What Lionel Messi joining Inter Miami means

Lionel Messi will not go to Saudi Arabia or return after months of speculation barcelona. Instead, Lionel Messi will Joining International Miami.

Inter Miami is owned by former Manchester United superstar David Beckham and local Miami billionaire Jorge Mas. The South Florida club is currently without a manager and is last in the Eastern Conference. Messi’s arrival at Inter Miami clearly has the potential to change Miami’s standings, but his impact on the league as a whole will be even greater.

Pele and David Beckham are the only two stars who have fundamentally changed North American football. Pelé’s Cosmos tour set national attendance records, many of which remain unbroken to this day.David Beckham Joins LA Galaxy for New Era of Investing major league with named player rules. The arrival of Messi can sweep away the influence of Pele and Beckham.

Messi’s arrival in Major League Soccer can be said to be the most important period in the history of Major League Soccer. The league just signed for ten years, $2.5 billion streaming deal with Apple TVOn the ground, many new teams were sold out, while established teams like the LA Galaxy struggled to get fans. Additionally, the upcoming 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada presents a significant growth opportunity that MLS needs to capitalize on.

Finally, MLS is in a period of record investment. Expansion costs have soared to $500 million. Many fans, players, coaches and team owners are imploring MLS to relax its roster rules so teams can invest more in their rosters. When you take all of this into account, Messi’s move to Inter Miami and MLS has the potential to be the most significant transfer in North American football history.

Attendance will be the most visible impact of Messi’s arrival in MLS. Messi’s Inter Miami will likely bring Pele-like attendances across the country. Concerns over the size of stadiums and players like Messi who play on artificial turf may even see games move to larger arenas and venues with grass, such as NFL and college football stadiums. Many of these stadiums have a capacity of more than 80,000 people, or even more than 100,000 people. Alternatively, Messi’s arrival could prompt some MLS owners to ditch their pitches in favor of grass, something many fans and players have been demanding for years.

Financially, Messi’s arrival, like Beckham’s, could be a turning point in team spending. Messi will become the highest paid player in MLS history. early reports Messi’s contract with Inter Miami is said to include a record base salary, Apple and Adidas’ share of profits in MLS, and an option to buy a stake in Inter Miami in the future. The resulting contract terms were similar to those contained in David Beckham’s contract with the LA Galaxy, which ultimately resulted in Beckham owning Inter Miami.

It is extremely unlikely that other players will get the same profit sharing and ownership options, but Messi’s base salary will undoubtedly affect the salary that the team is willing to pay other players. Messi’s arrival could also be the straw that breaks MLS’ strict roster rules. To facilitate more spending, the league could finally usher in the end of TAMs, GAMs, designated players, and all the other roster restrictions that many believe hold back MLS.

Messi’s presence in MLS could also inspire other high-profile players to follow in his footsteps to the United States. MLS teams will need to spend money if they are to bring in these players. If Messi brings a lot of attention and money to him, then team owners should have enough money to spend on big-name players.

Paris Saint-Germain gained 15 million followers on social media after Messi’s arrival and lost more than a million followers on Instagram after the Argentine left the club.In terms of revenue, some estimates claim that PSG earned 700 million euros in revenue Messi’s first year at the Parisian club came from new sponsorships, shirt sales and other Messi-related sources of income.In contrast, MLS’s top clubs barely have a million followers on Instagram, and the league’s annual revenue has just ended $1 billion per yearIn short, Messi’s arrival has the potential to nearly double MLS’ revenue.

The MLS deal with Apple TV greatly increases the likelihood of these projected revenues being realized. Unlike the Saudi League, Ligue 1and La Liga, with different broadcast partners in each country, the MLS-Apple partnership sees the game broadcast exclusively on Apple TV in almost every country in the world. In fact, this makes MLS one of the most accessible leagues in the world.

The eyes of millions around the world will now be firmly locked on MLS, Inter Miami and, of course, Lionel Messi. Whether the league, teams and players will take advantage of this and bring about the football revolution many are looking forward to remains to be seen. For now, all we can do is watch as arguably the greatest player of all time embarks on one final challenge of his illustrious career.