Man City can thank Lionel Messi for supercharging the value of one of their biggest ever investments.
Messi has been heavily linked with City several times over the years, most concretely in 2021 following his exit from Barcelona.
But that move, which would have reunited him with Pep Guardiola, never materialised and the Argentine chose Paris Saint-Germain instead.
He has since moved toInter Miami, where he has raised the global profile of the MLS and propelled the David Beckham-backed club to the top of the Eastern Conference as things stand.
And that move has had a knock-on effect which could, theoretically, see Man City‘s owners City Football Group net a billion-dollar windfall in the future.
Lionel Messi has raised value of New York City FC
Messi‘s deal to join Inter Miami is perhaps one of the most unusual in football history.
The MLS gave the 36-year-old all kinds of incentives to move to the US, including a cut of TV revenue and tie-ins with league sponsor Adidas.
He also has the option to take a stake in Inter Miami when he retires, and his total remuneration is around £16, which is more than almost 90 per cent of MLS teams total wage bills.
But the latest figures from Sports Business Institute in Barcelona show that the investment is worth every cent to investors in the US game.
The industry experts have compiled data which shows that MLS clubs have risen in value by an average of 16 per cent since 2022.
Unsurprisingly, Messi’s Inter Miami were the biggest climbers at 74 per cent.
But the rest of the league has seen a dramatic upswing too and Man City’s outpost in the US, New York City FC, is now valued at around £660m.
New York City are not directly owned by Man City but rather City Football Group, the parent company established by the club’s Abu Dhabi owners to grow the Man City brand worldwide.
They bought an MLS franchise for £60m in 2013, meaning that if they cashed in on their investment now, it would net them a windfall of more than 10 times their original investment.
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What are Man City’s plans with their multi-club network?
It is a turbulent time to be in the multi-club racket at present.
The ownership model, whose popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, is under increasing scrutiny from both supporters and regulators, especially in Europe.
Man City and Man United have been allowed to play alongside sister clubs Girona and Nice in European competition next season but this is only a temporary reprieve as UEFA tighten multi-club regulations.
This is partly the reason why more and more investors in European clubs are turning to North and South America for their multi-club aspirations, where commercial opportunities are vast and risk is lesser.
New York City FC won the MLS Cup in 2021 and City Football Group are investing hundreds of millions into a new 25,000-seater stadium for the club in Queens.
Man City’s oil-rich financers also own Brazilian club Bahia and Uruguay outfit Montevideo City.
Governance complications in Europe and a fan backlash against multi-club ownership models could see them move deeper into American continent in future years.