Not Inter Miami: The most valuable team in MLS revealed

The Herons are the favourites to clinch MLS Cup in the final year of Lionel Messi’s contract in Miami.

Inter Miami have the flashiest, most glittering roster ever assembled by an MLS team. Even the all-conquering LA Galaxy side of David Beckham and Landon Donovan could not compete with the global stardom of the 2025 Herons.

However in terms of club value, Miami are in second place in the MLS value rankings. Business magazine Forbes has released its list of the most valuable teams and Inter Miami are second to a west coast giant.

LAFC were valued at $1.25 billion in the latest rankings, an increase of 4% on their figure from 2024. This is nearly double the league-wide average of $690 million.

In second place was Inter Miami, who saw their value rise by 17% to $1.2 billion. The team’s value has doubled since 2022, sparked by the arrival of Lionel Messi and the record-breaking commercial activity that has followed his signing.

The only other MLS team with a billion-dollar valuable was LA Galaxy, the reigning MLS Cup holders and league’s most successful team. The Galaxy has been valued at $1 billion for 2025, a combination of a storied history in the league, recent success and a roster of talented attacking stars.

Inter Miami feel Messi’s influence

The signing of Messi follows, and maybe even surpasses, the deals to bring Pele (1972) and David Beckham (2007) to the United States. Miami are forking out a league-record salary for Messi and have managed to reap the rewards on the field, as well as financially.

Speaking in 2023, soon after Messi arrived, Miami co-owner Jorge Mas spoke about the role of the ‘Messi Effect’ and the impact that he could have on the team’s finances. At that point Miami were the 11th most valuable team in the league but Mas insisted that Miami’s value could soon reach $1.3 billion - $1.5 billion.

“When does an athlete truly have the opportunity to change the sport? I think that’s the opportunity that Messi has ahead of himself,” Mas explained. “It’s the only thing anyone talks about.”

“I think that it’s incumbent upon myself and my partners in Major League Soccer and fellow owners to seize the moment that we have ahead of us to hopefully elevate Major League Soccer over the course of the next three to five years to compete with the Premier League.”