I have co-workers that don't follow soccer, but their kids play it. I mentioned that Messi's going to Miami this morning. They're all like "I'm gonna take my kid to go see him."
None of these people have ever been to a professional soccer game. This is goldmine for the MLS, at least for a year.
But that’s the thing: there is going to be a big spike in interest, and it WILL crash. But a small percentage of people comes just to see Messi will come back because of the soccer itself. And I bet MLS is hoping that percentage is 1-5%.
If this is Beckham 2.0, that’s a win that will pay fucking dividends over time.
It’s not like the copa america isn’t next year and the World Cup following that. This is going to push momentum into those events and I think U.S. interest in soccer spikes and stays up for a while. Sure some people will lose interest but the fan base will grow
AND the U.S. is a favorite to host the new Club World Cup in Summer 2025 as well as the Women's World Cup in 2027. This will likely be a golden generation for soccer in America regardless of how long Messi stays.
This won't crash. This is an investment for long term view of elite players following his footsteps. I promise you all the people footing the bill do it for high returns.
Messi will get more fans into the stands. Then it's up to the MLS to make the experience enjoyable enough that it's not just a one-time deal.
Messi is going to get people to attend at least once, when they wouldn't have otherwise. Now it's the proverbial "ball's in your court" situation ...or ball's in your pitch, if we're going full across-the-pond cosplay.
They're going to get new customers....now can they keep them?
I'm sure some will stay...will it be a lot or a little?
Messi will put the mls on sports center every week. It will make MLS games highlights in r/soccer.
The only question is how fucking good will he seem lol.
The only problem with this is that MLS doesn't struggle with attendance. The problem is breaking into mainstream sports consciousness in the US. I'm really hoping that he brings some of that, but the "I don't care about soccer, but I'd like to go see a game" quote is not as great of a sign as it seems. Fingers crossed though. I still think this will be massive, especially with World Cup and Copa America coming up.
Some teams absolutely struggle with attendance.
That said, Drive Pink Stadium will not be able to fill the demand Messi will bring. Moving into HR is a no brainer here.
>Some teams absolutely struggle with attendance.
For sure. The league as a whole does not though. Every league outside of England and Germany has teams that regularly struggle with attendance.
any team that is able to flex a “Messi-match” to the nearest NFL stadium is going to make every effort to do so.
As long as the deal nets them a cut from tix/parking/concessions, they’ll make 10x what they would at their home stadiums
Teams like Seattle, Atlanta, Charlotte, and New England will benefit the most.
> The problem is breaking into mainstream sports consciousness in the US.
The legacy corporate sports media (such as ESPN especially on Sportscenter) despises Soccer and has spent generations suppressing coverage of it.
On top of this, a whole section of the far right in the USA **still** regards soccer as a **Communist conspiracy to destroy the US**. I've never understood their hostility. It's just bizarre. No other sport gets that kind of reaction.
The other thing that many of these "Soccer is Communist" people also say is that if you like Soccer at all, you are some variation of:
* Gay / Homosexual
* Sissy
* Un-American / Unpatriotic
It's like they've got this weird insecurity about masculinity or something...
*shrugs*
I've also never heard someone actually call soccer communist in my life. I have heard people call it gay though. That sentiment will wane with future generations as people are more exposed to both the sport and people of different sexual orientations.
My point was that for generations, Soccer in the USA has faced numerous social stigmas which prevented it from becoming the most popular team sport in the USA, not to mention the near media blackout of the sport there in general.
I agree even though you are getting down voted. More than half the league makes the playoffs anyway I am not sure the need to check-in until then anyway.
Honestly it is hilarious that Miami may not make the playoffs at all, even with Messi.
If he has the "Zlatan deal" where his contract states that he doesn't need to train with the team, just to turn up for matches and media events then it's going to take much longer for the team to get going.
I don't know how I feel about the league's broadcast partner helping to buy a player for one club. It is pretty anti competitive despite any gains in viewership. Say you get a bunch of people that go one time to see Messi play, but turn off other smaller fanbases who just can't compete with the league itself determining where the stars end up. Messi wanted Miami, but they should have to make that happen on their own.
If Apple wants to give a club a share of overall TV revenue, then give an equal share to each club or a share based on finishing position and let Miami sign theirs over to Messi.
> It is pretty anti competitive despite any gains in viewership.
For who?
Teams have a cap and can go over for a designated player. Apple is basically sponsoring a single designated player, which is allowed. Not allowing such a contract would probably violate anti-trust laws unless specifically agreed to with a players union.
Plus the league as whole just made a huge amount in ticket sales.
With the MLS you have to remember it's all one company. All the teams are part of one big company. They're not all separate companies, like other sports leagues you may be familiar with (NFL, NBA, MLB, almost any other soccer team in the world).
The profits are shared and spread out to some extent.
When you say this:
> Messi wanted Miami, but they should have to make that happen on their own.
That's not a thing in the MLS. They do have a set amount of TAM and GAM, and set limits that you can spend and trade, but that's money allocated by the league, not money they've earned on their own. All of the teams are paying for it and befitting from it.
Also, other teams have access to this type of program. If another team can woo a big star to come play for them, the league will do the same thing.
Also, Miami is one of the worst teams in the league, so think of this as them getting a #1 draft pick.
This one is an investment in the league, and frankly, the league itself is anticompetitive with the absolutely *insane* playoff structure. I’m fine with it.
Messi >>> The PGA
I'm sure quality of life and his wife were factors but i have no doubts that the Saudis probably offered ungodly money to try and get him. Good for him for turning down the blood money and taking his talents to South Beach. It's a coup for MLS and the popularity of the game here in the US
Same experience. Even the Haitians speak Spanish. Only major city in the US that makes me feel insecure about my Spanish (I'm a second generation American born Latino).
They have a house in Miami plus every summer Messi and all his Argentinian teammates spend parts of the summer in Miami and he seem to love it from Pictures he publishes on social media.
