- Lionel Messi announced that he is leaving PSG to play for Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami after two years in Paris’ Ligue 1.
- Messi chose Inter Miami over a reported $400 million offer from al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia.
- Inter Miami’s odds to win the MLS Championship have shortened significantly after news broke of Messi’s decision.
The best soccer player in the world will reportedly accept a contract with Inter Miami of Major League Soccer in the United States. Following Lionel Messi’s announcement, last-place Inter Miami saw their championship odds drop from +20000 to +4400 at Bovada.
Currently, Inter Miami is last in the Eastern Conference with a record of 5-0-11 and 15 points. There is a wide gap between Inter Miami and the club leading the Eastern Conference. Cincinnati is leading with a record of 12-3-1 and 39 points.
While nothing has been officially announced and details are being worked out, it looks like Messi will accept a deal to play for Inter Miami. The Miami-based MLS club was not on most people’s radar when looking to where Messi would play next.
The general consensus was that Messi would be going to Saudi Arabia or a reunion with Barcelona in La Liga. In early May, Messi was favored to sign with Barca at -150 odds. Inter Miami had the third-best odds at +1000.
In the middle between Barca and Inter Miami was al-Hilal with +250 odds. The Saudi-based club was willing to offer Messi up to $400 million. As a result of the eye-watering contract, there was a lot of money that came in on that prop bet.
Decision Comes Two Years After Winning World Cup
By winning the World Cup in 2022, Messi accomplished everything he dreamed of on the football pitch. Along with the World Cup, the mega-star has won the Champions League four times. Additionally, the 35-year-old has a whopping seven Ballon d’Or awards.
The only thing that there was left for Messi to accomplish was winning a World Cup. With $1.28 billion in earnings in his career, money is not a concern for him either. According to Messi, money was not a factor in his decision.
“If it had been a matter of money, I’d have gone to Arabia or elsewhere. It seemed like a lot of money to me. The truth is that my final decision goes elsewhere and not because of money.”
Messi could have accepted less money to play for Barca. However, his decision to play for Inter Miami seems rather obvious. At 35 years old, Messi has accomplished everything. Now, he would prefer to play in a stress-free environment in Miami.
Messi: "Money, never been an issue with me. We didn't even discuss the contract with Barcelona! They sent me a proposal but was never an official, written and signed proposal" 🔵🔴 #FCB
"We never negotiated my salary. It wasn't about money otherwise I was going to join Saudi". pic.twitter.com/GXIPVyNIkY
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 7, 2023
By playing for Inter Miami, there will be much less stress on him than in Barcelona. As well, getting his family out of the spotlight appeared to be a priority for Messi. During an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Messi raised this issue.
“I made the decision that I’m going to Miami. I still haven’t closed it one hundred percent. I’m missing some things but we decided to continue on the path. If the Barcelona thing didn’t come out, I wanted to leave Europe, get out of the spotlight, and think more of my family.”
Inter Miami Ownership Stake Could Be Part of MLS Deal
David Beckham is part owner of Inter Miami, and he could be ready to share ownership with Messi. In 2007, Beckham made waves when he signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy. He ultimately earned $255 million during his five-career in Major League Soccer.
As part of his deal with the Galaxy, Beckham was guaranteed the right to a discounted MLS franchise. In 2021, he increased his stake in Inter Miami to take on a more prominent role in the organization.
Messi could be on track for a similar deal with Inter Miami. As Major League Soccer continues to grow in North America, the deal could prove to be a lucrative one for Messi. Along with an ownership stake in the franchise, there are reports that advertising deals with Apple and Adidas are potentially on the table.
The details of Leo Messi's proposed contract with Inter Miami 👀 pic.twitter.com/Kz8M7upev0
— ESPN (@espn) June 7, 2023
As a player, Messi will not make more money than he could have in Saudi Arabia or Barcelona. However, he will benefit greatly from many other deals that he will make in Major League Soccer. Messi argues it isn’t about money, but he will not be going poor in the United States.
It is important to note that none of these reports have been confirmed yet. As Messi mentioned in his interview, nothing is 100 percent at the moment.
Messi Expected To Begin Playing For Inter Miami In August
Even if a deal is announced soon, Messi is not expected to make his MLS debut until July or August. The most realistic date is likely in August.
From mid-July to mid-August, the league will be on a break for the Leagues Cup. Messi might play his first game in Miami on August 20 against Charlotte FC.
From August to October, there are 12 matches remaining in the regular season. If he debuts on August 20, Messi would have missed nine matches this season.
Despite only securing 15 points through 16 matches, the betting public is confident that Messi can make a significant impact in the second half of the campaign. Bettors were quick to react to the news and scooped up the +20000 odds as fast as they could before the odds were off the board.
