As if he were the commissioner: Messi said what MLS should change to grow

Lionel Messii, a great figure of Inter Miami and the MLS, delved into what the United States soccer for keep growing.

In an interview with NBCthe Argentine star put on the suit of commissioner of Major League Soccer: “Well, to start, Each team should have the opportunity to bring in players and sign whoever they want, with no limitations or rules for players to bring them in.”.

And he delved into the MLS salary cap, a common dynamic in American sports but foreign to soccer worldwide: “I don’t think that today all the teams in the United States, all the clubs, have the power to do that, and I think that If they were given freedom, many more major players would come and help the growth of America”.

These regulatory restrictions prevent franchises from bringing in a certain number of world stars, but they guarantee a certain parity in the championship, something supported by commissioner Don Garber, while leading teams to use young people trained in the country.

Then, they asked him if it was more difficult to win the 2022 World Cup with the Argentine National Team or turn soccer into one of the most important sports in the United States. “I think it is possible for soccer to grow in the United States. I think there are still big changes to be made for the teams to continue growing, but I think there is a very important basis where the teams are prepared and want that growth, and I think it is time to do it.”

Messi: “The Inter Miami brand is very solid worldwide”

The 10, who arrived in the MLS in mid-2023 and has totaled 73 goals and 37 assists in 83 games, referred to the project led by David Beckham and Jorge Mas, among other directors in which he is included as a minority owner: “Today, the Inter Miami brand is very strong, not only in the United States, but also globally.”

“I think the club took a great turn and grew in every way, both at a sporting and institutional level, and I think it still has a lot to grow and continue improving in every way,” added the former Barcelona and PSG player.

Messi led Inter Miami to its first two titles, the Leagues Cup 2023 and the Supporters’ Shield 2024, while adding important individual awards in the MLS: Ballon d’Or 2024 (he is the great candidate to repeat in the current season) and Golden Boot 2025.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who renewed his contract until the end of 2028, said he was “very happy living in Miami, as is his family,” considering it “a city that allows them to live very well and enjoy life.”