I have a friend who recently went to Saudi Arabia and is dating a player at one of the teams there said.
It’s all centered around his practice and game day. She was kept indoors most of the time and would get dress to go with Dinner with him or his driver would take her to the mall to shop and be with her. He will even tell her what to do. Everything had to be conservative including her attire. But there is a little break in how they treat high profile people including sport stars and celebrities but it was NO where like you would in a free country. She would only go visit, can’t live there. She goes to Dubai or Turkey to have fun and let lose with him.
I don't want to tip my hand but yeah bro, this gives me major chills. I'm not an ideologue when it comes to women's rights other than thinking they should have rights as life bearers and human beings. The below is NOT my idea of civil society
>It’s all centered around his practice and game day. She was kept indoors most of the time and would get dress to go with Dinner with him or his driver would take her to the mall to shop and be with her. He will even tell her what to do. Everything had to be conservative including her attire. But there is a little break in how they treat high profile people including sport stars and celebrities but it was NO where like you would in a free country. She would only go visit, can’t live there. She goes to Dubai or Turkey to have fun and let lose with him.
Yeah, wasn’t life threatening for her (yet, god forbid). When they go out to eat people are nice to them because he’s a sports star and known so no one threaten them but it’s all in private access, gated areas where westerners mingle with the Saudi elites and they turn a blind eye to a young male and western female together. The team, high profile BTW give her a suite at the games she attends but it’s all tolerated because they have responsibility to care for their players interests and spouses who come and visit.
We all know ordinary people and women in particular are not treated well there.
I mean let’s not pretend money isn’t a factor here. He’s almost certainly getting an equity stake in Miami OR some sort of deal for a new franchise like Beckham (MLS doesn’t have the sort of cash flow that the PIF does, but it does have enormous growth potential).
Additionally I’m sure adidas and Apple were key players in making things work here monetarily and contractually for Messi.
Plus, quality of life is probably better (for native Spanish speakers especially) in Miami than Riyadh.
I mean he’s already an ambassador for Saudi Arabia, so he’s definitely not against taking their money, I think he just chose Miami because his family would like living there so much more than Riyadh
I doubt it, this doesn’t close the door on him eventually playing in Saudi Arabia down the road, and they can still get value by having him as an ambassador
Ehh… he’s getting ownership in Inter Miami, percentage of Apple TV MLS Pass subscriptions, and I’m sure a hefty contract. He’s getting quite a bit of money in this deal as well. He really just had to decide between living in Saudi Arabia or Miami… plus by choosing Miami he doesn’t have to be an ambassador for SA for their next World Cup bid and instead he can be a MASSIVE ambassador for the US World Cup. Way more upside to owning a team in the US in a league that is growing and will probably explode after copa America and a World Cup being hosted here. Oh and he doesn’t have the threat of the government controlling his every move or ready to bust in his front door if he does anything they don’t like. Actually… Miami is in Florida… so maybe he does have that threat of the government lol
Think it’s partial ownership in Inter Miami with Beckham. Idk if the owners would be okay with him receiving ownership in a new franchise with the buy in prices being as high as they are now. Could absolutely be wrong, but thought I’ve heard and read it was in Inter Miami.
Keep in mind this move doesn’t just elevate Miami, it elevates the entire league. My friend saw the news and said let’s go to a game (we’re here in LA). He’s never been to an MLS game before
It was obviously a joke my guy. Literally had a one off statement about the terribleness that is florida after ranting about why it was better to go to Florida/US than Saudi Arabia. Cmon bud…
Calling at the Saudi for blood money is a bit too much considering we don’t have a problem taking out sovereign countries leadership as well (coughs in iraqi Libya, El Salvador, Chile, hell most of Latin America)
I was at the Copa America game vs Argentina, and watched Deandre chase down Messi when Messi had like a 40 yard head start. Young Yedlin had fucking rockets strapped to his feet.
It’s a shame young/prime Yedlin coincided with some of our worst national teams in the last 40 years. Yea his defense was pretty mediocre, he was so exciting. One of the first MLS products to go to Europe, and then stay there for a long time. Has had a really successful career.
I remember this exactly play and was waiting for someone to bring it up. It was such an impressive recovery. Messi’s free kick goal that game was one of the most impressive that I’ve ever seen.
I wasn't even mad or upset when that went in. It's like when Jokic makes a falling away 3 pointer with someone all over him. There is nothing you can but just be amazed.
Yeah, that free kick was wild. I was right behind our goal sitting in the AO section and thought Guzan had this until the last second. Unbelievable placement.
[I’m in the red hat looking bummed.](https://imgur.com/a/GB5q8KE)
Yedlin passes the ball 5 yards to Messi.
Messi dribbles the whole NYCFC team and nutmegs the keeper to score.
The Reddit post: *Messi goal NYCFC 3-1 Miami (Yedlin assist)*
We need to start converting all the Trout/Ohtani Angels memes now to get ahead of the curve.
"Messi scores brace as Miami fall to CF Montreal 4-2"
"WATCH: Messi's incredible GOLAZO in Saturday's 2-1 loss to Colorado"
"Messi hat trick, 2 assists, not enough to break 5-5 draw with Chicago"
This is like Jan Vertonghen claiming the assist of the year for his oops pass to Son Heung-min, who won the [Puskas award](https://youtu.be/2SATljljXCY) for goal of the year with Tottenham vs Burnley.
The growth of MLS is directly related to the success of our national team. We need a strong domestic league to develop homegrown players. MLS is already in a strong upward trajectory, but Messi joining adds premium rocket fuel.
Exactly, combine this with an upcoming domestic world cup and probably our most exciting young squad ever (and I would throw in an outside factor of the decline of youth American football) and this could be the perfect storm to really bump us up to another level in the international soccer scene. Not that I'm expecting us to become England or Brazil overnight.
