MIAMI — Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber weighed in on the Lionel Messi to Inter Miami rumors as the club and league await word on the Argentine superstar’s plans for this summer.
Messi is said to be deciding between staying at Paris Saint-Germain at least one more season, going back to FC Barcelona or joining Inter Miami. If he comes to Miami, it will be for a “creative” deal that involves the league, Garber told The Athletic.
“You’re dealing with perhaps the most special player in the history of the game,” Garber said. “So, when there are rumors of him connected to Miami, that’s great. And if it could happen, it would be terrific for MLS, it would be terrific for Messi and his family, and like everything with us, we try to run every opportunity down. I can’t give any more details than that because we don’t have them.”
Garber said MLS and Inter Miami are “willing to be flexible to find the right compensation package in order to land” Messi. He added it would likely take a David Beckham-like deal to get him, referring to the compensation and perks package the Inter Miami co-owner got when he joined MLS as a player.
Messi’s salary with PSG is reportedly $26.6 million per year and the highest paid player in MLS now is Toronto’s Lorenzo Insigne at $14 million.
Garber said teams “have the flexibility to do unique things” to sign players and pointed out that MLS is a single-entity league.
“If you’re selling something that the collective owns, the collective has to approve that. So whatever [Inter Miami owner] Jorge [Mas] decides, with [MLS executive vice president] Todd [Durbin’s] help to structure something, if we have the opportunity to do that, it’s going to be outside the box. We’re gonna have to structure a deal that’s going to compensate him in ways that he and his family expect. What that is? Honestly, we don’t know.”
Inter Miami is off to its best-ever start after opening the season with a pair of home shutouts over the two top teams in the Eastern Conference last season — 2-0 over CF Montreal and 2-0 over the Philadelphia Union.
Miami is tied with New England atop the conference standings heading into Saturday’s road game against New York City FC. The accolades poured in this week with coach Phil Neville and midfielders Rodolfo Pizarro and Jean Mota named to the MLS Team of the Week. Also, Robert Taylor’s spectacular goal against the Union was voted Goal of the Week.
“This year’s team is more mature and experienced than it was when I left for the loan in Mexico last year,” Pizarro said. “Everyone is going in the same direction and has great camaraderie. Everyone is willing to defend and work for each other, and I think is why we are having this success.”
