With Messi leading the pack in Sportspro’s latest compilation of the 50 most marketable athletes and a total of 22 footballers securing spots, Michael delved into what sets soccer apart and how the Inter Miami superstar surpassed the likes of LeBron James, Alex Morgan, and Lewis Hamilton to claim the number one position.

Long expressed, “There’s that courtside culture, that sports and entertainment culture that we see in the NBA and the NFL, more so than anywhere else. And I think he’s [Messi] rubbing shoulders now with not only [David] Beckham and other past and present greats of football, but all these other cultural icons in the sports and the entertainment world.”

“That kind of moves him into a different dimension almost, I think, that we haven’t really seen around Messi and certainly didn’t see when he was at Barcelona so much. But I think he has the potential to have a Beckham-like impact, commercial impact on MLS, however long he sticks around in the league, building up to the next World Cup for sure, which could ultimately be a swansong.”

“It’s a really interesting dynamic to see Messi in America. A match made in marketing heaven.”

Messi’s position atop the 50MM list isn’t solely due to LeBron James attending his matches. The ranking transcends mere popularity and evaluates athletes based on various criteria.

A significant factor contributing to Messi’s top ranking is his public support for causes and charities, aspects increasingly crucial in sports marketing.

Long further elaborated, “From an economic perspective, his market value and estimated worth rank him very highly. But also his public support for environmental and social causes that he’s not necessarily well known for. [He’s a] UNICEF ambassador, he’s got the Leo Messi Foundation, he supports other environmental initiatives and things like that. So that’s worked in his favour.”

“That kind of cause element is really important for brands these days, I think, when they’re aligning with athletes.”

Lionel Messi

This season he played in total 3 times for 270 minutes for Major League Soccer.

Lionel Messi scored 3 goals for Inter Miami. He procured one assist. He received no yellow cards and no red cards.

His team is currently 1st in Major League Soccer. In the last match Inter Miami lost 3-2 against CF Montréal.

Inter Miami performance and stats

Inter Miami is currently 1st in the Major League Soccer with 7 points.

In the last 4 games, it has won twice, drawn once, and lost once. In its last match, Inter Miami lost 2-3 against CF Montréal.​​

It has a positive goal difference after scoring 10 goals and conceding 4.​