FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Since Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami, it seems that South Florida is the center of the soccer world, but this type of excitement for soccer in the U.S. happened before. Pelé played for the Cosmos, David Beckham played for L.A. Galaxy, but Messi playing for Major League Soccer (MLS) is beyond anything the community has ever seen.
One of the world’s greatest soccer players ever is about to play for Inter Miami in the MLS and the build-up for “Messi-Mania” is already underway.
Sirius XM soccer host Ray Husdon said Messi playing for the Miami team could be equated to “Beatle-Mania” back in the 60s when they conquered the music world.
“It’s similar to that but it probably eclipses even that,” he said.
Hudson once played for the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in the North American Soccer League and he was once the head coach of the MLS’s Miami Fusion. The former soccer player has covered Messi’s career as a broadcaster and radio host.
“[Messi] will make every player in Inter Miami better instantly,” said Hudson. “They will have to sharpen up their game more and I’m sure they will because they all know that they have a big responsibility on their own shoulders to live up to Lionel’s standards.”
Messi reportedly will sign the two-and-a-half-year deal that is worth $50 million to $60 million per year with an option for 2026. The deal would also include equity in the club once his playing days are over.
Drive Pink Stadium is even increasing its capacity to seat over 22,000 people. Tickets to home games now cost over $1,000 on the secondary market.
A question sports fans might have on their mind: Is Messi’s arrival to Inter Miami even bigger than Lebron James joining the Miami Heat?
“Lebron coming here changed the market and gave four years where it’s unmatched as far as the circuits,” said Dave Hyde, a Sun-Sentinel columnist. “Now, on an international scale, Messi beats that. You name a city, internationally, and this is much bigger for them.”
For 36-year-old Messi, there was no greater stage than helping Argentina win the World Cup in December 2022. Some star international players, who finished their careers in the MLS, said Messi will enjoy football “in a calmer way.” Unlike playing for some of the world’s top teams.
“You will adjust, you will learn that Messi is beyond a difference-maker,” said Hudson. “There will be nobody like him in the league, but when Busquets arrives that will make my head explode. That would be a new dream team for major league soccer here in South Florida with Inter Miami.”
Both Messi and his former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets are expected to finalize their deals soon to make their Inter Miami debut on July 21 at Drive Pink Stadium against Mexico’s Cruz Azul.
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