Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami tops MLS at $1.45 billion valuation: Where do Son’s LAFC and Müller’s Whitecaps rank?
Lionel Messi’s arrival at Inter Miami has fueled exponential growth for the franchise over the past few years, culminating in the club reaching the top of Major League Soccer in overall valuation. With Inter Miami now valued at $1.45 billion, questions naturally arise over where other star-linked franchises, such as Son Heung-min’s LAFC and Thomas Müller’s Vancouver Whitecaps, rank across the league.
Sportico, the sports business publication, released its annual MLS franchise valuation rankings for 2026, and for the first time in the list’s history, Inter Miami sits atop the league. The club’s valuation of $1.45 billion places it ahead of every other MLS franchise, reflecting both on-field success and rapid commercial growth.
Compared to the 2025 edition of Sportico’s rankings, the Messi-captained side ranked second with a valuation of $1.19 billion. Following their MLS Cup triumph and with the opening of Miami Freedom Park approaching, the Herons posted a one-year valuation increase of 22 percent, the largest jump in the league, ahead of Chicago Fire FC, which recorded a 20 percent rise.
Where do LAFC and the Whitecaps rank?
With Inter Miami now leading MLS in valuation, attention shifts to where the rest of the league’s marquee clubs fall in the rankings. Son Heung-min’s LAFC, which had topped Sportico’s MLS valuations in every previous edition, now sits second with a valuation of $1.4 billion.
Despite losing the top spot, LAFC have hardly experienced a downturn. After being valued at $1.28 billion in 2025, the club posted a 9 percent annual increase, reinforcing its status as one of the league’s most financially successful and stable franchises.
Rounding out the top 10 are LA Galaxy ($1.17 billion), Atlanta United ($1.14 billion), New York City FC ($1.12 billion), Seattle Sounders FC ($915 million), Austin FC ($910 million), Columbus Crew ($800 million), and FC Cincinnati ($790 million). Meanwhile, despite being one of the headline moves of the 2025 summer transfer window, Vancouver Whitecaps are notably absent from the league’s top tier.
In fact, the Thomas Müller-led Whitecaps saw a decline year over year, both in position and valuation. Vancouver ranks 29th among MLS franchises at $450 million, reflecting a 4 percent annual decrease, ahead of only CF Montréal, which sits last at $430 million.
How much were Inter Miami worth before Lionel Messi?
Since their founding in 2018, Inter Miami’s most recognizable figure had been co-owner David Beckham, with the club steadily growing but remaining outside the league’s top valuation tier. In Sportico’s 2022 report, the Herons ranked 10th in MLS with a valuation of $585 million.
Messi’s arrival in 2023 proved transformative. Inter Miami surged to a $1.02 billion valuation in the 2024 report, and with nearly another half-billion added since then, Messi’s impact has extended well beyond the pitch, reshaping the club’s global profile and financial standing.