Lionel Messi has helped grow soccer in the United States since his move to Inter Miami in 2023. The astronomical rise in the number of fans following the sport is not the only aftereffect of his move.
Lionel Messi Fans Ready To Spend Big
Messi bought a waterfront mansion in Fort Lauderdale when he joined Inter Miami and has been living there since. He reportedly spent a stunning $10.8 million for the house, which features 10 bedrooms and two boat docks.
The famous South Florida realtor Kathia Molina has now revealed a story about how the Argentine moving into a new house increased the value of the neighborhood’s houses. She recalls businessman Patrick Bet-David’s house increasing in value by 125% because of the Inter Miami captain.
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In a video going viral on social media, Molina said that Bet-David had bought a house for $20 million, and that she had people willing to pay $45 million for it, as Messi had moved in across the street. She revealed that the businessman had not changed anything around the house since moving in, and it was just the Argentine neighbor who made people interested in paying the astonishing price.
“There is an entrepreneur named Patrick Bet-David. He bought a house in Bay Colony for about $20 million, and then boom. Messi moves into the house right across the street. That’s it. Game over, Patrick’s home instantly jumped in value to $45 million — $25 million dollars in profit. Just because the world champion lives behind your fans; no innovations, no upgrades, no effort.”
“People are now willing to pay any price just so that kids can say ‘yeah, I saw Messi working his dog this morning’. Fort Lauderdale used to be a quiet yacht town. Now is the most expensive fan section in the world. Messi’s neighbours are getting richer just because he sometimes walks past them to grab bread.”
Messi is set to stay in Miami, Florida, for at least two more years, having extended his contract with Inter Miami until 2028. He signed the deal last year after months of negotiations, but is unlikely to stay in the United States after retirement.
The Argentine has repeatedly said that he sees his family moving back to Barcelona after he calls time on his career, as they grew up in Spain and like living there. He had also previously stated that they had no plans to move but were forced to leave for Paris, France, after Barcelona could not renew his contract.
