Inter Miami ranked most valuable team in MLS
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Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul celebrate winning the 2025 MLS Cup. Photo: Rich Storry/Getty Images
Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami squad enter the 2026 season next week as reigning champions and Major League Soccer's most valuable franchise, according to a Sportico analysis.
Why it matters: As the U.S. prepares to host its first World Cup in over 30 years, Inter Miami continues its dizzying ascent from a bottom-dwelling expansion team to the face of MLS.
Driving the news: Inter Miami is valued at an estimated $1.45 billion in Sportico's 2026 rankings, which weigh each franchise's market value with team-related business and real estate holdings.
- Inter Miami's market value is up a league-high 22% compared to last year, dethroning LAFC as the most valuable club for the first time since Sportico's first valuations in 2021.
- Inter Miami was 14th that year — its second season in MLS — valued at $525 million.
Zoom in: Inter Miami made $200 million in local revenue last year, per Sportico, which includes about $21 million for competing in the FIFA Club World Cup last summer.
Between the lines: In April, the club will open its new stadium at Miami Freedom Park and can rest assured that Messi, 38, who recently extended his contract through 2028, will anchor the move from Fort Lauderdale.
- Beginning this season, a new MLS media-rights deal with Apple TV should make it easier for fans to watch matches. Apple TV subscribers will no longer need to buy a separate MLS Season Pass subscription.
- In 2027, the league will change its schedule to align with FIFA's calendar, playing from July to May, which will limit overlap between its playoffs and NFL and college football games, Sportico reports.
⭐️ Star power: Big international names have joined MLS in recent years, including Son Heung-Min (LAFC), Thomas Müller (Vancouver Whitecaps), James Rodríguez (Minnesota United) and Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami).
What's next: Inter plays LAFC on Feb. 21 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. 📺 9:30pm, Apple TV.
- The club's home opener at Miami Freedom Park, against Austin FC, is scheduled for April 4.