Will Lionel Messi's arrival bring success to Inter Miami?

He won back-to-back Ligue 1 titles with PSG

Lionel Messi finally chose to play in the USA for Inter Miami. On June 7, following the widespread reports of Messi's decision, Guillem Balague was the first to announce that he had chosen to sign for David Beckham's Inter Miami.

David Beckham signed for LA Galaxy 16 years ago and changed the face of the league. The Argentine is now set to play for his club, and it is expected that his arrival will leave a similar or certainly a bigger impact on the league and football culture in the USA. His arrival will expand the fanbase and transform the way MLS is perceived both domestically and around the world.

Not only this, Messi's signing, which is $53 million annually, does not include the aforementioned agreements with Apple and Adidas. With Arentine's arrival now official, the focus shifts to when he will take the field for the MLS club. The 2023 MLS regular season, which stretches from February to October, is currently underway.

On the day of Messi's announcement, Inter Miami sat last in the Eastern Conference table, six points away from the final playoff spot. In their first game since the announcement, Inter Miami lost 3-1 against the New England Revolution. 

On the field, tickets are selling out fast for every game Inter Miami now has this season, Inter Miami's Instagram account following rose from approximately 1 million to 7 million, and fans are beyond excited to see one of the greatest ever players in soccer playing in MLS.

Inter Miami have been lining this up for a while now; rumours have circulated repetitively since the 35-year-old told David Beckham, "Who knows, maybe in a few years you can give me a ring," when Beckham was awarded the MLS expansion spot in 2018. The time looks to have arrived, and Messi is walking into a team that, it is fair to say, would have had sights on being a lot better by now.

The MLS club recently fired their head coach, Phil Neville, with the side sitting bottom of the MLS Eastern Conference with 12 defeats in 17 games. With his contract expiring at Paris Saint-Germain, he is ready to join at the start of the secondary transfer window in the USA soccer league, which opens on Wednesday, July 5. Messi could be eligible to make his debut for their trip to DC United to face Wayne Rooney’s side on July 8.

Sitting at the bottom of the East right now, the playoffs may seem a long way off, but with the new format ensuring nine of the 15 teams in the Eastern Conference will progress, the gap isn’t too far. Benjamin Cremaschi and David Ruiz have both stepped up impressively, and Dixon Arroyo has been brought in from Ecuador to add some experience.

There is a lot of potential here, but it is hard to rely on such young players. When you have the best player to ever play in the league, your chances immediately jump from what they have been, though Messi has a lot to turn around with this team.

The League Cup is the place where the fans will see the beginning of Messi's experience. For the top three teams in the competition, a route into the CONCACAF Champions Cup next season is an exciting opportunity for Inter Miami to continue growing their fanbase as well as for MLS to keep progressing with more eyes than ever before on it. With Cruz Azul and Atlanta United in their way, reaching the knockout rounds won’t be a guarantee, though it's possible.

On the other hand, Inter Miami have managed to reach the semi-finals of the Open Cup and will face leaders Cincinnati on August 24. It’s another route for them to have CONCACAF Champions Cup football next season. They are just a game away from the Open Cup final, which would be against either the Houston Dynamo or Real Salt Lake.

Though winning trophies is a priority for all the clubs, Inter Miami have to build their franchise on being a destination for star players from across the world, and when David Beckham is an owner and you've just signed one of the best players of all time, Lionel Messi, bringing in trophies is necessary.