Nearly two years after Lionel Messi’s arrival in Major League Soccer, his influence shows no signs of fading. On Sunday, Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano shared his thoughts on Messi’s lasting impact on the league after a record-breaking crowd turned out for their match against the Chicago Fire.
Inter Miami traveled to Chicago fresh off a dramatic midweek comeback over LAFC in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals. Mascherano went with a full-strength lineup, starting stars Messi, Luis Suarez, and Sergio Busquets, with only Jordi Alba beginning on the bench.
Fueled by anticipation to see Lionel Messi take the pitch, Soldier Field welcomed 62,358 fans for the matchup between Chicago Fire and Inter Miami—setting a new all-time attendance record for the club. However, this wasn’t the first time the stadium reached such levels of attendance.
Interestingly, the previous record was also set during the 2023 MLS season, when 62,124 fans packed the stadium for another game against Inter Miami. On that occasion, however, Messi was sidelined with a muscle injury and didn’t feature, despite being the club’s headline signing at the time.
Mascherano and Messi’s impact in the MLS
Messi’s arrival in MLS has shifted global perception of the league, sparked new broadcast deals, and drawn other top-tier international talent. Following Sunday’s game, Mascherano was asked to weigh in on what his former Argentina teammate has meant to American soccer.
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“Leo has been here for almost—by mid-year it’ll be two years—and I believe that, in one way or another, he has changed how the world views MLS now. There’s no doubt about that. We’re talking about a player who is capable of fully showcasing a league like this and giving it more visibility,” he said in the post-match press conference.
Mascherano also stressed the responsibility MLS now carries in capitalizing on Messi’s presence: “Now MLS will have the responsibility to keep progressing. I think it has advanced in recent years, but it must continue to grow alongside the fact that Leo is here to help develop soccer in this country.
“He is a unique and unrepeatable player, and everywhere he’s been, he has marked a before and after,” he ended. With Messi under contract through the end of 2025 and reports suggesting he may extend through 2026, his influence on American soccer appears poised to grow even further.