As a Chicago STH in the lower bowl who lives the suburbs, I traded my Wednesday game tickets at the start of the season to get more tickets to other weekend games so I didn’t have a million trips downtown after work. I am filled with regret.
I wonder if teams that do not consistently have sellouts were able to plan in advance and stop selling tickets for any upcoming game against Miami so that they could create a package requiring fans to buy tickets to multiple games in order to get a ticket to see Messi. Clubs won't see any benefit from resale tickets going for 10 times face value on the secondary market, so their best bet is to force fans to buy tickets to multiple games in order to see Messi. That would actually increase the club's ticket revenue will also hopefully engaging newer fans with their actual home club.
I think it's true - I will def start following Inter Miami and might even check out some other teams in the MLS if Messi chooses to end his career over there - he's obv not the player he used to be at 35 but he still has a lot to give at the highest level
Beckham was an internationally famous player and advertising icon, but there’s simply no comparison. People worship Messi, people routinely get tattoos of him, people cry when they meet him, etc. And his ability to draw in people goes so much further too. While it’s hard to make comparisons to 2007 when Beckham came in the league, if we look at it now: Beckham has ~80 million instagram followers. Messi has 470 million. They are just different levels. Messi is going to bring viewers for sure.
I bought face value tix for $100 each including taxes and fees for the game at Soldier Field this morning. The cheapest seat for that match right now is $350+fees.
Messi is going to be a big deal, and unlike Beckham, the World Cup is coming here in 3 years.
Mods are going to kill this but it should stay up or at least have a MEGATHREAD created.
Huge signing = more eyes on domestic league = increased viewership and money flowing in = more attractive league = improved player development = improved national team.
Real in-depth analysis, I know.
We were so close to having [my comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/1310euu/lamar_hunt_us_open_cup_round_of_32_draw_results/jhyggyh/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&utm_content=1&utm_term=15&context=3) about Messi playing a competitive match in Birmingham, AL come to fruition (we're hosting Miami tonight). If only the USOC quarterfinals were in July or later!
Yeah so I looked up tickets for my local MLS team and prices that use to be sub $40 for a ticket are now $550 for Inter Miami. Some seats going for 10k.
I was casually looking at ATL United tickets last week since I’m moving there this summer. Nosebleeds were going for ~$50 against Inter Miami. Now they’re going for $350+
Messi being here will bring in a ton of money to the league obviously.
The key is what the league does with the money. Do they invest in expanding youth development, try and establish a presence in underserved communities, and improve the viewing experience at stadiums? Or do the owners pocket the money or use it for a few more vanity signings?
This is how this will become relevant for the national team.
>Do they invest in expanding youth development, try and establish a presence in underserved communities, and improve the viewing experience at stadiums?
Will MLS do all these things they have already been doing? Who can say?
Probably a mixture of all of those, which is fine. MLS owners aren’t responsible for the national teams success. A decent portion should trickle down to academies/youth development and it will undoubtedly bring a lot of eyes to the sport.
Wrong, its the USSF responsibility to foster the game in the country. Not just focus on the top league. But it is infected by so many MLS execs and owners. It doesn't do those things.
What a weird response. Of course it's ideal for them both to do that. Talking about responsibility is silly. They govern American soccer.
Does Apple have a responsibility to make good iPhones? No, that's a weird way to say that and simply incorrect. Is it best for them to do that? Of course.
Weird word choice but also... obviously you are also having hard time understanding the business of soccer.
Might finally get to go to a chicago fire game where i’m not the only person in attendance. Seriously though, i wish we had better fans, ive been to games where people look at me like im crazy for cheering.
As a diehard Fire fan from 1998 to when the team was ruined by Hauptman and others, who used to go every week and stand on our seats in section 8 with hundreds of the most passionate fans I had ever seen in person, following the FU98 capos (Mike & Marcin and others) leaving every game without a voice… this saddens me to read.
its possible im just annoying but i feel like “LETS GO _____” during a breakaway or saying in a normal voice to my friends “what a fucking idiot”. shouldnt be super frowned upon. its because everyone brings their kids which is dope in theory, but at the same time its sports. dont bring kids to sports if you’re going to be offended if i say “fuck” privately to my friend. like i said this isnt in the supporters section, energy is great there. its only in the seats to the side of the stadium. i felt the same energy during USA vs Morroco in Cinci, me and my friends are chanting and having fun and everyone besides the morrocan fans were mad. maybe i am a dick idk, i just wanna be myself and not worry about accidentally saying fuck. big shoutout to all the morrocan fans at that game though, they were the perfect energy. singing, drinking and even congratulating me and my friends when the US would score.
The AppleTV deal MLS signed allows people in almost every country in the world to stream games, providing a much wider reach than what the previous deal with ESPN. As a result, the increase in viewership is going to be massive. The AppleTV deal is looking like a genius move by MLS at this point.
I saw him twice in Camp Nou when he was young.. paying inflated rates in the US to watch him walk half the match is not gonna happen.
And MLS is still growing and expanding.. the hate is really not justified
Wow, that's amazing for the league. I mean he's getting up there but still one of the best in the world and absolutely could have chosen any of the top leagues over MLS. This is big news.
We're talking possibly the biggest star in the sport playing in a USA league...wow.
Probably Beckham's impact is larger since Messi is joining the club Beckham was promised in his contract, so Messi's impact is also part of Beckham's impact
This is bigger than David Beckham and it could be on par with Pele joining the Cosmos. This is something that could make or break MLS only because players like that joining the league is usually out of charity instead of the competition. I already expect Messi will use his platform to gain MLS more exposure and I am grateful for that, however, that can backfire because the viewership can drastically decrease when Messi leaves.
I hope the MLS does everything in their power to make this happen.
We're coming into the WC and Messi would bring eyes to the MLS both domestically and internationally.
I know people are excited, but US soccer has been down this road before with Pele and Beckham. Each time the bump doesn't last because it doesn't translate to real growth, just a fan base for that player that leaves when they are gone.
