Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. The south Florida lifestyle clearly appeals to Messi and it wouldn’t be too surprising if he ultimately chooses Miami’s beach life over Riyadh. He already owns a property in Miami and visits the city frequently. Of course, at this stage of his career Messi is thinking about more than just soccer. It’s highly unlikely Messi would ever end up in the midwest (although Sporting KC attempted to sign Cristiano Ronaldo last year), but he would be embraced there in a way that isn’t guaranteed in Miami, a city that can be fickle in its sporting passions (witness the vast banks of empty seats at the Marlins’ home games in MLB). Atlanta United and the Seattle Sounders are two other mega-franchises that could put together a stronger presentation.įC Cincinnati currently lead the Supporters’ Shield standings while expansion team St Louis City have electrified MLS with their exhilarating attacking style of play this season – both teams play in modern, newly built stadiums in front of sold out crowds. Los Angeles FC would be a better bet, with their smartly built squad, full-throated home support and recent track record of success. If Messi is looking for the best of MLS, Inter Miami aren’t it. It’s not certain Messi, who turns 36 this month, would ever play there. Inter Miami have ambitious plans for a new $1bn venue to be built in Miami itself, but construction hasn’t even started yet. On top of all this, Messi would play his home games as an Inter Miami player at a temporary 18,000-capacity stadium in Fort Lauderdale under the flight path of an international airport – not exactly Camp Nou. After the way he was forced out of Barcelona, Messi has surely experienced enough boardroom mismanagement for one career. The club was hit with a league-record fine and had its allocation budget docked for 20, something that continues to hinder Miami in the trade and transfer market. In 2021, Inter Miami were punished for violating league roster rules. Josef Martínez and Leonardo Campana have pedigree, and Jean Mota and Drake Callender have impressed this season, but Inter Miami’s squad has been poorly constructed over a number of years. Inter Miami aren’t bottom of the East solely because Neville was a bad manager: they simply don’t have the quality to be much more competitive. Nor can he look at the squad he’d be joining with any confidence. Messi can’t even talk to the manager he’d be playing for. That run was extended to five straight defeats by Saturday’s home loss to DC United with Javier Morales now in place as interim head coach until further notice. Phil Neville was fired as Inter Miami head coach only last week, after a run of four straight defeats left the team bottom of the Eastern Conference. Inter Miami’s pursuit now spans years, but Messi is unlikely to be impressed by what he sees. Even before they had entered MLS, Messi had been sounded out as a potential signing. When Messi left Barcelona in 2021, Inter Miami made an offer. Inter Miami’s interest in Messi is longstanding. Inter Miami, however, aren’t doing much for the sales pitch. He could kickstart a new phase of growth for MLS, and the sport in general, in the run-up to the 2026 World Cup on North American soil. Like Beckham, Messi is a player who would move the needle in the USA and Canada.
Having said that, MLS hasn’t pursued a player this aggressively since David Beckham was lured to the league back in 2007. On Monday, his father said his son “would love to return to Barcelona”, while the hundreds of millions the Saudis are offering would tempt even someone as ludicrously wealthy as Messi.
PSG fans might have grown tired of Messi, but he remains a man in-demand.Īs things stand, MLS would be a third choice for Messi. Out of contract this summer, Messi faces a late career crossroads with three options in front of him – an emotional return to Barcelona, a switch that could be worth $1bn to Saudi Arabia or a move to Major League Soccer. The boos in Lionel Messi’s farewell match as a Paris Saint-Germain player made clear just how badly the Argentinian needs a fresh start, and a new club.
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