MLS to Show New York Red Bulls-Inter Miami Match in Times Square As Ticket Prices Surge

On Saturday night, the New York Red Bulls will take on Lionel Messi's Inter Miami somewhere new: on the big screen.

The Red Bulls and MLS announced on social media that the regular season match between the two teams will be shown in Times Square. The game is otherwise accessible on AppleTV+ through the MLS Season Pass.

The announcement comes as ticket prices are surging for the Red Bulls' home game as tri-state area fans clamor for a chance to see Messi in action at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ.

As of Saturday afternoon, the lowest price for a single ticket on Ticketmaster is $400. Many seats are trending into thousands of dollars; one club-level spot near the away bench is going for $9,895.

The game takes place Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Per reports, Messi may not play, as the team has played seven games in 23 days and Messi has played every minute of the past six. Messi getting benched for the game to get some rest would be devastating for fans who shell out hundreds of dollars for tickets, especially since the Red Bulls are not scheduled to play Inter Miami again during the regular season.

"Messi Mania" has swept the country since Messi signed in Miami in July, driving up ticket prices to insane levels. Inter Miami is projecting a record-breaking $20 million in revenue in 2024; many believe that Messi is giving MLS a competitive edge in a world where European soccer is dominant.

Since arriving in Miami in July, Messi has played in seven Leagues Cup matches — leading the team to a penalty shootout victory over Nashville in the Leagues Cup Final — and a U.S. Open Cup penalty shootout win over Cincinnati to land Miami in the Open Cup final. In those eight matches, he has scored 10 goals and three assists, including for multiple game-winning or game-tying points.

He has yet to play a regular-season game for the team.

While the Red Bulls are in 11th place in the Eastern conference with a mediocre 7-8-9 record, Inter Miami has fared far worse: Despite its Messi-fueled Leagues and Open Cup success, the team is last in the East, boasting a dismal regular-season record with only five wins and 14 losses.