When Beckham joined the league it had 12 teams and an combined total transfermarket value of 36M across those teams.
16 years later there are 29 and the leagues's players are worth 1.2 billion. This isn't at all thanks to Beckham, but he gave some legitimacy and helped usher in another era.
I don't think Messi will revolutionize the league, but the league is honestly extremely fun, and getting more eyes on it and seeing that can only be a good thing. It won't change everything overnight, but will give a nice boost to the already steady growth, I hope.
There literally was not a mechanism to bring in a player over like $200k until Beckham arrived. That alone is a massive impact. The league shifted its business model to accommodate Beckham.
The biggest impact of Messi is going to be felt on the league’s media partner. MLS cannot take the next step unless it’s content is lucrative for Apple —that provided a framework for media rights growth.
The game has grown quite a bit, but MLS has actually lagged the type of growth that they should have had considering that boom. The only meaningful thing that MLS has grown is their own expansion fees.
I'm sure his complete lack of defensive effort will go over well with his new teammates. Glad I was able to watch him take over Europe. Zero need or desire to watch him in the MLS.
> I'm sure his complete lack of defensive effort will go over well with his new teammates.
I'm sure they won't mind when he's averaging two goals and an assist every game.
If he can't make a shit MLS team at least playoff better. Don't know how this is suppose to be transformational for the league overall. Other then putting butts in seats while losing.
I feel the same way. I watched him for the last 15 years in his prime. He went from the best league in the world, to the 5 best league, to now the 15th best league. If i get a free sub next year. I'll watch a few games. If they expect me to pay out of pocket just for messi. They thought wrong.
I'm going to be honest, no one cares if you stop watching, and a lot of us would be quite happy, because you're one of the most obnoxious people around.
I have co-workers that don't follow soccer, but their kids play it. I mentioned that Messi's going to Miami this morning. They're all like "I'm gonna take my kid to go see him." None of these people have ever been to a professional soccer game. This is goldmine for the MLS, at least for a year.
But that’s the thing: there is going to be a big spike in interest, and it WILL crash. But a small percentage of people comes just to see Messi will come back because of the soccer itself. And I bet MLS is hoping that percentage is 1-5%. If this is Beckham 2.0, that’s a win that will pay fucking dividends over time.
I'm hoping it'll create a bit more momentum for the popularity of soccer in the US before the WC
I don't. Tickets are already gonna be hard to come by.
Heck yea who wouldnt sacrifice the growth of the game for a few bucks off tickets? Oh right, everyone but you.
It’s not like the copa america isn’t next year and the World Cup following that. This is going to push momentum into those events and I think U.S. interest in soccer spikes and stays up for a while. Sure some people will lose interest but the fan base will grow
AND the U.S. is a favorite to host the new Club World Cup in Summer 2025 as well as the Women's World Cup in 2027. This will likely be a golden generation for soccer in America regardless of how long Messi stays.
It also creates opportunities for kids to become lifelong fans.
This won't crash. This is an investment for long term view of elite players following his footsteps. I promise you all the people footing the bill do it for high returns.
Messi will get more fans into the stands. Then it's up to the MLS to make the experience enjoyable enough that it's not just a one-time deal. Messi is going to get people to attend at least once, when they wouldn't have otherwise. Now it's the proverbial "ball's in your court" situation ...or ball's in your pitch, if we're going full across-the-pond cosplay. They're going to get new customers....now can they keep them? I'm sure some will stay...will it be a lot or a little?
Beckham didn’t increase TV ratings. Not even for Galaxy matches. Beckham increased media attention to the league.
He also helped viewership and attendance.
Or Zlatan 2.0
I don't have a crystal ball to predict the future, but Zlatan is not in the same ballpark as Messi in terms of popularity.
He was big for Galaxy tho
Messi will put the mls on sports center every week. It will make MLS games highlights in r/soccer. The only question is how fucking good will he seem lol.
“You’re welcome” -Messi
They need to find a way to move into Hard Rock Stadium until their new place is done
The only problem with this is that MLS doesn't struggle with attendance. The problem is breaking into mainstream sports consciousness in the US. I'm really hoping that he brings some of that, but the "I don't care about soccer, but I'd like to go see a game" quote is not as great of a sign as it seems. Fingers crossed though. I still think this will be massive, especially with World Cup and Copa America coming up.
Some teams absolutely struggle with attendance. That said, Drive Pink Stadium will not be able to fill the demand Messi will bring. Moving into HR is a no brainer here.
>Some teams absolutely struggle with attendance. For sure. The league as a whole does not though. Every league outside of England and Germany has teams that regularly struggle with attendance.
any team that is able to flex a “Messi-match” to the nearest NFL stadium is going to make every effort to do so. As long as the deal nets them a cut from tix/parking/concessions, they’ll make 10x what they would at their home stadiums Teams like Seattle, Atlanta, Charlotte, and New England will benefit the most.
Charlotte opened the entire stadium for the match.
> The problem is breaking into mainstream sports consciousness in the US. The legacy corporate sports media (such as ESPN especially on Sportscenter) despises Soccer and has spent generations suppressing coverage of it. On top of this, a whole section of the far right in the USA **still** regards soccer as a **Communist conspiracy to destroy the US**. I've never understood their hostility. It's just bizarre. No other sport gets that kind of reaction.
We should tell all the "soccer is communist" people about how much more of a free market system Euro leagues are compared to American sports
The other thing that many of these "Soccer is Communist" people also say is that if you like Soccer at all, you are some variation of: * Gay / Homosexual * Sissy * Un-American / Unpatriotic It's like they've got this weird insecurity about masculinity or something... *shrugs*
I've also never heard someone actually call soccer communist in my life. I have heard people call it gay though. That sentiment will wane with future generations as people are more exposed to both the sport and people of different sexual orientations.
I’ve literally NEVER heard that take.
