Following in the footsteps of countless American retirees, Lionel Messi is moving to South Florida.
Only instead of shuffleboard and canasta, the World Cup winner is continuing his professional soccer career with MLS’s Inter Miami CF, a last-place club owned David Beckham and the Florida-based Mas brothers.
The decision is surprising, in part, because Messi is leaving a French powerhouse, Paris Saint-Germain, while declining offers that may be more enticing, although financial details of his offer from Miami remain unreported.
Not only was Barcelona rumored to be interested in a reunion with Messi, but Saudi Arabia has also reportedly dangled a $400million offer for the Argentinian legend after giving similarly lucrative deals to Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
So why would Messi pass over an unimaginable payday for a chance to play for a struggling team? The simple answer: He has more to consider than just salary.
For starters, Messi has always had an eye on the owner’s box, and as a source with knowledge of the situation told Reuters, he would be given such an opportunity in Miami – if not immediately, then eventually.
The fact that Beckham played for LA Galaxy from 2007 until 2012 and now owns a rival club certainly bodes well for Messi’s chances of buying into a league team.
Messi also wants to maximize his current endorsement deals with Adidas and Apple, both of which have relationships with MLS and stand to gain more exposure with the 35-year-old playing in the US.
His arrival represents a major opportunity for MLS, which has a $250m-a-year streaming deal with Apple TV and has the opportunity to earn more from the tech giant by reaching an un-reported minimum number of subscriptions.
By adding Messi to the fold, MLS apparently sees that as an attainable goal, and that likely motivated the decision to bring him to Miami.
Messi previously said he doesn’t expect to play in another World Cup at age 39 in 2026, but if he were to suit up for Argentina, the fact that the tournament is being held in North America is certainly a plus. Messi wouldn’t need to uproot his family for a month overseas and could instead further capitalize on his existing US sponsorship deals.
source: dailymail.co.uk
