How did MLS side Inter Miami land Lionel Messi?

The Argentine won the World Cup in 2022

With the announcement that he will play for Inter Miami of the MLS, Lionel Messi has selected his next, and maybe final team in his phenomenal football journey.

It comes as a bit of a surprise that Messi chose to travel across the Atlantic. Many anticipated that he would agree to an enticing deal with a club in Saudi Arabia, much like his former rival Cristiano Ronaldo did.

Others believed he would return to Barcelona, the team where he first established himself as one of the best players in history.

But Messi has made the decision to move to Miami, where he currently has a home. David Beckham, arguably one of the handful of footballers that can compete with Lionel Messi for worldwide popularity, owns a portion of Inter Miami. Additionally, the deal is a media win for MLS as it pursues its goal of dominating US sports.

When David Beckham joined the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007, it was the final occasion that a player of Lionel Messi's notoriety was drawn to the league.

Both Apple TV+, which streams the league in the US and Adidas have agreed to a revenue-sharing arrangement with the Argentinian. Additionally, there have been rumours that Lionel Messi, like Beckham, will be given the opportunity to purchase an MLS team after his career is over.

Lionel Messi is signing with an unstable team. The Eastern Conference's bottom-placed Inter Miami dismissed manager Phil Neville last week. They currently play at a temporary 18,000-capacity arena in Fort Lauderdale because they still do not have a permanent venue in the city. 

The squad received additional punishment from MLS in 2021 for breaking the league's roster regulations. Although the MLS is intended to be more equal than the European leagues where Messi plays, things may change quickly there.

Lionel Messi will receive a portion of the money made by new customers of the MLS Season Pass, the league's Apple TV+ streaming subscription.

On Tuesday, Apple revealed a four-part docuseries about Lionel Messi's five World Cup appearances that will be available to view on Apple TV+.

A profit-sharing deal with apparel behemoth Adidas is also said to have been offered to Lionel Messi, giving him a share of any boost in Adidas' income as a result of his participation in Major League Soccer.

There are also rumours that Messi, like David Beckham and the LA Galaxy in 2007, would have the option to own a portion of an MLS team at the conclusion of his playing career.