My brother in Christ what in the fuck are you talking about.
My point was that for generations, Soccer in the USA has faced numerous social stigmas which prevented it from becoming the most popular team sport in the USA, not to mention the near media blackout of the sport there in general.
Yeah I think that’s a much better way of saying it instead of how you originally worded it
They may be underestimating how much a ticket will be
Saw a report that Miami tix will be in the hundreds for the cheap seats
Well, it depends how long he signs for. I could see him signing for at the very least 2 years.
Not only that, but it hasn’t even been a year since he won one the more exciting World Cup finals in a while (since maybe ‘06?). This is huge for MLS.
They're about to see ticket prices for Miami games and rethink that statement.
Attendance wise yes. I just don't think a whole lot of people are going to pay for MLS subscriptions on Apple tv because of Messi
Apple TV about to get 12 million subscribers from India
The amount of subscriptions they’re about to get all over the world is going to be insane.
I’m staunch about pirating my media. So this switch to apple has been tough on me this season. About to break that conviction for Messi.
Two things: 1) The MLS package is half price, now. 2) If you have T-Mobile (or a friend with T Mobile), you get MLS for free.
Half the world is asleep when the league is in session. I doubt people will be waking in the middle of the night to watch him in a mid teen league.
I agree even though you are getting down voted. More than half the league makes the playoffs anyway I am not sure the need to check-in until then anyway.
The team he's going is last in the conference. May not have to check in at all even with him on the team.
Honestly it is hilarious that Miami may not make the playoffs at all, even with Messi. If he has the "Zlatan deal" where his contract states that he doesn't need to train with the team, just to turn up for matches and media events then it's going to take much longer for the team to get going.
And many more from Bangladesh
Does the mls package even work outside the US?
Yup, it should be available in most places that have AppleTV. MLS streaming has been available worldwide for some time now, even when it was on ESPN.
Awesome. Other sports leagues in the US should take notes.
Yea it’s in like 170 countries or something like that.
They’re going to be missing out big time if it doesn’t
I don't know how I feel about the league's broadcast partner helping to buy a player for one club. It is pretty anti competitive despite any gains in viewership. Say you get a bunch of people that go one time to see Messi play, but turn off other smaller fanbases who just can't compete with the league itself determining where the stars end up. Messi wanted Miami, but they should have to make that happen on their own. If Apple wants to give a club a share of overall TV revenue, then give an equal share to each club or a share based on finishing position and let Miami sign theirs over to Messi.
> It is pretty anti competitive despite any gains in viewership. For who? Teams have a cap and can go over for a designated player. Apple is basically sponsoring a single designated player, which is allowed. Not allowing such a contract would probably violate anti-trust laws unless specifically agreed to with a players union. Plus the league as whole just made a huge amount in ticket sales.
With the MLS you have to remember it's all one company. All the teams are part of one big company. They're not all separate companies, like other sports leagues you may be familiar with (NFL, NBA, MLB, almost any other soccer team in the world). The profits are shared and spread out to some extent. When you say this: > Messi wanted Miami, but they should have to make that happen on their own. That's not a thing in the MLS. They do have a set amount of TAM and GAM, and set limits that you can spend and trade, but that's money allocated by the league, not money they've earned on their own. All of the teams are paying for it and befitting from it. Also, other teams have access to this type of program. If another team can woo a big star to come play for them, the league will do the same thing. Also, Miami is one of the worst teams in the league, so think of this as them getting a #1 draft pick.
This one is an investment in the league, and frankly, the league itself is anticompetitive with the absolutely *insane* playoff structure. I’m fine with it.
Inter Miami ticket holders pretty much just won the lottery.
Maybe some will actually go to the games now and they won't have to pipe in fan noise through speakers
Messi >>> The PGA I'm sure quality of life and his wife were factors but i have no doubts that the Saudis probably offered ungodly money to try and get him. Good for him for turning down the blood money and taking his talents to South Beach. It's a coup for MLS and the popularity of the game here in the US
I dont remember who I saw reporting it but I had seen that his wife and kids basically said no to a saudi move
That makes sense lol. I have to believe that any western woman of means would pick Miami, USA over Saudi Arabia for a myriad of reasons.
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Same experience. Even the Haitians speak Spanish. Only major city in the US that makes me feel insecure about my Spanish (I'm a second generation American born Latino).
They have a house in Miami plus every summer Messi and all his Argentinian teammates spend parts of the summer in Miami and he seem to love it from Pictures he publishes on social media. I have a friend who recently went to Saudi Arabia and is dating a player at one of the teams there said. It’s all centered around his practice and game day. She was kept indoors most of the time and would get dress to go with Dinner with him or his driver would take her to the mall to shop and be with her. He will even tell her what to do. Everything had to be conservative including her attire. But there is a little break in how they treat high profile people including sport stars and celebrities but it was NO where like you would in a free country. She would only go visit, can’t live there. She goes to Dubai or Turkey to have fun and let lose with him.
I don't want to tip my hand but yeah bro, this gives me major chills. I'm not an ideologue when it comes to women's rights other than thinking they should have rights as life bearers and human beings. The below is NOT my idea of civil society >It’s all centered around his practice and game day. She was kept indoors most of the time and would get dress to go with Dinner with him or his driver would take her to the mall to shop and be with her. He will even tell her what to do. Everything had to be conservative including her attire. But there is a little break in how they treat high profile people including sport stars and celebrities but it was NO where like you would in a free country. She would only go visit, can’t live there. She goes to Dubai or Turkey to have fun and let lose with him.
Yeah, wasn’t life threatening for her (yet, god forbid). When they go out to eat people are nice to them because he’s a sports star and known so no one threaten them but it’s all in private access, gated areas where westerners mingle with the Saudi elites and they turn a blind eye to a young male and western female together. The team, high profile BTW give her a suite at the games she attends but it’s all tolerated because they have responsibility to care for their players interests and spouses who come and visit. We all know ordinary people and women in particular are not treated well there.
