That sound you just heard? It’s the scribble of every MLS fan circling the date Lionel Messi and Inter Miami came to town.
And, perhaps, the “katching” caused by resale ticket purchases. For CF Montreal, the big meeting with the Argentinian is set for May 11, at the Saputo stadium.
CF Montreal will receive a visit four days later from the MLS champion club, the Columbus Crew, and its head coach Wilfried Nancy.
Before welcoming Messi, the CFM will have faced him at home in Miami on March 10.
Obviously sensing the coming explosion in ticket prices, the CFM specifies this: “The only way to currently obtain the best seats at the best price for all matches at Saputo stadium is by purchasing a 2024 season subscription , starting at $37 per month, for a total of $444 per season. Tickets for individual matches will be available at a later date. »
In November, CF Montreal president Gabriel Gervais told La Presse that the team would have, for the first time in its history, 10,000 subscribers next season. The arrival of Messi has probably helped to inflate these figures.
This phenomenon has spread across the league. CNBC reported last August about a 1700% increase in resale ticket prices. Moreover, a quick visit to a resale site a few hours after the release of the calendar shows that the best seats for the May 11 match in Montreal are already offered at more than $2,800.
In Toronto, the best tickets sell for almost $4,000 each. For comparison, the best seats for CFM’s visit to BMO Field on May 18 are on resale for around $360.
In Los Angeles on February 25, in what will be the first game for both teams, seats are being offered for resale for $8,500.
Messi helped Miami win the Leagues Cup last summer. He then played six games in MLS, scoring one goal and registering two assists. But its effect is already being felt well beyond his sporting exploits.
CF Montreal will have to play its first six games on the road due to exploratory work at the Olympic Stadium. Its first game of the season will take place on February 24 in Orlando. The Bleu-blanc-noir will then play in Dallas on March 2, in Miami on March 10, in Chicago on March 16, in Washington on March 30, and in Seattle on April 6.
CF Montreal’s first home match will take place on April 13 at Saputo Stadium, 49 days after its first match on the schedule. It will be against FC Cincinnati, the best team in the 2023 season.
All matches in Montreal will take place at Saputo Stadium and begin at 7:30 p.m., with the exception of the last of the season, October 19 against New York City FC, which will begin at 6 p.m.
The League Cup, which will be in its second presentation, will take place from July 26 to August 25.
The MLS Cup final will take place on December 7.
The Copa América, exceptionally contested in the United States this year, is scheduled to be held from June 20 to July 14. MLS will not pause its schedule to accommodate participating players. Which means Messi could miss up to a month of MLS activities at this point, if Argentina makes the final.
This CONMEBOL competition usually governs South American soccer nations, but will host CONCACAF teams in 2024. Canada must win its match against Trinidad and Tobago in March to qualify.