“This is holy water,” quipped Inter Miami’s owner Jorge Mas as the torrential downpour marked the unveiling of Lionel Messi at the club’s home ground, DRV PNK Stadium. Holy water, indeed. Major League Soccer had been a favourite pit stop for elite footballers past their prime, but one could convincingly argue that Messi is still a few years away from slipping into the dusk of his illustrious career. Moreover, his stature is incomparable to the coterie of stars that have headed this way. 

The greatest player of our times can still deliver hits on his whims, and any elite European club would love to have him on their roster. And yet, he chose Inter Miami, a club languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS), as his final destination. Money, of course, is a major factor, but not the only factor since a truckload of Saudi cash was there for taking. All these things only make his transfer even more seducing. 

Amidst all this frenzy, the only thing that’s missing is the actual football talk. Perhaps because this move has very little to do with the actual football. It’s all glitz and glamour. Messi will be enjoying a handsome paycheque and the comfort of the MLS; Inter Milan is happy with the hype and business prospect their new signing brings. Trophies can wait, of course. 

What Lionel Messi Gets From The Deal?

Messi reportedly rejected a whopping $400m deal from the Saudi Club and the prospect of reuniting with his boyhood club in Spain. At Inter Miami, Messi will be taking home $54m per year, more than anyone else. He will also be handed an offer to buy an MLS expansion, just as David Beckham was offered a stake in Inter Miami as per the contract he signed with LA Galaxy. 

Having won everything there was for him to win at the club and country level; Messi, 36, had little reason to stay in Europe. At Inter Milan, the schedule and the competition won’t be as demanding as European football. The Argentine also had a home in Miami, and wants to spend the rest of his life in this city.

“I am very happy to have chosen to come to this city with my family, to have chosen this project and I have no doubt that we are going to enjoy it very much. We are going to have a good time and great things are going to happen,” said Messi. 

What Messi Brings To Miami?

Everyone is better off with this deal. Messi is yet to kick a ball for his new club, but he has already impacted the business side of the club, with his signing alone bloating Inter Miami’s followers count on Instagram to nine million. The ticket price has soared up to $350, and the club is expected to double its revenue in the next twelve months. 

As per Forbes, Inter Miami is currently valued at $600 million but is expected to cross $1.5 billion within a year after Messi’s arrival. The club’s jersey is selling like hotcakes. Once Messi starts making regular appearances, the MLS television ratings are expected to shoot up drastically.

“I think that it’s incumbent upon myself and my partners in Major League Soccer and fellow owners to seize the moment that we have ahead of us to hopefully elevate Major League Soccer over the course of the next three to five years to compete with the Premier League,” said the club’s owner Mas.