Lionel Messi Popularity In US At All-Time Low: Argentine football icon Lionel Messi’s popularity among Major League Soccer (MLS) fans in the United States might be at an all-time low because of all the matches he has missed for his current side, Inter Miami, as of late despite being available for selection.
Messi’s arrival to the MLS was touted as the turning point for the sport in the US. And that seemed to be the case as the attendances for the league grew, even for other teams, especially when the 37-year-old was playing against their side.
On the back of the former Barcelona star’s presence in the league, the MLS also signed a major broadcast deal with Apple TV. Not only that, but whenever Inter Miami rolls into town, the ticket prices in the stadium where he is playing rise in multiples.
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So it is understandable when Messi does not take the pitch in a particular game, where a large number of fans only attended to watch him play, and fans are disappointed. Several clubs in the league have had to release apologies to their fans whenever the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is not on the team sheet.
Due to him regularly missing games, despite being available for selection, Lionel Messi’s popularity among MLS fans is on the decline. This came to light during Miami’s most recent game against Charlotte FC, where Messi made the bench and did not play. In fact, he has missed the last three games of the Herons.
Lionel’s current Inter Miami and former Argentina teammate Javier Mascherano has given a reason for his superstar teammate’s recent absence, claiming that the club does not want to gamble on his health. Basically, he is blaming workload management for his absence.
Lionel Messi Popularity In US At All-Time Low
Now, in a study carried out by BetVictor Canada, 24% of Lionel Messi’s social media posts in the last month can be considered to have negative interaction, while only 12% have been positive. In July 2024, his negative mark was 24%, as he suffered an ankle injury, but back then, the positive post percentage was 10%, making Messi’s current streak of negative interactivity on social media his worst since starting his MLS career.
BetVictor Canada spokesperson Sam Boswell explained the phenomenon recently, saying,
“The past few weeks have not been easy for Lionel Messi, but MLS fans aren’t showing any sympathy, taking to the social media platform ‘X’ to voice their displeasure at the Inter Miami star’s lack of availability. Having missed three consecutive matches, our research has found that 24% of posts about Messi out of the US in the past month have been negative. That’s a sharp increase from the 16% in February and is the highest share of negative posts about him in the past year.”
“His popularity in the States is clearly fading, as just 12% of posts about him in March have been positive, the lowest proportion in the past year. With his popularity with MLS fans at an all-time low, Messi will need to put in some dazzling performances to win them over,” he continued.
Inter Miami is currently on an 11-match unbeaten run across all competitions. Their upcoming game will be an MLS match against Atlanta United on March 17.
Check Out: Lionel Messi Popularity In US At All-Time Low
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