When the Lionel Messi Circus Comes to Town, MLS Teams Need a Bigger Tent

BALTIMORE — Lionel Messi’s arrival has transformed Major League Soccer into a spectacle, with Inter Miami acting as the Cirque de Soleil and Messi as the supernatural ringmaster captivating audiences beyond the usual venues.

Messi is MLS’ — and the sport’s — biggest draw. This offseason, he toured Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and recently played a one-night friendly in Puerto Rico, where an invading fan and a security officer knocking him down marred the event.

The MLS season opener at Los Angeles FC was moved from the intimate BMO Stadium to the expansive Coliseum to accommodate the surge in interest. Similarly, for Saturday’s nervy 2-1 victory, Inter Miami faced D.C. United at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium, 37 miles north of Audi Field, to sell 3.5 times more tickets than usual.

Though the announced sellout was 72,026, a few thousand seats remained empty. Still, the massive crowd helped offset D.C. United’s attendance decline and the underwhelming turnout for their 2026 home opener two weeks earlier.

Moving to larger venues is sound business, but it also gives the league a carnival-like atmosphere. Three decades after its launch, MLS still relies heavily on Messi and other aging stars to attract attention beyond its core fanbase. From a competitive perspective, D.C. United sacrificed home advantage for revenue and marketing benefits.

Miami’s pink-clad supporters embraced the change. “It's definitely nice to be able to go to away stadiums and know you probably have more supporters than the actual home team sometimes,” said goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair. “Obviously that won't be the case in every stadium, but it was definitely the case tonight.”

At the center of it all was Messi, who follows instructions without apparent concern for the location or context, likely unaware of Baltimore’s significance.

However, he was fully aware on Thursday when he visited the White House during a time of war, shaking hands with President Donald Trump, a FIFA Peace Prize recipient, at a ceremony honoring the reigning MLS Cup champions.

Messi is not known to be political, though he has previously accepted roles such as a Saudi tourism ambassador. The White House invitation was extended to Inter Miami, not Messi personally, but given his influence, he and his team could have declined quietly.

Still, Messi’s immense popularity and brand strength mean that any potential fallout from appearing with a polarizing political figure is unlikely to be significant before his expected World Cup farewell this summer across North America.

The White House visit had its awkward moments. As Trump spoke about the bombing of Iran, Messi, standing to the president’s right, shifted uncomfortably, looked down, and coughed nervously into his left hand.

Trump’s remarks about soccer brought a smile to Messi’s face; though he doesn’t speak English, he clearly understands some. Later, Messi presented Trump with a commemorative pink ball.

When asked about the White House visit during a video call with reporters, coach Javier Mascherano said in Spanish, “I thought we were going to talk about soccer.” He explained the visit had been planned months in advance and followed protocol for a championship team.

St. Clair described Trump’s political remarks as “definitely a little bit awkward … and kind of threw a lot of guys off, because it was supposed to be about the team and winning last year. … It’s something that’s out of our control, and we didn’t know that was going to be a part of it as well.”

Last year, Messi declined then-President Joe Biden’s invitation to the White House to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, citing a scheduling conflict.

D.C. United is not the first team to capitalize on the Messi phenomenon, though some efforts have sparked controversy. Last year, the Columbus Crew angered loyal fans by moving a home match against Miami 150 miles north to Cleveland’s NFL stadium, where attendance tripled to 60,614. (The Haslem family owns both the Crew and the Browns.)

“It was nice to have a game in front of so many spectators and in this beautiful stadium,” D.C. coach René Weiler said Saturday. “We prefer to have a good result at the end, but it was a nice atmosphere.”

Two years ago, Miami’s away match against Kansas City was held at Arrowhead Stadium (72,610), quadrupling Sporting Park’s 18,457 capacity.

Messi-related promotions have sometimes backfired. Last year, MLS and the Whitecaps faced a class-action lawsuit after promoting an appearance that never happened. Fans received steep discounts on food and drinks, and the British Columbia Supreme Court recently approved a $329,000 settlement.

Two years ago, when Messi injured his ankle six weeks before a scheduled appearance at Soldier Field, the Chicago Fire offered free tickets to a future game and discounted seats the following year if he didn’t play. (He did not.)

D.C. fans have never seen Messi at Audi Field. His 2023 MLS debut came just after Miami’s only visit to Washington, and injuries kept him sidelined in subsequent years. This year, United chose not to host Miami at its 20,000-capacity venue or at Northwest Stadium, home to the NFL’s Washington Commanders, located a few miles east of the city.

The crowd of 75,673 at the Coliseum on Feb. 21 was the second-largest for a standalone MLS match, behind the 82,110 at the LAFC-L.A. Galaxy derby at the Rose Bowl in 2023. Most fans supported the home team, not Miami.

Next month, Miami’s match in Denver will also be held at the NFL stadium instead of the smaller MLS park.

In Baltimore, ticket prices were significantly higher than typical Audi Field matches, with the cheapest resale seats before kickoff starting at $78.65 for upper-deck corners.

The crowd was a mix of Messi and Miami supporters, D.C. fans, and those drawn by the event itself. Against the backdrop of the Ravens’ purple seats, United’s black and red mingled with Miami’s pink.

The visiting team remained unfazed by the larger-than-usual crowd. “The people outside, they can make some noise,” Mascherano said, “but they don't play.”

Despite the proximity to Washington, United’s support was muted. Years of ownership neglect and uninspiring performances left the stadium feeling like a neutral venue.

Miami took the lead in the 17th minute after a D.C. mistake. Lucas Bartlett lost possession near the end line to Germán Berterame, who passed to Telasco Segovia, who set up Rodrigo De Paul for a neat 12-yard finish.

“It was a gift, the first goal,” Weiler said. “That was not expected, but maybe [D.C. was] a little bit nervous because of the atmosphere, the spectators in the stadium and, of course, the opponent.”

Ten minutes later, Messi timed a run behind Bartlett to connect with Mateo Silvetti’s perfect pass and one-timed an 8-yard shot past goalkeeper Sean Johnson.

Aside from an overhead kick by D.C.’s Louis Munteanu that narrowly missed, the second half lacked excitement until the 75th minute.

Miami’s sloppy play allowed a counterattack. St. Clair made a diving save to deny Jackson Hopkins, but Tai Baribo scored on the rebound.

D.C. United grew confident, while Miami’s defense came under pressure, an unexpected turn given the gap between the teams.

“The feeling of not controlling the game is unusual for us because we usually do,” Mascherano said. “When we don't, you can see we're displeased.”

De Paul missed a golden chance to seal the win, but Messi kept pushing until the final whistle. The star-struck crowd appeared satisfied.

Miami’s — and Messi’s — work here was done, albeit with some discomfort. The show goes on.