Messi’s MLS Arrival: A Revolutionary Deal That Will Shape the Future of American Soccer

Lionel Messi, one of the biggest legends, if not the greatest of all time in the beautiful game of football, recently announced his next club as Inter Miami. As his highly anticipated inauguration gets closer, let’s take a look at the story behind the transfer and the numbers behind it.

Lionel Messi had many clubs racing for his signature, such as FC Barcelona, Saudi Club Al Hilal, and Inter Miami. Al Hilal even went as high as offering $1.2 billion for a 2-year contract, an insane amount that both Barcelona and Inter Miami could not match.

Although Messi preferred to return to Barcelona and even agreed to a contract at a very low wage, Barcelona could not guarantee him that they would be able to sign him. This ultimately led him to choose Inter Miami.

Inter Miami, a club in the MLS co-owned by David Beckham, could not compete with Al Hilal’s salary, so they had to get creative with their offer. They could offer a salary in the range of $50 million. So, MLS, Apple, and Adidas decided to offer Messi a share of the revenue which they generate.

This is the first time in history that such a deal is taking place, and it’s likely the first time Apple is involved in revenue sharing. Messi is expected to receive a percentage of the revenue generated from Apple TV subscriptions. Apple entered a $2.5 billion deal with MLS for 10 years. Additionally, Adidas will reportedly pay Messi a portion of its profits directly related to his move to MLS. It has also been reported that MLS has agreed to allow Messi to purchase shares of Inter Miami at a later stage.

The impact generated by Messi is indeed very high, and it has led the team, which is currently ranked last in the MLS, to become one of the most followed sports teams in the country via social media. Almost all American sports teams were welcoming Messi even before he had signed the contract.

The inauguration is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 16th, and according to multiple reports, Apple TV is the exclusive broadcaster of the event.

This Messi deal is truly going to be a game-changer, and it could bring in more audience to the MLS, making the league gain much more popularity. This deal will likely go down as one of the best deals made in the history of American sports.

Written by Ben Baiju