Soccer

Lionel Messi’s arrival in New York drives up Red Bulls tickets above $3,000

The chance to see Lionel Messi play in person has made the Red Bulls’ match Saturday night against visiting Inter Miami one of the hottest tickets in town

Ticket prices have skyrocketed for the MLS matﷺch, which fans were able to get into at one point for ꧋just $46.

Now tickets for the game are averaging $496, according to Vivid Seats, ticket marke🧸tplace. 

Saturday will mark Messi’s debut during the MLS regular season, which has been onꦫ pause forꦦ the Leagues Cup tournament.

His r💯egular-season debut had been expected to be Aug. 20 against Charlotte, but that match was postponed, making the trip to Harrison, N.J., much more significant. 

“Messi’s MLS debut ticket featuring Messi’s Inter Miami and New York Red Bulls is more in-demand th𝕴an any NFL team from last 🔯season, based on average price,” a Vivid Seats spokesperson said. 

Lionel Messi is coming with Inter Miami to New York. Getty Images

As of Thursday afternoon, the cheapest ticket to get into Red Bull Arena for the gaꦿme was listed at $363.

The priciest ticket was going for $3,234. 

Unsurprisingly, the much anticipated MLS debut of the soccer superstar is trending to be the league’s hottest ticket since 2009 and it is the most expensive ticket bas♒ed on average price for a Red Bulls match in over a decade. 

According to data from Vivid Seats, Inter Miami’s Leaguesღ Cup match against Dallas this month is the record for th𒆙e highest average ticket price at $678.

Tickets at Red Bull Arena have gone through the roof. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

Prior to that, New York City FC’s MLS Cup match𝐆 against the Portland Timbers had been the st🏅andard-bearer at $597. 

Ticket prices for last year’s friendly between the🍨 Red Bulls and FC Barcelona averaged $270, according to Vivꦿid Seats. 

The interest has been so high that Red Bulls officials had given so♐me thought to trying to move the matchup to nearby MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

The Je♛ts and Giants are facing one another in a preseason game the same night, however, rendering that idea moot. 

Lionel Messi has been dominant since coming over to the United States. Kevin Schultz/CSM/Shutterstock

“When we tho💎ught about it with more diligence and thinking about our partners and our fans, we wanted to make sure ultimately that the match was pla🐻yed at Red Bull Arena,” team general manager Marc de Grandpré told The Post. 

Messi’s arrival has been a game-change🐎r for Inter Miami and the league and has created a spike in interest that is hard to compare to anything else. 

Vivi🍸d Seats said that it experienced a 27,037 percent increase in site traffi♋c from June 6-7, when rumors began to spread that Messi could be Miami-bound.

There has been a 🉐674 percent increase in ticket prices for Inter Miami games. 

By comparison, The Jets only had a 96 percent increase in average ticket price for games after the arrival of star quarte♉rback Aaron Rodgers.