Soccer is known as “the beautiful game”. It is one of the most beloved, if not the most beloved sport in the world.
Meanwhile in the United States, the sport has been notoriously in the back seat in terms of sports popularity. Soccer has never truly picked up serious steam or been considered close in meaning and public representation compared to other sports like football and basketball.
However, over this past summer, the narrative has taken a drastic shift. Lionel Messi, one of the most decorated athletes in history, has made his way to the US professional soccer league, the MLS.
Messi completed his transfer to soccer legend David Beckham’s club, Inter Miami CF, on July 15th. This was a massive move for Miami. Prior to the signing of Messi, the club was one of the worst teams in the entire league, being in last place of the Eastern Conference.
Messi’s move to Miami shocked the sports world, especially with the competition of teams trying to snag the global icon. Along with Inter Miami, Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal offered the Argentinian a contract with an annual salary of up to 400 million dollars.
Lionel Messi’s childhood and longtime club FC Barcelona also entered the conversation, potentially trying to strike up a reunion following Messi leaving the club for Paris Saint-Germain back in 2021.
But it was Inter Miami that managed to scoop up the legendary soccer player, and his impact has already been felt in the short time he has been with the club.
When he first signed with the club, Inter Miami’s social media following on Instagram skyrocketed from 400k followers to 14.8 million. The same can also be said for the MLS as a league for its social media following.
Needless to say, Messi’s impact has been felt around the league from the moment he put the pen to paper.
In terms of competition, Inter Miami has yet to lose a single game since Messi made his debut on July 21st. Following an electric debut, Messi and Inter Miami stormed through and won the Leagues Cup, a competition for the best professional clubs in North America.
On a team level, Messi has impacted some of the young talent on Inter Miami, such as Midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi, who has also recently been called up to the USA Men’s national team for the first time!
Messi also did not come to Miami alone. When he signed with Miami, his two longtime Barcelona teammates and closest friends Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquetes followed and joined the club.
Along with Alba and Busquetes, there are several transfer rumors of other global soccer stars, such as french striker Antoine Griezman, having interest in joining the club and league in general.
Inter Miami has been on a roll since acquiring Messi and his posse. They have quickly become debatably the most dangerous team in the MLS. While they currently sit 14th in the Eastern Conference and 8 points back of DC United, who hold the last playoff spot, expect Messi and his crew to make a fierce run towards the MLS Cup playoffs.
Even if Inter Miami and Messi somehow fall short of making the playoffs, which many experts and analysts doubt, they will be a force to be reckoned with in the MLS for the foreseeable future.
