Inter Miami CF Claims Double Win at 17th Annual Sports Business Awards: Team of the Year and Deal of the Year | Inter Miami CF

Inter Miami took home two prestigious honors at the 17th Annual Sports Business Awards on Wednesday night in New York City, with the Club having the standout performance of the evening among sports teams. Riding high after its July 2023 signing of Lionel Messi, the Club was recognized with Team of the Year and Deal of the Year.

The signing of eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Lionel Messi, transformed North American sports and catapulted Inter Miami into a global phenomenon overnight. His arrival at Inter Miami didn’t just elevate the team’s on-field performance immediately, but also ignited a commercial surge, helping transform Inter Miami into a reference point for fútbol globally.

Upon accepting the first award of the night for the Club, Inter Miami CF Chief Business Officer Xavier Asensi said, “We did it because we didn’t know it was impossible. I can tell you, though, that our motto is Freedom to Dream. And we dreamt. We dreamt really big, and I can tell you that it was worth every bit of it.”

Just moments after receiving the Deal of the Year Award, Asensi returned to the stage alongside a group of staff members to accept the Team of the Year Award.

The second recognition underscores not just the monumental task of signing Messi, but also the Club’s adeptness in swiftly leveraging the extraordinary moment in the spotlight.

“We’re extremely proud that we’ve been able to pull that one off and to have the greatest of all time and the greatest that ever played the game play on the United States of America’s soil and Canada’s soil,” Asensi said. “We hope that this can elevate the game and the popularity of the game in this country.”