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Lionel Messi: Clubs more spending freedom for Major League Soccer to grow

MacDailyNews

Oct 30

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Lionel Messi, soccer’s greatest play of all time, has some ideas for growing Major League Soccer, the league he recently signed on to play for through 2028 with Inter Miami.

“Every team should have the opportunity to bring in players and sign whoever each team wants without limitations or rules for players to bring them in,” Messi said in an interview, conducted in Spanish and released Monday, with NBC Nightly News, when asked what he would do if he was the league’s commissioner for a day.

Reuters:
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“I don’t think that today all teams in the United States, all clubs, have the power to do that (sign without limitations), and I think that if they were given the freedom, many more important players would come and help the growth of the United States,” Messi said.
Messi himself has profited heftily from his relationship with the league. He holds a minority ownership stake with Inter Miami and profits from revenue-sharing deals with Apple, MLS’ media-rights holder, and Adidas, the league’s apparel provider.
However, his $20.44 million salary is more than double that of Miami teammate Sergio Busquets, the third-highest salary in the league at about $8.8 million, highlighting the financial issue Messi wants the league to address. The MLS Players Association released its salary data list on Wednesday, with LAFC’s Son Heung-Min second in salary at a guaranteed compensation of $11.2 million.
“I think that growing soccer in the United States is possible,” said Messi, 38. “I think there are still big changes to be made so that teams can continue to grow, but I think there is a very important foundation in place where teams are prepared and want that growth, and I think it’s time to do it.”

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MacDailyNews Take: What a gift that we get at least three more years to watch Lionel Messi play!

Note: Inter Miami is up 1-0 on Nashville SC in their first-round, best-of-three series of the MLS Cup playoffs. A win Saturday for Inter Miami would take the team to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

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