Ahead of Saturday’s (August 19) Leagues Cup final, Mike Jacobs, the General Manager of Nashville SC, has given his verdict on Lionel Messi’s transfer to Inter Miami, saying that the move has been massive for American soccer.
After weeks of negotiations, Inter Miami finally registered Lionel Messi on their roster on July 15. The Argentina icon, who joined the MLS outfit as a free agent, has been on fire since the transfer, scoring a whopping nine times in six games in the Leagues Cup. Buoyed by his breathtaking form, Inter Miami have made it to their first-ever Leagues Cup final where they will face Jacobs’ Nashville SC.
Jacobs Thanks Inter Miami Star Lionel Messi For Making American Soccer Popular
Ahead of the mouthwatering clash at the DEODIS Park in Tennessee on Saturday, Jacobs talked about the impact of Lionel Messi’s transfer to Inter Miami. He admitted that had it not been for Messi, fans would not be as excited for the Leagues Cup final.
“What’s happened with the addition of Messi and obviously some other really special players is tremendous for our league, the visibility of our players, our teams,” said Jacobs (via The Mirror).
“Nashville SC will play in front of more people than in our club’s history and that wouldn’t have happened this weekend had Messi not come to our league. So I think that’s tremendous.”
Lionel Messi has conquered football 🐐 pic.twitter.com/TEstgEJ0LK
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 17, 2023
Ticket Prices Sky-Rocket Ahead Of Saturday’s Leagues Cup Showdown
Almost every soccer fan is eager to see the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner lift his first trophy in America on Saturday. As a result, ticket prices for the clash at 30,000-seater DEODIS Park have shot through the roof. At the time of writing, the cheapest tickets available on Ticketmaster are retailing for a whopping $409.50. Best seats, on the other hand, are at anywhere between $1,467.35 and $11,700.
Neither Inter Miami nor Nashville SC have played in the Leagues Cup final before. Since the tournament’s inauguration in 2019, only Mexican teams have gone on to win it, with Cruz Azul and Leon bagging the trophy one time each.
Cruz Azul, of course, were the first victim of Messi’s magic in America. The Barcelona legend scored an injury-time free-kick to beat Cruz Azul 2-1 on matchday 1 of the Leagues Cup.
