Lionel Messi and inter Miami helped draw a crowd of 65,612 to Gillette Stadium on SaturdayGetty Images
A crowd of 65,612 filed into Gillette Stadium on Saturday to see
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami take on the Revolution, setting the single-game attendance record for the Revolution. Messi “dominated proceedings after halftime, running the show" and leading Inter Miami to a 4-1 victory. The record crowd “got its money’s worth, and came together for a chant of 'Messi! Messi!' late in the game" as he "waved to the crowd." With two goals and two assists, Messi became the "first MLS player in history to record multiple goal contributions in five consecutive games" (
BOSTON GLOBE, 4/27).
Judging by the “sea of pink Inter Miami jerseys” at Gillette Stadium, “much of the sellout crowd of 65,612 came for Lionel Messi.” The attendance number “produced a festive atmosphere” with “nearly every Messi move cheered on.” Saturday’s attendance record broke the previous record for a Revolution match set in 2002, when 61,316 fans filed into Gillette Stadium for the MLS Cup championship against the Galaxy (BOSTON GLOBE, 4/27).
The Revolution averaged “about 20,000 through their first four home games” of the 2024 MLS season, but despite being last in the Eastern Conference and second to last in MLS overall, "nosebleed tickets were selling for about $250 on game day." The game was a “celebration of soccer’s biggest star,” and maybe a “sign of the potential for the sport to reach new heights in the New England market” (BOSTON HERALD, 4/27).
