Lionel Messi leads MLS’ top selling jerseys list, but so do a lot of up and coming stars

On Monday, Major League Soccer released their list of the 25 top selling jerseys in the league so far this season, and there was no surprise about who was at the top. Based on the MLS jerseys sold on MLS Store, Lionel Messi leads the list as the top selling jersey in the league.

He was joined by four of his teammates, including one that was a complete surprise, on the list, as Inter Miami held 20% of the entire Top 25. Luis Suárez came in second behind Messi, with Jordi Alba placing 18th and Sergio Busquets placing 24th. The shock was the youngster, Benjamin Cremaschi, finishing 25th on the list. The 19-year-old American midfielder, who is one of six players on the list who have appeared on the USMNT, was able to hold off some other prominent stars to make this list.

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

It demonstrates the world brand that Inter Miami has created with the addition of Messi to the team, as well as Suárez, Alba, and Busquets. Cremaschi is the main benefit of that, with enough fans buying his jersey to jump onto this list in such a short time, and in a season where he didn’t play for the first couple months due to injury. Winning also helps, as Inter Miami currently leads the Supporters’ Shield race with 35 points.

The top 10 on the list are some of the biggest stars or recognizable names in the league: Messi, Suárez, Luciano Acosta, Cucho Hernández, Riqui Puig, Pedro de la Vega, Jordan Morris, Hany Mukhtar, Giorgos Giakoumakis, and Emil Forsberg.

The top 25 best selling jerseys in MLS, according to MLSStore.com:

1. Lionel Messi – Inter Miami CF
2. Luis Suárez – Inter Miami CF
3. Luciano Acosta – FC Cincinnati
4. Cucho Hernández – Columbus Crew
5. Riqui Puig – LA Galaxy
6. Pedro de la Vega – Seattle Sounders FC
7. Jordan Morris – Seattle Sounders FC
8. Hany Mukhtar – Nashville SC
9. Giorgos Giakoumakis – Atlanta United
10. Emil Forsberg – New York Red Bulls
11. João Paulo – Seattle Sounders FC
12. Aidan Morris – Columbus Crew
13. Jacob Shaffelburg – Nashville SC
14. Darlington Nagbe – Columbus Crew
15. Brian Gutiérrez – Chicago Fire FC
16. Héctor Herrera – Houston Dynamo FC
17. Carles Gil – New England Revolution
18. Jordi Alba – Inter Miami CF
19. José Martínez – Philadelphia Union
20. John Tolkin – New York Red Bulls
21. Cristian Roldan – Seattle Sounders FC
22. Bongokuhle Hlongwane – Minnesota United FC
23. Teemu Pukki – Minnesota United FC
24. Sergio Busquets – Inter Miami CF
25. Benjamin Cremaschi – Inter Miami CF

Inter Miami wasn’t the only team that had multiple players on this list, as Seattle Sounders (4), Columbus Crew (3), New York Red Bulls (2), Nashville SC (2), and Minnesota United (2) also had multiple players in the Top 25. FC Cincinnati, LA Galaxy, Atlanta United, Chicago Fire, Houston Dynamo, New England Revolution, and the Philadelphia Union were also represented in the Top 25.

There are 14 nations represented on the list, furthering the international vibe of the league. The United States has 7 players, Spain has 4, and Argentina has 3, with Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Mexico, South Africa, Sweden, Uruguay, and Venezuela also represented.

While established stars dominate this list, the future is also present in a big way. Six of the players in the Top 25 are 23 or younger: Benjamin Cremaschi (19), Pedro de la Vega (23), Brian Gutiérrez (20), Bongokuhle Hlongwane (23), Aidan Morris (22), and John Tolkin (21). It goes to show that as the younger players break through into becoming productive stars for their team, they are gaining a following from their fans.

The Top 25 list is a fun way to see which stars are being represented on the backs of fans’ jerseys. Of course, the list may change daily, and it will be interesting to see how it may shift at the end of the season.