'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Move over Tom Brady, Lionel Messi is the new sheriff in town. According to ESPN, the soccer star has obliterated a record held by the former NFL quarterback.
Lionel Messi is now the undisputed king in terms of jersey sales in the first 24 hours of joining a new team. The previous record in the USA was held by Tom Brady.
The NFL superstar set the record when he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 after leaving the New England Patriots. He had taken over the record from LeBron James, who set it when he transferred to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018.
Trending
Messi has now surpassed them all with his 54,000,000 move to Inter Miami, which is no mean feat given that neither the sport nor the team he plays for are big hitters in the USA's sporting landscape.
Tom Brady not the only person vanquished by Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi took on America's biggest sport, football, and its biggest star, Tom Brady, in his backyard in Florida and emerged on top in terms of first-day jersey sales.
Messi also pipped long-term rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the international market. While Brady led the charts in the US before Messi's arrival, Ronaldo set the international record when he moved to Manchester United in 2021.
Interestingly, when Ronaldo set the record, he was playing for a team owned by the Glazer family, who were the beneficiaries when Tom Brady moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady and Ronaldo met each other at Old Trafford through this ownership connection as well.
Now, though, Lionel Messi sits atop the list. It also makes a mockery of Ronaldo's claim that the Saudi Pro League, where he currently plays, is better than the MLS. Given the excitement the Argentinean has generated in the USA, as evidenced by his jersey sales, it's tough to reach that conclusion.
Lionel Messi might be costing Inter Miami $54 million per season. However, given the focus he has already brought to the league, one can imagine that the investment would be recouped soon.
