Fans of Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami are upset because the Major League Soccer team quadrupled the price of season tickets for the next season, but the opportunity to see the player who won the World Cup will still entice many fans to shell out the additional cash.
The information on the cost of renewing supporters’ tickets was sent out to them through email on Thursday by the club, which is jointly owned by the Miami businessman Jorge Mas and the former England footballer David Beckham.
The cheapest season ticket for this season was $485, but because to the “Messi effect,” the price has increased to $884 for a seat behind the goal for all 17 home MLS games. This equates to a cost of $52 for each match.
The price of seats that have a more expansive view, are located near to the halfway queue, and include access to a food and drink ‘club’ section has increased from $3,600 to $7,650, and there have been comparable price increases for the most costly seats.
Although hospitality packages are available in addition to season tickets, the lowest season ticket to see Manchester City play in their title defence in the Premier League and European competition is $469. The most expensive season ticket is priced at $1,256.
The cheapest season pass available at Barcelona, where Messi formerly played, is $380.53, while the most expensive one costs $919.62.
The dramatic increase in cost of single game tickets for Miami games that was spurred by Messi’s arrival in July was not passed on to anyone who purchased a season ticket for the next season.
In point of fact, some people have turned a profit by selling access to particular games granted by their season tickets on the secondary ticket market for prices that include considerable markups.
Fans will have the opportunity to switch to more affordable seating if they so want, and according to a source inside the club, there is a sizable number of people on the waiting list for season tickets.
The club is only in its fourth season, and the frustration is especially evident among supporters who have spent years expecting to have a Major League Soccer team to support. The club is just in its fourth season.
Ed Serrano, who was one of the founders of the push to bring a Major League Soccer (MLS) club to South Florida and who spent years lobbying league executives and conducting events to garner support, said that he is aware of a large number of supporters who are considering not renewing their season tickets.
“That’s insane. ” I was anticipating a rise, but not more than fifty percent. According to what he shared with AFP, “These guys are just thinking about making money, and there is a lot of demand for it, so they think they will get away with it.”
It’s possible that they want just the most important individuals in the world to watch the games and ignore everyone else. “If they keep on behaving in this manner, they are going to lose the support of people like this,” he said.
A brand new stadium
The team intends to relocate in 2025 from its current home at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale to their new stadium at Miami Freedom Park, which will be located close to Miami International Airport.
The rumoured one billion dollar retail, entertainment, office, and hotel complex will reportedly include the 350 million dollar stadium as one of its components.
The move to the new stadium is slated to take place during the last season of Messi’s 150 million euro contract with the club.
According to a source inside the club, the increase in price reflects the changes that have occurred on the pitch as a result of the club’s acquisition of Messi, as well as former Spain internationals Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, and the larger expenditures that have been made.
However, Serrano is concerned that the price hike would hinder the development of a loyal customer base in the years to come.
They aren’t thinking about the bigger picture at all, and Messi’s career will end one day. It is the diehards that they are trying to drive away, and there is a chance that they will never return,” he added.
For the next year, there are those supporters who are reevaluating their strategy, particularly those who had previously been willing to spend significant money to guarantee their seats.
Jeffrey Skatoff of Palm Beach Gardens spent more than $20,000 purchasing seven season tickets for his family and friends. He said that the renewal price he was offered brought the total up to $53,550, which was a significant increase from the previous price.
“Having seven season tickets was quite convenient for me. Because the pricing was reasonable, I was able to either give them away or bring in new casual fans to the games. “As a result of this, I will most likely reduce my number of season tickets from seven to two,” he said.
Serrano, who is affectionately referred to as “Uncle Ed” by Inter supporters, has said that despite his severe reservations, he will most likely still pay the money.
“I’m simply so astounded by everything that’s happened. I was debating whether or not to participate in the boycott, but I can’t bring myself to do it since I love the team so much and worked so hard to gain a spot on it.