Lionel Messi being a hit in North America can’t exactly come as a surprise, he has been arguably the most celebrated footballer to ever grace the planet and has been so for many years.
To some, his move to the United States of America was refreshing during a summer where almost every player with any known name recognition had the chance to go and earn countless millions from clubs owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
However, in choosing Inter Miami, the Argentine World Cup winner elected to join a league with at least some prior pedigree, and his impact on Major League Soccer has perhaps even exceeded what we expected.
You can now watch Messi in MLS with Apple
“Leo Messi has changed the rules of the game in Major League Soccer He filled all the stadiums he went to and the data is encouraging for MLS,” explained Alfonso Mondelo, MLS sporting director in an interview with EFE.
As a result, the league are considering the option of increasing the number of designated players -those who are eligible to sign contracts above the salary cap, it is also hoped that the caliber of player this attracts will improve the tactical floor of the league.
“At the Inter Miami game in Los Angeles, which has a very strong fan base and people who are very attached to their teams, there were a lot of pink Inter Miami jerseys with Messi‘s name on them,” he added.
‘Messimania’ goes far beyond Inter Miami. Its ‘indirect’ impact is a gold mine for other clubs in the league. The Chicago Fire broke its record for box office revenues by filling Soldier Field stadium with 62,124 spectators for the clash with Inter Miami. The fever to see Messi was palpable, although in the end he didn’t play due to injury.
Tickets to see Messi in New York, against the Red Bulls, or in Los Angeles, against LAFC, have held an average price of 500 dollars.
Messi’s life in a documentary on Apple TV
Apple TV, which last year signed a ten-year deal with MLS worth an estimated 2.5 billion dollars to broadcast all the matches, released the documentary ‘Messi Comes to America’ on Wednesday, October 11. It is a six-episode series in which Apple TV cameras follow Messi’s new life in Miami, with unprecedented access.
“The arrival of Apple was a turning point for MLS. Wherever you are in the world, you can open the ‘iPad’ and watch the game. That’s an attraction for the players as well, who watch MLS. Players want to be part of this league. The arrival of Messi has had an impact on subscriptions,” Mondelo continued.
The numbers don’t lie. On the day of Messi’s debut with Inter Miami, MLS Season Pass registered 110,000 new subscriptions, up from 6,143 the day before, according to a study by data analytics firm Antenna.
Messi hits an impossible trick shot and makes it look easy
Salary cap increase “very possible”
With Messi as a major figure, the perception of MLS has not only changed in its media presence, but also among footballers. This was recently acknowledged by Switzerland’s Xherdan Shaqiri, a globetrotting footballer, European champion with Bayern Munich and Liverpool and former Inter Milan and Lyon player, now with the Fire.
“Of course we talk to each other about MLS. They write to me, they ask me,” Shaqiri said after the recent Fire-Inter Miami clash.
The Swiss also felt that MLS should have more flexibility in its transfer policy to encourage more talent to come in.
In this sense, MLS does not rule out modifying its transfer policy in the future to increase the number of so-called ‘designated players’, currently three per team, who have access to contracts with very favorable economic conditions and much higher salaries compared to the rest of their teammates.
“MLS club owners have shown steady growth. They are constantly raising the salary cap, they are showing that they want to help improve. ‘GAM’ (General Allocation Money) was created to help bring in mid-level players. They are evaluating what can be done to improve. It is very possible that they will evaluate the possibility of adding one more designated player,” Mondelo considered.
“All of that is evaluated annually and it’s the owners who are going to make that final decision, because they are the ones who are investing.”
Messi raises tactical awareness
Aside from the economic effect, Messi‘s arrival has had a strong impact on a tactical level in the United States. Soccer matches used to be back-and-forth, marked by a lot of speed, less technique and a tactical preparation that still has a lot of room for improvement.
Messi‘s arrival is not only a push for opponents to be better, but an obligation. With the Argentine on the field, the approach of their rivals has changed and there are matches with much more tactical attention.
“The games are different when Messi plays. They are played with a calmness, with a pause, which was perhaps lacking in North American soccer. Perhaps it was played with more speed than technique. Let’s hope that this will have a long-term impact on Messi, that teams will start to play with more precision and emphasis on protecting the ball,” Mondelo concluded.