The anticipation is palpable across the vibrant city of Miami as reminders of Lionel Messi's imminent arrival saturate the streets.

A captivating mural of the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner, adorned in Inter Miami's pink and black colors, graces the walls of the artistic Wynwood neighborhood.

An additional painting of the football icon proudly stands at the entrance of a local Argentinian restaurant. The presence of No. 10 Argentina jerseys scattered throughout the city amplifies the excitement.

Having celebrated his 36 birthday earlier this month, Messi sent shockwaves through the football world when he announced on June 7 that he would be joining Inter Miami – a move that will bring one of the sport's biggest names to the United States and Miami, a city witnessing the steady growth of football's popularity.

Although still finalizing paperwork with his new club after spending the last two years with Paris Saint-Germain, Messi is expected to make his highly anticipated Inter Miami debut on July 21, when they face off against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup.

This high-profile transfer is set to inject a significant boost in attendance and interest for Major League Soccer, especially with the upcoming 2026 World Cup, which will be partially hosted in the United States.

It also serves as a defining moment for Inter Miami, a club led by another global football icon, David Beckham, as they aspire to achieve the same level of popularity enjoyed by other prominent sports franchises in South Florida.

"He is going to leave behind a remarkable legacy, and the timing couldn't be more perfect," remarked Anson Dorrance, the veteran women's football coach at North Carolina, entering his 47th season. "With the upcoming men's World Cup that we'll be hosting... a crucial part of ensuring packed stadiums is to make sure our top men's professional league, the MLS, is also selling out all our arenas."

The MLS is already making strides toward that goal.

Ticket prices for Inter Miami matches have skyrocketed since Messi's announcement, with teams already selling additional tickets for future clashes against the club.

According to Vivid Seats, a ticket marketplace, the average listed price for Inter Miami's match against Cruz Azul surged from $126 on June 6 (a day prior to Messi's announcement) to a staggering $2,151 on June 20 – an astounding 1,607% increase.

The company reported a 27,037% increase in site traffic between June 6 and June 7.

SeatGeek, another prominent ticket exchange site, reported that the average ticket price for an Inter Miami match was $34 on June 6.

On June 7, it skyrocketed to $178 – an extraordinary jump according to the company's data.

Chris Leyden, SeatGeek's director of growth marketing, noted, "Messi is one of the greatest athletes of all time, and he is attracting huge demand for the chance to see him play in Miami and across the U.S. His impact on ticket demand is on par with the likes of LeBron James and Tom Brady when they moved teams. Messi's situation is unique as many U.S. fans will have the opportunity to see him live for the first time."

Contrary to expectations, Messi opted for Miami over Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, a path many believed he would choose to follow his longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

Returning to Barcelona, where he spent most of his illustrious career, was also a tempting option.

However, when revealing his decision, Messi expressed his desire to "live football in another way" in the United States.

With over 17 years of representing Argentina on the international stage, Messi has amassed an impressive record, netting 102 goals against 38 different national team opponents.

As one of the greatest scorers in the sport's history, Messi's heroic brace in last year's World Cup final against France, a match Argentina triumphed in through penalty kicks, added another accolade to his illustrious resume.

"This move is set to ignite football in this country on all fronts," declared Dorrance, reflecting on the immense impact of Messi's arrival.

As Messi prepares to join a struggling Inter Miami side currently rooted at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 5-13 record, the club recently parted ways with coach Phil Neville after a tenure of 2 1/2 seasons.

Adding to the excitement, another ex-Barcelona captain and former teammate Sergio Busquets will also be joining the team this summer, as confirmed via social media.

In preparation for Messi's arrival, Inter Miami are swiftly expanding the capacity of DRV PNK Stadium by approximately 3,000 seats over the next four weeks by filling in the corners, raising the total capacity to approximately 22,000.