Miami 6th on 2023 best sports cities list. Was Lionel Messi a factor?
Miami is ranked 6th on WalletHub’s list of the best sports cities in America for 2023. Did Messi Mania influence the ranking?
2x FIFA Champ Mia Hamm reflects on Messi Mania in the US
Mia Hamm is not surprised at all by how Lionel Messi has taken America by storm.
Sports Seriously, USA TODAY
From the thrill of victory to the agony of defeat, Americans are passionate about sports.
Personal finance company WalletHub compared 397 U.S. cities for its Best Sports Cities in 2023 list. Miami had a strong showing, ranking as the top city in Florida and sixth overall.
Cities were compared across 50 key metrics related to the top five sports in the country: football, basketball, baseball, soccer and hockey.
The Magic City is home to professional teams in each sport and soccer team Inter Miami FC happens to have the best player in the world, Lionel Messi, on its team.
Los Angeles topped the ranking, followed by Boston, Pittsburgh, New York and Dallas.
Did Messi Mania influence Miami ranking?
That’s hard to say, but since Messi joined Inter Miami, Major League Soccer has seen his No. 10 jerseys fly off shelves, sold out home and away games, rising ticket prices and new sponsors. He’s become the face of MLS.
“He’s the best player in the world. What did you think he was going to do when he came here?” LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said after Inter Miami’s sold-out match in Los Angeles.
Messi led his home country Argentina to win the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and he recently won his eighth Ballon d’Or award. The prestigious prize is awarded to the best player in the world over the previous year.
How did Miami rank in each sport vs rest of US cities?
Here’s how Miami ranked for each of the five largest sports:
- 7. Football
- 6. Basketball
- 26. Baseball
- 7. Soccer
- 450. Hockey
Top 10 best sports cities in the US
The best sports cities for 2023 ranked by WalletHub are:
- Los Angeles
- Boston
- Pittsburgh
- New York
- Dallas
- Miami
- Philadelphia
- Washington, DC
- San Francisco
- Cincinnati
Best sports cities in Florida
While 21 Florida cities were ranked, most ended up in the lower half of the list.
- 6. Miami
- 28. Tampa
- 40. Orlando
- 41. Jacksonville
- 55. Tallahassee
- 173. Gainesville
- 190. Boca Raton
- 219. DeLand
- 221. Daytona Beach
- 258. St. Petersburg
- 264. Fort Myers
- 308. Coral Gables
- 309. Sunrise
- 318. Palm Beach
- 328. Pensacola
- 330. Port St. Lucie
- 342. Dunedin
- 347. Lakeland
- 348. Clearwater
- 357. Bradenton
- 371. Jupiter
What pro sports teams call Miami home?
Miami is home to five major league professional teams:
- Miami Dolphins (football)
- Miami Heat (basketball)
- Miami Marlins (baseball)
- Inter Miami FC (soccer)
- Florida Panthers (hockey)
Note: Some of the teams that call Miami home don’t actually play in the city. Inter Miami’s stadium is in Fort Lauderdale and the Panthers play hockey in Sunrise.
