miami business operations, Xavier Asensi, told Efe.
The director of “Las Garzas” added that it is “a huge pride” to become the first team in the world to use the Messi brand, and said that starting this collaboration for the academy is recognition of the value of training football.
Inter Miami has teams in all lower categories between SUB-10 and youth, in addition to a place in the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL), the main category to develop young talents.
This agreement also occurs at a time when club and player are getting closer to signing a renewal agreement, since the current Argentine contract expires at the end of this season.
Synonym for titles and income
Messi’s impact for Inter Miami transcends sports. Although his arrival in the summer of 2023, from Paris Saint-Germain, was accompanied by the first two titles in the history of this young club, his figure has only enlarged the image of Inter Miami.
This club, founded in 2018 and did not begin to compete until 2020, is currently the second most valuable franchise of the MLS with a value of 1.2 billion dollars, according to Forbes. This assessment doubled in just two years, the same as Messi in Miami.
In addition, equipment income has multiplied almost four in that period of time. While in 2022 the club entered 55 million dollars, that figure reached 200 million last year.
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So Asensi summarized that “any synergy with Leo or with its brand” attracts good news for the club.
“Since Leo arrived to the club, we have enjoyed a brutal and positive transformation. We have become a winning club, and although we had always had that vision, in the end you need a catalyst towards success,” he said.
Messi’s name is alone a magnet for the fan. His shirt was the best selling in the 2023 and 2024 courses of the MLS, and this year he also headed that list in June. Behind him was his partner on the attack tip, the Uruguayan Luis Suárez.
The brand Messi
Messi received from Adidas his personalized logo ‘Marca Messi X Adidas’ in 2011, shortly after raising his third Golden Ball.
He joined other great athletes such as Baloncionist Michael Jordan, tennis player Roger Federer or golfer Tiger Woods to have his own logo.
Beyond sportswear, the brand is present in backpacks, socks or caps, among other garments and accessories that the player sells through his own official store.
Messi was the last year the fifth best paid athlete -including salary and sponsorship -, according to the last Forbes list published last May, with estimated earnings of 135 million dollars. The 75 million perceived for their activity outside the field were the top for a footballer.
But in addition, the Argentine investment portfolio includes the Mim Hotel luxury hotels chain, of which it is co -owner, a collection of wines known as “Lionel Collection” or the most+energy drink, among other activities.
With EFE information
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