Lionel Messi’s presence is visible in practically every corner of Miami. In sports or department stores, Argentina and Inter Miami shirts with the player’s name share space in the windows, more prominently than any other team competing in the World Cup.
In the streets, murals and artistic interventions transformed the Argentinean’s face into part of the city’s landscape. On billboards and advertising campaigns, his face is almost omnipresent, and it is also not uncommon to find fans wearing number 10 shirts on the streets and in tourist attractions.
Miami, which this Wednesday (24) will host the duel between Brazil and Scotland in the final round of the World Cup group stage, is experiencing a curious scenario, in which the Argentine star is more present on the urban scene than any Brazilian or Scottish athlete.
The Messi effect blends into the city’s daily life and helps change the way football appears in the public space. At the same time, Miami continues to be one of the main entry points for Brazilians into the United States, a contrast that, on the streets, does not appear with the same clarity as the numbers.
According to information provided by Itamaraty at the report’s request, around 590,000 Brazilians live in Florida, with the main concentration in the south of the state, especially in the metropolitan region of Miami, where there are between 300,000 and 400,000 residents. The presence also spreads across counties such as Broward and Palm Beach, in addition to the Orlando region, which has around 200,000 Brazilians.
Even with differences between local surveys and official estimates, the consulate stated that its numbers better reflect reality when crossing consular records and the demand for assistance from the Brazilian community abroad.
According to the consulate, the profile of this Brazilian has also changed in recent years. Although tourism remains relevant, the participation of businesspeople, executives, students and qualified professionals who use South Florida as a business and internationalization platform is growing.
This weight also appears in data from SelectFlorida, the official international trade and investment attraction organization for the state of Florida. Brazil is now Florida’s main trading partner, with an exchange of US$27.5 billion (R$143 billion) in 2025. In tourism, more than 1.3 million Brazilians visited the state in the same period, keeping the country among the main international emitters for the region.
Argentina also appears among the main South American markets, but at a lower level than Brazil in terms of total volume of visitors. Still, it is one of the countries that is growing the most in symbolic presence in South Florida, driven by Messi’s centrality in the city’s sporting imagination.
The report requested data from the Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the possible increase in the flow of Argentines to the USA driven by this movement, but did not receive a response until the publication of this text.
Still, in the reading of those who closely follow the city’s transformation, it is not just the numbers that explain the moment. “What has changed is the scale of international attention. Miami is no longer just a city with a global connection. It has become a global stage,” says Suzanne Amaducci, president of the real estate law practice at Bilzin Sumberg and external legal advisor to the Miami World Cup Organizing Committee.
“Miami has always been an international city, with strong connections with Latin America and Europe. But now all eyes are on here,” he said. For her, sport accelerated a process that was already underway: “Sport in general has elevated the city. Miami has become a global destination for everything, F1, football, college basketball, major events. The World Cup only amplifies this.”
But Messi’s impact on Miami doesn’t just appear in the urban landscape or institutional discourse. He also measures himself in the stands.
Data from MLS (Major League Soccer) shows that Inter Miami has recorded constant growth in attendance since the Argentinian’s arrival. The average for home games went from around 12,600 fans in 2022 to more than 26,500 in 2026, practically double in four years.
Outside the home, the effect repeats itself. Inter Miami matches now have packed stadiums in different cities across the United States, with audiences exceeding 70,000 people against teams like Atlanta United, Chicago Fire and DC United — numbers that, in some cases, exceed the average capacity of NFL arenas.
This movement helps explain what The Wall Street Journal described as an “economic engine” triggered by Messi’s arrival in Miami. According to a newspaper report, the player’s impact goes beyond sport and is already reflected in the real estate market, tourism and the appreciation of projects linked to the club’s new stadium, valued at around US$1 billion (R$5.2 billion).
The WSJ also highlights that Inter Miami became the most valuable franchise in MLS after the Argentinian’s arrival, with accelerated revenue growth, market appreciation and attraction of an international audience, especially Argentines, which transformed Miami into a scene of a symbolic dispute between Brazilians and Argentines to find out who is more evident.