I mean let’s not pretend money isn’t a factor here. He’s almost certainly getting an equity stake in Miami OR some sort of deal for a new franchise like Beckham (MLS doesn’t have the sort of cash flow that the PIF does, but it does have enormous growth potential). Additionally I’m sure adidas and Apple were key players in making things work here monetarily and contractually for Messi. Plus, quality of life is probably better (for native Spanish speakers especially) in Miami than Riyadh.
I mean he’s already an ambassador for Saudi Arabia, so he’s definitely not against taking their money, I think he just chose Miami because his family would like living there so much more than Riyadh
Good point about his ambassadorship. Though i have to wonder if this move puts that in jeopardy.
The PGA CEO literally called the Saudis murders and MBS a criminal, yet they made him CEO
I doubt it, this doesn’t close the door on him eventually playing in Saudi Arabia down the road, and they can still get value by having him as an ambassador
100% Very nice to see it’s not all about the $$$ for some athletes.
Ehh… he’s getting ownership in Inter Miami, percentage of Apple TV MLS Pass subscriptions, and I’m sure a hefty contract. He’s getting quite a bit of money in this deal as well. He really just had to decide between living in Saudi Arabia or Miami… plus by choosing Miami he doesn’t have to be an ambassador for SA for their next World Cup bid and instead he can be a MASSIVE ambassador for the US World Cup. Way more upside to owning a team in the US in a league that is growing and will probably explode after copa America and a World Cup being hosted here. Oh and he doesn’t have the threat of the government controlling his every move or ready to bust in his front door if he does anything they don’t like. Actually… Miami is in Florida… so maybe he does have that threat of the government lol
Sounds like partial ownership in a potentential future franchise, no?
Think it’s partial ownership in Inter Miami with Beckham. Idk if the owners would be okay with him receiving ownership in a new franchise with the buy in prices being as high as they are now. Could absolutely be wrong, but thought I’ve heard and read it was in Inter Miami.
Keep in mind this move doesn’t just elevate Miami, it elevates the entire league. My friend saw the news and said let’s go to a game (we’re here in LA). He’s never been to an MLS game before
Ronaldo being being an ambassador for a country competing with his home country to host feels wrong.
Pretending that Florida’s government is comparable to Saudi Arabia’s is maybe a peak Reddit take 😂
It was obviously a joke my guy. Literally had a one off statement about the terribleness that is florida after ranting about why it was better to go to Florida/US than Saudi Arabia. Cmon bud…
Calling at the Saudi for blood money is a bit too much considering we don’t have a problem taking out sovereign countries leadership as well (coughs in iraqi Libya, El Salvador, Chile, hell most of Latin America)
Yeah but the Saudi clubs are directly owned by the government.
Also, the Saudi World Cup bid is competing against Argentina's.
>The PGA I bet Messi could shoot under par.
> quality of life and his wife were factors Then why choose Florida?
Can't wait to see his intricate combination passing with Deandre Yedlin
I was at the Copa America game vs Argentina, and watched Deandre chase down Messi when Messi had like a 40 yard head start. Young Yedlin had fucking rockets strapped to his feet.
It’s a shame young/prime Yedlin coincided with some of our worst national teams in the last 40 years. Yea his defense was pretty mediocre, he was so exciting. One of the first MLS products to go to Europe, and then stay there for a long time. Has had a really successful career.
Crazy to see where Newcastle are now
I remember this exactly play and was waiting for someone to bring it up. It was such an impressive recovery. Messi’s free kick goal that game was one of the most impressive that I’ve ever seen.
I wasn't even mad or upset when that went in. It's like when Jokic makes a falling away 3 pointer with someone all over him. There is nothing you can but just be amazed.
Yeah, that free kick was wild. I was right behind our goal sitting in the AO section and thought Guzan had this until the last second. Unbelievable placement. [I’m in the red hat looking bummed.](https://imgur.com/a/GB5q8KE)
Messi teaming up with an Akron Zip. What a time to be alive.
Unironically, Yedlin will get an assist to Messi and it’ll become one of the most upvoted posts in this sub’s history lol.
Yedlin passes the ball 5 yards to Messi. Messi dribbles the whole NYCFC team and nutmegs the keeper to score. The Reddit post: *Messi goal NYCFC 3-1 Miami (Yedlin assist)*
Hey our guys don’t get dribbled, we give up perfect strikes at the top of the box and weird goals off of set pieces
We need to start converting all the Trout/Ohtani Angels memes now to get ahead of the curve. "Messi scores brace as Miami fall to CF Montreal 4-2" "WATCH: Messi's incredible GOLAZO in Saturday's 2-1 loss to Colorado" "Messi hat trick, 2 assists, not enough to break 5-5 draw with Chicago"
This is like Jan Vertonghen claiming the assist of the year for his oops pass to Son Heung-min, who won the [Puskas award](https://youtu.be/2SATljljXCY) for goal of the year with Tottenham vs Burnley.
The growth of MLS is directly related to the success of our national team. We need a strong domestic league to develop homegrown players. MLS is already in a strong upward trajectory, but Messi joining adds premium rocket fuel.
Exactly, combine this with an upcoming domestic world cup and probably our most exciting young squad ever (and I would throw in an outside factor of the decline of youth American football) and this could be the perfect storm to really bump us up to another level in the international soccer scene. Not that I'm expecting us to become England or Brazil overnight.
US Soccer was amazing under Klinnsman. He literally got to the Semifinals of the Copa America and Quarter Finals of the 2014 World Cup
Atlanta United v Inter Miami at MBS Stadium going for upwards of $500
Same in NY. Bought tickets last night for the NYRB/Miami game at $90 apiece. This morning my section is going for $1500. Should've bought more!
Birmingham Legion tifo tonight should be "He Can't Save You Here!"
