David Beckham had a clause inserted into his LA Galaxy contract in 2007 that allowed him to buy a new MLS franchise. Inter Miami was founded in 2018 and would make its league debut in 2020, but the club would not play in front of their home fans until April 2021.
COVID-19 restrictions hampered Inter's start to life in Major League Soccer but Beckham has been juggling issues surrounding the franchise's home ground for years, with the plan for a waterside stadium eventually scraped. However, with the imminent arrival of Lionel Messi, the club's temporary home is set to be under siege from the swarm of support the World Cup winner conjures across the globe.
Here's everything you need to know about getting a ticket to see one of the greatest players in the history of the sport in more humble surroundings.
Where do Inter Miami play their home games?
Many outlets have aped LeBron James' iconic line when he moved to the Miami Heat in 2010, declaring that Messi would "take his talents to South Beach". However, that isn't strictly true. Inter Miami's home ground of DRV PNK Stadium is 35 miles away from South Beach in Fort Lauderdale.
Flanked by an airport car park and the Catfish Dewseys seafood restaurant, Messi will find himself on the outskirts of the city until the club's proposed Miami Freedom Park stadium is completed.
The DRV PNK Stadium only holds 18,000 spectators - the joint-lowest in MLS. Reserve goalkeeper Nick Marsman is not alone in harbouring reservations about the impact of Messi mania.
"Personally, I think that the club is not ready for the arrival of Messi," he warned. "We have a temporary stadium, people can enter the field and we go to the stadium without security."
READ MORE ON LIONEL MESSI'S MOVE TO INTER MIAMI
When will Lionel Messi make his debut for Inter Miami?
Given that all of the details surrounding Messi's hugely complex move to Inter Miami have not yet been finalised, any proposed debut reeks of uncertainty. However, Messi cannot feature before 5 July 2023, when the second transfer window of the MLS season opens.
Yet, after making 54 appearances for club and country across the previous 12 months - which included a cathartic and exhausting World Cup triumph - Messi may not be too keen to rush straight into action.
Inter Miami upcoming fixtures after transfer window opens
How to buy Inter Miami tickets
Tickets can be sourced directly through Inter Miami's website, with options for a single match or an entire season. Premium packages are also available, with four different tiers of luxury from private suits to nightly rentals.
However, the club was already recording an average attendance in excess of 16,000 (filling more than 90% of all available chairs) before Messi's arrival. Following the increased demand, resales are your best bet to snag a seat.
Ticketmaster has been an established source of tickets for a wide variety of events across the last 30 years and is the official ticketing partner of Inter Miami and MLS. A prior membership with the club is not required to secure a seat via Ticketmaster.
Inter Miami ticket prices
Before Messi shocked the world - even including those at Inter Miami reportedly - by announcing his decision to join the Floridian outfit at the start of June, the cheapest seat at the DRV PNK Stadium would cost around $35. Now you'd be lucky to sniff out a ticket for less than $1,200 if you were planning on attending Messi's predicted home debut against Cruz Azul on Friday 21 July.
A front-row seat on the halfway line may even be worth as much as five digits, with various sources purporting prices between $10,000 and $20,000.
Season tickets for the 2023 campaign are currently unavailable - as more than half of the total year's games have already been played - and fans are only able to submit a deposit towards the 2024 membership. Forward-thinking MLS followers can commit anywhere between $200 and $10,000 towards a season ticket for Messi's first full campaign in MLS.
This article was originally published on 90min as How to buy Inter Miami tickets and watch Lionel Messi in MLS.