Lionel Messi, the most coveted free agent and greatest player in football (soccer) history is set to sign with Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami, according to a tweet from Guillem Balague: “Messi has decided. His destination: Inter Miami.”
UPDATE: 12:10pm EDT: According to Fabrizio Romano, the deal is set:
BREAKING: Lionel Messi to Inter Miami, here we go! The decision has been made and it will be announced by Leo in the next hours #InterMiami
Messi will play in MLS next season. No more chances for Barcelona despite trying to make it happen.
𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐖𝐄 𝐆𝐎#Messi #MLS pic.twitter.com/UYqemodrxk
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 7, 2023
Paul Tenorio, Felipe Cardenas, and Pablo Maurer for The Athletic:
One source briefed on the high-level league discussions said MLS executives were told Messi’s decision is down to Inter Miami or Barcelona and that joining a club from Saudi Arabia is “not under consideration.” That same source mentioned a potential date for Messi’s MLS debut, should he sign: Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup match against Mexican side Cruz Azul on July 21, currently set to be held at Inter Miami’s DRV PNK Stadium…
“The league has gotten very creative with all of this,” one MLS stakeholder said of a potential deal to bring Messi to MLS on Tuesday morning. “Everything is on the table.”
MLS’s offer to Messi involves contributions from the league’s two biggest commercial partners.
Multiple sources involved in or briefed on the high-level league discussions said earlier this week that MLS and Apple have discussed offering Messi a share of the revenue generated by new subscribers to MLS Season Pass, the league’s streaming package on Apple TV+. Both sides view Messi’s potential involvement in Major League Soccer as a boon; Apple and MLS signed a 10-year, $2.5 billion agreement this spring. On Tuesday, Apple revealed that a four-part docuseries chronicling Messi’s five World Cup appearances would stream on Apple TV+.
Adidas, which is among MLS’ largest corporate sponsors, has prepared its own potential arrangement to entice Messi to the United States, multiple sources briefed on those plans told The Athletic on Tuesday. Messi is being offered a profit-sharing agreement with the sportswear giant, those sources said, which would involve the player receiving a cut of any increase in Adidas’ profits resulting from his involvement in MLS.
MacDailyNews Take: If it happens, this would be multiple times bigger than David Beckham joining LA Galaxy in 2007. (As part of his deal, Beckham received the option to purchase an MLS expansion team for $25 million after he finished his playing career, which he did: Inter Miami.)
Messi to Inter Miami would be an immeasurable boon to MLS, Apple TV+, MLS Season Pass, football (soccer) in America, and, of course, Inter Miami (currently dead last in the MLS Eastern Conference; funnily enough, the same spot LA Galaxy currently occupies in the Western Conference. It seems as if all of the stars are somehow aligned).
The MLS, Apple, Adidas, Inter Miami should do whatever it take to get Messi to sign on the dotted line. Give him whatever he wants!
Please help support MacDailyNews. Click or tap here to support our independent tech blog. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
The post Lionel Messi close to joining MLS team Inter Miami; Apple may offer Messi a share of ‘MLS Season Pass’ revenue appeared first on MacDailyNews.
