Lionel Messi signs deal with Hard Rock leading to more MLS speculation
MIAMI — The rumor that Argentine superstar Lionel Messi will be coming to Major League Soccer will not die and this week fuel was added to the fire as he signed a promotional contract with Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, headquartered in Miami.
The endorsement will have Messi visiting Miami for work much more often than he does right now, add to that the fact that he has a $7 million home in the city, and fans continue to read into things that he will one day join Inter Miami CF.
That is something that owner Jorge Mas hasn’t done anything to silence, making Messi his key target for a long time. Rumors have been flying around in Spain that Messi would sign a contract with Barcelona until 2023 when he’d join Miami before heading back to Barcelona in 2025 in some ambassador role. That would be a significant outlay, but for a club that spent millions over the salary cap to finish outside of the playoffs last year, Miami could manage.
Mas made it clear that Messi is the club’s top target in an interview with the Miami Herald.
“David (Beckham) and I have been working really hard, we have aspirations of bringing the best players here and Leo Messi is a generational player, arguably the best player of all time,” Mas said. “I am optimistic Messi will play in an Inter Miami shirt because I think it will complete the legacy of the greatest player in our generation and will meet with the ambitions of the owners of Inter Miami to build a world-class team.”
The financial implication is a big one, he’d likely be on over $70 million per year, which is over 10 times the current highest salary in Major League Soccer. That salary is currently owned by Carlos Vela at Los Angeles FC with $6.3 million.
Messi would certainly cost a lot of money but would be a significant boost for the club on and off the field. The club would certainly make money off of the Messi signing, and would surely bump up ticket prices to capitalize. To facilitate the signing the club would have to move on another star as the league will be watching roster compliance like a hawk.
It’s going to be at least two more years but Inter is definitely very interested which would excite the fans.
This story originally featured at Florida Soccer Report.