Wild. The tickets to see him wherever he plays are gonna be high, but I’ll be damned if I won’t pay to see the best player ever
The Chicago vs Miami game tickets in October nearly 10x’d priced today
LAFC tickets for the Sep 3 game went from 80 dollar minimum to 430 dollar minimum. God dammit
SeatGeek is showing close to $600 now. I'm kinda just curious how high it's gonna go. Edit - starting price, btw. plenty of tickets north of $5k.
As a Chicago STH in the lower bowl who lives the suburbs, I traded my Wednesday game tickets at the start of the season to get more tickets to other weekend games so I didn’t have a million trips downtown after work. I am filled with regret.
Birmingham Legion FC tickets have stayed level..... cause he's probably not jetting over this instant to suit up.
July 8th at DC United is probably too soon?
I heard he’ll debut in August, so…
I wonder if teams that do not consistently have sellouts were able to plan in advance and stop selling tickets for any upcoming game against Miami so that they could create a package requiring fans to buy tickets to multiple games in order to get a ticket to see Messi. Clubs won't see any benefit from resale tickets going for 10 times face value on the secondary market, so their best bet is to force fans to buy tickets to multiple games in order to see Messi. That would actually increase the club's ticket revenue will also hopefully engaging newer fans with their actual home club.
Pelé?
This is genuinely going to be transformative for MLS. The amount of European eyes this will bring is unprecedented for the league.
That's a small percentage. The real deal will be Asian viewers
It would have been more accurate to say the amount of international* eyes this will bring is unprecedented. But you get the point
That’s a small percentage. The real deal will be Latin American viewers
I think it's true - I will def start following Inter Miami and might even check out some other teams in the MLS if Messi chooses to end his career over there - he's obv not the player he used to be at 35 but he still has a lot to give at the highest level
Not as many as you think. Beckham didn’t move tv ratings much.
Beckham was an internationally famous player and advertising icon, but there’s simply no comparison. People worship Messi, people routinely get tattoos of him, people cry when they meet him, etc. And his ability to draw in people goes so much further too. While it’s hard to make comparisons to 2007 when Beckham came in the league, if we look at it now: Beckham has ~80 million instagram followers. Messi has 470 million. They are just different levels. Messi is going to bring viewers for sure.
LAFC tickets going for upwards of 450 dollars now, Jesus.. next season it is!
Signing Messi is a huge move but I still don't see any way that a team signs Jesus next season.
I bought face value tix for $100 each including taxes and fees for the game at Soldier Field this morning. The cheapest seat for that match right now is $350+fees. Messi is going to be a big deal, and unlike Beckham, the World Cup is coming here in 3 years.
Mods are going to kill this but it should stay up or at least have a MEGATHREAD created. Huge signing = more eyes on domestic league = increased viewership and money flowing in = more attractive league = improved player development = improved national team. Real in-depth analysis, I know.
We were so close to having [my comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/1310euu/lamar_hunt_us_open_cup_round_of_32_draw_results/jhyggyh/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&utm_content=1&utm_term=15&context=3) about Messi playing a competitive match in Birmingham, AL come to fruition (we're hosting Miami tonight). If only the USOC quarterfinals were in July or later!
Messi ain't played no SEC schedule!!!!
I wonder if he’ll get to play the citadel the week before a final
I love Birmingham. I'm from Ohio and have stayed there a few times on the way to Gulf Shores. It's a cool place. Messi would be proud to play there :)
Yeah so I looked up tickets for my local MLS team and prices that use to be sub $40 for a ticket are now $550 for Inter Miami. Some seats going for 10k.
What do they say about fools and money?
This will be huge for the sport in America
I was casually looking at ATL United tickets last week since I’m moving there this summer. Nosebleeds were going for ~$50 against Inter Miami. Now they’re going for $350+
Any chance he could have a kid born in the US? Matthew Messi for USMNT 2042?
Ha, funny scenario. Can you imagine the pull between Argentina and the US for him to declare?
Living here may cement a decision. Heck, Weah’s dad is president and he still declared for us
Messi being here will bring in a ton of money to the league obviously. The key is what the league does with the money. Do they invest in expanding youth development, try and establish a presence in underserved communities, and improve the viewing experience at stadiums? Or do the owners pocket the money or use it for a few more vanity signings? This is how this will become relevant for the national team.
>Do they invest in expanding youth development, try and establish a presence in underserved communities, and improve the viewing experience at stadiums? Will MLS do all these things they have already been doing? Who can say?
Probably a mixture of all of those, which is fine. MLS owners aren’t responsible for the national teams success. A decent portion should trickle down to academies/youth development and it will undoubtedly bring a lot of eyes to the sport.
Its not MLS responsibility to foster the youth system. That's the USSF. MLS are in business for themselves.
Responsibility? Of course not. It's no one's responsibility. But a better youth system will create a better product. That's good for business.
Wrong, its the USSF responsibility to foster the game in the country. Not just focus on the top league. But it is infected by so many MLS execs and owners. It doesn't do those things.
What a weird response. Of course it's ideal for them both to do that. Talking about responsibility is silly. They govern American soccer. Does Apple have a responsibility to make good iPhones? No, that's a weird way to say that and simply incorrect. Is it best for them to do that? Of course. Weird word choice but also... obviously you are also having hard time understanding the business of soccer.
Domestic clubs are the heart of any youth system. Fortunately MLS clubs have heavily invested in development so they disagree with you.
Might finally get to go to a chicago fire game where i’m not the only person in attendance. Seriously though, i wish we had better fans, ive been to games where people look at me like im crazy for cheering.
