Lionel Messi keeps delivering for MLS fans and financial stakeholders.

Inter Miami faces Nashville SC in the Leagues Cup final on Saturday — and seats at the 30,000-seat Geodis Park are selling for as high as $8,000 on secondary markets. The game starts at 9 p.m. ET and will be streamed on Apple TV.

In his first Inter Miami press conference on Thursday, Messi gave the surprising revelation that he’ll play in matches even if there isn’t a natural grass surface — something many had expected him not to do.

“The truth is my youth was spent on artificial turf,” Messi explained. “My whole life was on that pitch. Truth is, it’s been a while since I’ve played on artificial turf, but I have no problem adapting myself again.”

That’s good news for fans in Atlanta and Charlotte — the two MLS cities on Inter Miami’s remaining road schedule with artificial playing surfaces. Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Bank of America Stadium could see around 70,000 fans each at full capacity. Four other MLS venues have artificial turf.

MLS Can Get Bigger

Messi also showed bullish support for MLS, saying it “has every opportunity” to be as competitive as European leagues. 

“It’s an ideal moment to grow,” he said. “There are important competitions upcoming that will be played in this country.” The U.S. will host the 2024 Copa America, 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and the 2026 World Cup — all of which could feature Messi playing for Argentina or Inter Miami.

Messi thinks that “it’s time for the league to make that leap and finish growing. Everything is in place here to witness top-level football.”

ESPN continues to spark interest in an equity stake as Verizon reportedly discusses a broad-based agreement with the sports media giant.

Disney-owned ESPN has been in preliminary talks with Verizon, one of its key distributors, according to The Information. The company joins a list of potential partners including the NFL, NBA, and MLB.

In Verizon’s case, the talks are said to have centered on the development of a new ESPN streaming service. Disney CEO Bob Iger said a full, direct-to-consumer version of the network is “not a matter of if, but when.”

Verizon boasts more than 92.5 million wireless subscribers and is deepening its existing involvement with the NFL, offering a wide range of potential business combinations.

Iger disclosed last month that the company is open to selling part of ESPN to a strategic partner, as the company is “dealing head-on with some of our biggest challenges.” Among those is the ongoing cord-cutting that has slashed ESPN’s linear reach from more than 100 million homes in 2011 to the present 72.5 million.

More recently, ESPN has seen subscriber growth for ESPN+ stall, at least temporarily. Iger said during Disney’s earnings call last week that the company is “not necessarily looking for a cash infusion” in the equity sale talks, but rather “partners that are going to help ESPN transition to a [direct-to-consumer] model. That can come in the form of content, or distribution and marketing support, or both.”

Disney’s deliberation in this space is being supported by former colleagues Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, who are now back in consulting roles the company, working with ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro and Iger.

As the Women’s World Cup final between England and Spain nears, FIFA president Gianni Infantino touted the tournament’s success and a bright future for the women’s game.

Confirming FIFA broke even on the Women’s World Cup as it had projected, Infantino reported the tournament generated more than $570 million in revenue. “We didn’t lose any money,” he said. “And we generated the second-highest income of any sport besides, of course, the men’s World Cup, at the global stage.”

Disparity in prize money between this tournament ($110 million) and the men’s World Cup in Qatar ($440 million) dominated headlines ahead of the event, and Infantino once again addressed the issue of equal pay, something he previously said he hopes to achieve by 2027. 

“We are going in that direction already,” he said. “But that would not solve anything. It might be a symbol, but it would not solve anything, because it’s one month every four years, and it’s a few players out of the thousands and thousands of players.”

“I say to all the women that you have the power to change,” Infantino added. “Pick the right battles, pick the right fights. You have the power to change. You have the power to convince us, men, what we have to do.”

The World Cup final is Sunday at 6 a.m. ET on Fox and Telemundo.

Game Within The Game

On Sunday, the financial stakes are high for Nike and Adidas, the respective kit providers for England and Spain.

Jersey sales for the eventual champion are likely to spike after the final. Although another USWNT victory could have brought an even bigger cash windfall, neither England nor Spain have won a Women’s World Cup before, which could increase collectability.