The Messi effect: MLS celebrates record All-Star Game attendance, rising engagement

Major League Soccer continues to reach new heights.

Heights even MLS commissioner Don Garber couldn't envision when he joined the league 25 years ago.

It’s been a year since the sport’s greatest player, Lionel Messi, joined MLS to continue his illustrious career. The league continues to reap the benefits.

Garber said Wednesday that MLS and its teams now boast more than 100 million followers across their social media accounts, will play in front of 13 million total fans by season’s end, and the league continues to see rising revenues from sponsorships and merchandise.

MLS hopes to ride the sport’s momentum on the international stage. Copa America and the Euros captivated soccer fans earlier this month. The FIFA Club World Cup in 2025 will be hosted by a MLS club in the United States. And the FIFA World Cup in 2026 will be hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

“This has been a great journey for me. This is my 25th MLS All-Star Game . And I have to say when I started this journey, many, many years ago, I never thought that the league would be where it is today,” Garber said.

“I think it speaks to the resilience of the sport in our country.”

MLS celebrated its 28th annual All-Star Game on Wednesday night in front of a record crowd of 20,931 people at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio — one of the best cities for the league, and sport, in the country.

Although Messi was absent due to an ankle injury suffered during the Copa America final , and the MLS All-Stars endured a 4-1 loss to the LIGA MX standouts, the match was another step in a positive direction for the league.

Garber said San Diego will become the 30th MLS team, and the league certainly appreciates the push from Indianapolis to obtain another franchise .

MLS will begin its second straight Leagues Cup tournament Friday, with MLS teams competing against LIGA MX teams for a midseason trophy that shows off the thriving partnership between the MLS and the Mexican league.

The All-Star Game was also a proud moment for the host Columbus Crew. It’s been roughly five years since owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam, their daughter Whitney Haslam Johnson and her husband JW Johnson, and former Crew team doctor Pete Edwards, saved the Crew from leaving town in 2019.

“This is a great success story,” Garber said of the Crew. “Sometimes, you have to have a little trauma to get everybody together and have an outcome that takes courage and takes a lot of people working together.

“A great stadium, an amazing ownership group, a team that’s incredibly successful in Major League Soccer and international competition. We should all be very proud of that.”

Crew star Cucho Hernández scored in the 17th minute off an assist from teammate Diego Rossi to tie the match at 1 early in the first half, providing a memorable moment for the home crowd during the game.

Monterrey’s Germán Berterame and Pachuca’s Oussama Idrissi scored in the first half, while Tigres UANL’s Juan Brunetta and Monterrey’s Maximiliano Meza scored in the second half for LIGA MX.

With the Leagues Cup beginning Friday, Garber hopes the MLS-LIGA MX connection and competition drives fan interest in North America. The winner of the tournament secures a berth in next year's CONCACAF Champions Cup and Club World Cup.

Messi’s Inter Miami won the first Leagues Cup last year, while Pachuca won the CONCACAF Champions Cup over the Crew earlier this year. The All-Star Game could also add some motivation for MLS teams.

“Clearly we had a boost of energy when Messi was signed and came in, and his first games were in Leagues Cup, and Miami had a very good run. But the competition between our two leagues are getting intense,” Garber said.

“Our expectations (are the Leagues Cup) will continue to grow, become more popular, and I think continue to become more important for our players and our teams.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Messi effect: MLS celebrates record All-Star Game attendance, rising engagement