Art of the Deal

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To no avail, the signing of Lionel Messi was bound to be expensive and historic, much like the signing of Inter Miami’s founder, David Beckham. The issue at hand, however, was that the MLS had to sign the Greatest Player of All Time, and more than this, they had to win his favor against a “reported $1 billion over two years” deal from the professional Saudi soccer league.[1] As such, the club was creative in the ways that they approached the signing. Rather than work alone, the club enlisted the help of bigger fish to help catch their prey. From the team itself, they settled on giving Messi “between $50 and $60 million” dollars a year.[2] This money would consist of a $12 million base salary with a guaranteed bonus pay and equity in the club among other incentives. The Miami Herald approximated that this deal alone was worth between $125 and $150 million dollars solely from the club.[3] While this approximation pales in comparison to the Saudi deal, it is the bigger fishes that closed the deal.

            Recognizing the reward for bringing Lionel Messi into the U.S. soccer scene, bigger investors stepped up to secure the signing of the soon to be Inter Miami star. Backing the young top-flight soccer club was the global giant Apple who was in the first year of its ten-year $2.5 billion dollar MLS broadcasting rights deal. Given their intertwined relationship with the MLS, the company was prepared to pull out the stops to get the star to sign. As such, Apple “cut him in on the deal,” promising to pay him a share of “new international subscriptions sold for MLS Season Pass” on the company’s Apple TV streaming service.[4] Pushing the pressure onto Messi even further Adidas, longtime sponsor of Messi, joined in and offered him a cut on all of the MLS kit sales, especially those of Inter Miami, upon his signing with the team.[5] On top of the streaming rights deal, the merchandise deal, and the equity in the team, it was the community that sealed the deal for Lionel Messi, the father of three boys. Finally, in a move that took over three years to complete, Inter Miami CF proudly confirmed the signing of global superstar and soccer sensation Lionel Messi on July 15, 2023.[6]

[1] Sean Gregory, “Messi Follows the Money to Miami,” TIME (Time, June 8, 2023), https://time.com/6285988/lionel-messi-miami-mls-money/.

[2] Reardon, Logan. 2023. "When is Lionel Messi’s First Game with Inter Miami? Owner Reveals Plan for Argentinian Star." NBC 6 South Florida, June 20, 2023. https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/sports/soccer/when-is-lionel-messis-first-game-with-inter-miami-owner-reveals-plan-for-argentinian-star/3057106/.

[3] Michelle Kaufman, “Five Things to Know about Soccer Star Lionel Messi’s Deal with Inter Miami,” Miami Herald, June 7, 2023, https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/mls/inter-miami/article276198121.html.

[4] Silverman, Alex. 2023. "Slice of the Apple: Messi and Miami." Sports Business Journal, July 21, 2023. https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2023/07/24/Upfront/apple-and-messi/.

[5] Ibid.

[6] ESPN, “Inter Miami Confirms Lionel Messi Signing on Free Transfer - ESPN,” ESPN.com (ESPN, July 15, 2023), https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/37820397/inter-miami-confirms-lionel-messi-signing-free-.