Multiple outlets reporting that Messi to Inter Miami has been finalized. Reportedly getting a huge contract, profit sharing agreements with Apple and Adidas, and a chance to buy/buy-in to a team after retirement. Miami has already played their road games against both Columbus and Cincinnati this season, so barring a playoff matchup the soonest he’d be coming to Ohio would be next year.
not the case…assuming he would play in the Open Cup semi, Inter Miami just needs to win their next game, and he’ll be in Cincy in August @ TQL, and I’ll be there as-in most weekends/weekdays.
PS This appears to be a done deal, so come on Inter Miami, win. Want to beat Messi in Aug.
If the league is going to cut a player in on profits to join a team how do the other teams feel about that? Is there a long game that benefits everyone past the inital competive disadvantage?
Wasn’t Beckham’s deal something similar? I forget exactly what he negotiated.
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He’s going to sell out every road game. I read that a bunch of teams have pulled Inter Miami games from their ticketing sites and presumably a bunch of those games will be moved to larger venues.
No idea how the league’s media rights deal is structured, but Apple is going to sell a ton of MLS Season Pass subscriptions in the wake of this.
Also, having a player like Messi will be huge for fan interest in the league. Beckham created a notable spike in attendance and TV ratings, even for games and teams that he wasn’t part of.
Beckham’s deal also included an option to buy an expansion team (which ultimately became Inter Miami). To my knowledge, his main perk was his independent marketing opportunities in the US market; I don’t believe he was given a cut of the league’s media and merchandise revenue like Messi is reported to have.
Miami > Saudi Arabia
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Unless teams are splitting local revenue the benefits are majorly tilted in favor of Inter-Miami both finacially and competively.
MLS has a base revenue from Apple and if they reach certain subscriber numbers Apple shares that revenue with the league.
Beckham definitly changed MLS but at that point MLS was so low that there was more room for growth. Is there growth potential for Messi to have a similar effect?
And really, it hurt his ability to actually create a competitive team. Beckham is rich, but he is one of the poorest (maybe the poorest) owners in MLS. He’s had to get so much outside investment just to operate. I do think you’re correct on the contract differences. Beckham created the designated player rule to give him a massive salary, but they didn’t give him extra revenue iirc.
Ugh…they do a redraw of the home field for Miami/FC (August) @ 1 today or so.
Home game…nice!
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Just casually scoring a game winning free kick in the 94th minute in his debut.
I wonder how far MLS is from getting these guys in their primes vs. retirement tours?
That goal - as the kids say these days - was LIT.
The Messi situation is drastically different than Beckham.
7 games, 7 wins to take home Leagues Cup. The oddsmakers currently have them as the second favorite to win the MLS championship despite having the worst record in the league and being 12 points back of a playoff spot with 12 games to play.
Is FC Kentucky ready to get little brother’d on Saturday night at their hick-packed dump? I see one of their scumbags of which there are many just got suspended for the rest of the playoffs.
Major choke job by the Communications Commission.
LITTLE BROTHER WITH THE CHOKE OF THE CENTURY!!! NICE SEASON, LOSERS! DON’T MIND US, WE’RE JUST STEALING YOUR SOULS ON THE WAY TO YET ANOTHER CUP.
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CHAMPIONS!!! Ohio’s #1 Team. America’s Team. The World’s Team. We want Man City.
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