With Lionel Messi already revolutionizing Miami, the North American Football League (MLS) believes that the hiring of the Argentine star confirms his attractiveness that can lead him to achieve the ambitious goal of being one of the world’s great leagues.
Messi’s arrival “demonstrates the commitment and seriousness with which work is being done here,” MLS sporting director Alfonso Mondelo said in an interview with AFP. “Players look to us as a league of destination, team owners have made a huge investment in infrastructure and attendance has grown in recent years.”
“And now having the best or one of the best players in history is the icing on the cake”, highlighted the Spanish executive. “We have a clear idea that this will be one of the great leagues in the world.”
Messi will be unveiled in style on Sunday as the new star of Inter Miami and the new icon of football in the United States.
After ignoring an offer from millionaire Saudi football and the possibility of returning to Barcelonathe captain of the ‘Albiceleste’ opted for the MLS at the decisive moment for the take-off of ‘soccer’.
The world champion player in the Qatar Cup will be the MLS highlight during a period in which the United States will host the 2024 Copa America, the Club World Cup from 2025 and world Cup 2026, co-organized with Mexico and Canada.
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) June 7, 2023
“Interest skyrocketed”
After the Pelé era, in the 1970s, when the legendary Brazilian player signed with the New York Cosmos, of the defunct North American Soccer League (NASL), and the David Beckham era, in the 2000s, with his arrival at the LA Galaxy coming from Real Madrid, Sunday will be the starting point of the Messi era in MLS.
“Beckham represented a before and after of MLS. He put us on the football map. This could be the next big step”, says Mondelo on the signing of the former English player, current co-owner of Inter Miami.
According to MLS data, league matches in the 2022-23 period had an average attendance of 22,000 spectators. Among the top five leagues in the United States, this average is second only to the NFL (American football) and the MLB (baseball).
“We had huge crowds in the stadiums, this month we broke our record (82,000 spectators at the Los Angeles derby) and now interest has skyrocketed,” says Mondelo. “Everyone wants to see Messi. In the stadiums where he will play this year, it is already difficult to find tickets.”
saudi competition
If Pelé and Beckham attracted other stars towards the end of their careers – Beckenbauer and Müller in the former’s case and Thierry Henry and Ibrahimovic in the latter’s – Messi’s arrival could have a similar effect, although MLS has lately focused on developing young talents like Argentine Thiago Almada (Atlanta United).
The arrival of other stars “is inevitable. The players will want to play with or against Messi”, guarantees Mondelo.
The Argentine will not be alone in the mission to fight for titles with Inter Miami, a franchise with no great tradition in the MLS and which occupies the penultimate place this season. Next to him will be the veteran Sergio Busquets and another former Barcelona teammate, Jordi Alba, could still arrive.
The players “see that this league continues to grow, they see the showcase that we are going to be with the new contract we have with Apple to broadcast the games around the world”, points out Mondelo about the competition from other emerging leagues such as Saudi Arabia.
“The Arab world has financial resources and we are seeing that it is attracting players, but we have to worry about what we do here, putting the best possible level of competition to make it attractive,” highlights Mondelo.
In recent years, the MLS strategy has shifted from focusing on hiring stars on the verge of retirement (such as Kaká, Henry, Ibrahimovic and Beckham himself) to acquiring young players who will raise the level of the competition and insert it into the global market of transfers.
Since 2021, MLS is the league in the Americas that spends the most on signings and has had significant sales to Europe, such as Alphonso Davies and Miguel Almirón.
“Each team has different ways of seeking their objectives, but the most important thing at this moment is that the players that arrive can raise the level of football. And this is not an easy championship, it is complicated”, points out Mondelo.
“The best teams in MLS are able to fight for mid-table positions in any of the big European leagues,” he guarantees. “The players have to come with the mentality to compete and be prepared because nobody is going to roll out a red carpet on the pitch for them.”
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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