Messi’s MLS Gambit Is Good for Latin American Soccer
The superstar’s arrival in Miami will spur investment in the sport throughout the Americas and may finally help slow the exodus of young players to Europe.
Soccer’s savior?
Photographer: Megan Briggs/Getty Images
Soccer legend Lionel Messi made history last night when he stepped on the pitch for the first time as a member of Inter Miami, marking the start of a new and intriguing chapter in the Argentine’s 20-year career. His move from Europe, the epicenter of club soccer, to south Florida, a relative backwater for the most popular and watched sport in the world, has been heralded as a major coup for the US. No doubt that’s true, but Latin America may be a big winner as well.
Expectations couldn’t be higher for the Major League Soccer, or MLS as the US men’s professional league is known. The arrival of one of, if not the best soccer player in history has already paid dividends for the sport in the US. Jorge Mas, the billionaire owner of Inter Miami, told Bloomberg News that Messi’s move to the US is poised to generate millions of new subscribers for Apple TV+ streaming service. Such expectations are why the Argentine was able to negotiate revenue sharing agreements and a future equity stake in the team. In the six weeks since Messi’s signing was announced, Inter Miami has seen its Instagram followers soar to more than 10 million, exceeding that of the National Basketball Association’s Chicago Bulls.