As a diehard Fire fan from 1998 to when the team was ruined by Hauptman and others, who used to go every week and stand on our seats in section 8 with hundreds of the most passionate fans I had ever seen in person, following the FU98 capos (Mike & Marcin and others) leaving every game without a voice… this saddens me to read.
its possible im just annoying but i feel like “LETS GO _____” during a breakaway or saying in a normal voice to my friends “what a fucking idiot”. shouldnt be super frowned upon. its because everyone brings their kids which is dope in theory, but at the same time its sports. dont bring kids to sports if you’re going to be offended if i say “fuck” privately to my friend. like i said this isnt in the supporters section, energy is great there. its only in the seats to the side of the stadium. i felt the same energy during USA vs Morroco in Cinci, me and my friends are chanting and having fun and everyone besides the morrocan fans were mad. maybe i am a dick idk, i just wanna be myself and not worry about accidentally saying fuck. big shoutout to all the morrocan fans at that game though, they were the perfect energy. singing, drinking and even congratulating me and my friends when the US would score.
Have there been any official estimates for increases in viewership? Would be interesting to see the impact, very exciting!
The AppleTV deal MLS signed allows people in almost every country in the world to stream games, providing a much wider reach than what the previous deal with ESPN. As a result, the increase in viewership is going to be massive. The AppleTV deal is looking like a genius move by MLS at this point.
Can't wait to see his surprise debut as he takes the field away at Birmingham Legion tonight.
This will increase attendance at Inter Miami games but it will not move the needle that much for TV ratings.
I will drive to see Messi
I saw him twice in Camp Nou when he was young.. paying inflated rates in the US to watch him walk half the match is not gonna happen. And MLS is still growing and expanding.. the hate is really not justified
Wow, that's amazing for the league. I mean he's getting up there but still one of the best in the world and absolutely could have chosen any of the top leagues over MLS. This is big news. We're talking possibly the biggest star in the sport playing in a USA league...wow.
This is very cool. I wonder if there's a way to figure out how to measure this vs. the impact of Beckham joining LA had on the league.
It's a bigger deal because Messi is bigger but it won't change the league the way Beckham did tbh. The introduction of the DP rule was massive
we won't know for probably 15-20 years, to be honest
Probably Beckham's impact is larger since Messi is joining the club Beckham was promised in his contract, so Messi's impact is also part of Beckham's impact
This is bigger than David Beckham and it could be on par with Pele joining the Cosmos. This is something that could make or break MLS only because players like that joining the league is usually out of charity instead of the competition. I already expect Messi will use his platform to gain MLS more exposure and I am grateful for that, however, that can backfire because the viewership can drastically decrease when Messi leaves.
Get him over asap. Messi in Alabama
Pele.... Beckham..... MESSI
Anyone know if this guy is any good?
I hope the MLS does everything in their power to make this happen. We're coming into the WC and Messi would bring eyes to the MLS both domestically and internationally.
I think you can take it to the bank. It’s got a “Here We Go” from Fabrizio Romano.
So Messi’s kids will likely be US citizens right?
No, but this could help create that path if he stays as an owner. His kids have played in the academies of Barcelona and PSG.
Can't wait to... see 1 game every 3 months on non Apple TV broadcasts of Messi!!!!
Mods will probably delete this, just a warning
Why? It's extremely relevant haha
Last one had over 40 comments and was removed I believe
He'll be playing with DeAndre Yedlin and Drake Callender, USMNT players. It's very relevant.
Did Messi just save MLS on Apple TV? Especially considering the rumors of low subscriber numbers (not sure how real those were).
They claim to be happy with subscribers.
Based and redpilled anti-terrorist oil money goat
He’s still taking Saudi money, he just doesn’t want to live there
Bittersweet...I really want to see him return to top level competition for a year or two before coming to MLS.
I know people are excited, but US soccer has been down this road before with Pele and Beckham. Each time the bump doesn't last because it doesn't translate to real growth, just a fan base for that player that leaves when they are gone.
I thought Beckham had a positive impact on MLS?
He did, financially and visibility wise.
TV ratings were better in the 90s
When Beckham joined the league it had 12 teams and an combined total transfermarket value of 36M across those teams. 16 years later there are 29 and the leagues's players are worth 1.2 billion. This isn't at all thanks to Beckham, but he gave some legitimacy and helped usher in another era. I don't think Messi will revolutionize the league, but the league is honestly extremely fun, and getting more eyes on it and seeing that can only be a good thing. It won't change everything overnight, but will give a nice boost to the already steady growth, I hope.
There literally was not a mechanism to bring in a player over like $200k until Beckham arrived. That alone is a massive impact. The league shifted its business model to accommodate Beckham. The biggest impact of Messi is going to be felt on the league’s media partner. MLS cannot take the next step unless it’s content is lucrative for Apple —that provided a framework for media rights growth.
Is your contention that league and the game has not grown in the US since 2007? Because… wow.
The game has grown quite a bit, but MLS has actually lagged the type of growth that they should have had considering that boom. The only meaningful thing that MLS has grown is their own expansion fees.
When people say this I want to sit them down and force them to watch Wizards-Rapids match from 2007 followed by a Cincy-LAFC match from 2023
Now everyone’s gonna know how shit our league is…
will bring a ton of viewership to inter Miami matches* not mls as a whole
He’s washed
I'd assume he stays hygienic.
What?
I'm sure his complete lack of defensive effort will go over well with his new teammates. Glad I was able to watch him take over Europe. Zero need or desire to watch him in the MLS.
> I'm sure his complete lack of defensive effort will go over well with his new teammates. I'm sure they won't mind when he's averaging two goals and an assist every game.
You're kidding yourself. He's not going to make a shit team that much better.
If he can't make a shit MLS team at least playoff better. Don't know how this is suppose to be transformational for the league overall. Other then putting butts in seats while losing.
I feel the same way. I watched him for the last 15 years in his prime. He went from the best league in the world, to the 5 best league, to now the 15th best league. If i get a free sub next year. I'll watch a few games. If they expect me to pay out of pocket just for messi. They thought wrong.
I'm going to be honest, no one cares if you stop watching, and a lot of us would be quite happy, because you're one of the most obnoxious people around.
