Messi takes his talents to South Beach: Why soccer’s biggest star is headed to the MLS

Following in the footsteps of countless American retirees, Lionel Messi moves to South Florida.

Only instead of shuffleboard and canasta, the World Cup winner continues his professional soccer career with MLS’s Inter Miami CF, a final club owned by David Beckham and the Florida-based Mas brothers.

The decision is surprising in part because Messi is leaving a French powerhouse, Paris Saint-Germain, while turning down offers that might be more attractive, although financial details of his bid from Miami are not being reported.

Not only was Barcelona rumored to be interested in reuniting with Messi, but Saudi Arabia has also reportedly thrown in a $400 million bid for the Argentine legend after striking similarly lucrative deals with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

So why would Messi skip an unimaginable payday for a chance to play for a struggling team? The simple answer: He has more to consider than just salary.

Messi has already taken his sons to Miami on vacation and now owns a $9 million apartment in Miami

A fan holds a sign that reads Mr. Beckham MLS, We Want To See Messi Play In The MLS in March

For starters, Messi has always kept an eye on the owner’s box, and a knowledgeable source told Reuters that he would get such an opportunity in Miami – if not immediately, then eventually.

The fact that Beckham played for LA Galaxy from 2007 to 2012 and now owns a rival club certainly bodes well for Messi’s chances of buying into a league team.

Messi is also looking to maximize his current endorsement deals with Adidas and Apple, both of which have relationships with MLS and will gain more exposure with the 35-year-old playing in the US.

His arrival represents a big opportunity for MLS, which has a $250 million streaming deal with Apple TV and the opportunity to monetize the tech giant by reaching an unreported minimum subscription level.

In adding Messi to the group, MLS apparently sees that as an achievable goal, which probably motivated the decision to bring him to Miami.

Messi previously said he does not expect to play another World Cup in 2026 at the age of 39, but if he qualifies for Argentina, the fact that the tournament will be held in North America is certainly a plus. Messi will not have to move his family abroad for a month and can instead continue to take advantage of his existing US sponsorship deals.

Messi, David Beckham and Marco Verratti pose after training at Paris Saint-Germain in April

Messi already has fans in Miami, including heat guard Kyle Lowry (pictured in December)

He visited an Argentine-Venezuelan singer Ricardo Montaner in a restaurant in Miami in 2021

Miami’s new power couple? Antonela Roccuzzo and Lionel Messi already own a $9 million apartment

Perhaps more than Saudi money or Barcelona prestige, it is Miami itself that has drawn Messi to the United States.

First, Messi has already vacationed in South Florida with his family in 2021.

Photos from his Instagram account show him swimming with his wife Roccuzzo and their three sons, Thiago (born 2012), Mateo (2015) and Ciro (2018).

Later, Messi was seen in a local restaurant, where he was swarmed by fans, who seemed to know the foreign visitor well.

Miami made such an impression on Messi that he bought a $9 million apartment in the city’s 60-story Porsche Design Tower – a luxury apartment complex with elevators for tenants’ vehicles.

And Miami has traditionally been a safe haven for real estate investors, many of whom come from abroad.

Specifically, the city is home to one of America’s largest Latino populations, and more than half of Miami’s foreign real estate buyers are from Latin America, according to the National Association of Realtors.

In addition, in 2010 nearly 9 percent of Miami residents were of South American descent.

“When people feel like they want to put money into a safe investment, they think of the luxury apartment market in Miami and Miami Beach,” John Stuart, a professor at Florida International University’s College of Architecture + The Arts, told me. in 2017 to AFP.

Messi’s wife Roccuzzo, along with two of his sons, Thiago and Mateo, vacationing in Miami

Messi and Roccuzzo (left) took their sons to Saudi Arabia this year, but he is still tied to Miami

A general view during the Grand Opening of the Porsche Design Tower, Messi’s new home

A view of the car lifts during the Grand Opening Event of the Porsche Design Tower Miami

Messi’s building overlooks Sunny Isle Beach and the city of Miami, as well as Miami Beach

Messi’s financial motivation for signing for Miami will soon become clear when the financial details are released.

But even if he were offered more money to play in Saudi Arabia, Inter Miami doesn’t have the extra baggage of the controversial kingdom, which has been accused of ‘contaminating’ its human rights record with the signings of Benzema and Ronaldo.

Instead, Messi can raise his young sons in a city he already loves, while continuing to live his hugely privileged life in the sun, and one, arguably, under less scrutiny, as Barcelona pointed out.

And he will be able to do it all with a view to becoming a team owner one day.