Lionel Messi is still a few weeks away from joining Major League Soccer, but the league is already showing signs of a historic year.
Los Angeles’ two teams -- Los Angeles FC and LA Galaxy -- faced off in front of a league-record of over 82,000 fans during a match at the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena on Tuesday, July 4.
LA Galaxy, the former team of David Beckham, upset LAFC, 2-1 in the match.
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The previous record was just under 75,000 fans set in March 2022 during the opening match of Charlotte FC, the second to last expansion team of MLS.
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MLS has a huge opportunity to continue its growth in the US, not only with its attendance continuing to grow, but also after the league signed a $2.5 billion broadcasting deal with Apple (AAPL) that will go for the next ten years. The company also has an $830 million merchandise deal with Adidas (ADDYY) .
Messi’s arrival is also expected to bolster viewership and attendance, and his effect has already shown his impact despite not even playing a single minute of action. Ticket prices for the superstar athlete are already going for thousands of dollars per match with most MLS arenas being much smaller than those Messi plays in over in Europe.
Messi is the second-most followed person in the world on Instagram behind fellow soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.
