After winning the World Cup in December, it felt as if Lionel Messi had done it all.
So when the FC Barcelona-turned-Paris Saint-German star was fielding massive offers to play in lesser known leagues outside of Europe, there wasn’t much criticism of how it would impact his legacy.
Today, Messi’s decision was made public, with reporter Guillem Balague announcing on Wednesday, June 7 that the soccer legend has chosen to head to Inter Miami of Major League Soccer, effectively rejecting an offer from Saudi Arabia reportedly worth upwards of $400 million.
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Messi’s decision to reject the Saudis may come as a surprise just a day removed from the PGA Tour ultimately succumbing to the PIF’s seemingly unlimited pit of funds and merging with the Saudi-backed LIV Tour.
While there are no specifics on Messi’s Inter Miami contract, The Athletic and Miami Herald reported that Messi could receive high upside with his MLS deal which could consist of profit-sharing with Apple, (AAPL) which has a 10-year, $2.5 billion broadcasting deal with MLS; and Adidas, (ADDDF) which has an $830 million deal with MLS until 2030. The deal could also include an ownership stake in an MLS team after Messi finishes his playing career.
The monetary decisions are tough to compare -- between the upfront money from the Saudis and the upside-filled deals with Major League Soccer. But one advantage for MLS may have been Messi’s emotional ties to playing in the United States, something he expressed nearly three years ago in an interview with La Sexta.
"I always had the dream of being able to enjoy and have the experience of living in the United States, experience what the league there is like," Messi told the Spanish television channel.
Messi said he wanted to follow the path of players like Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Thierry Henry, and the recently retired Zlatan Ibrahimovic, all of whom spent time with soccer clubs in the US.
After topping off one of the most storied careers in the history of sports with a World Cup victory, Messi’s decision may be both a financial and emotional victory.
