Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is one of the football's best players, with eight Ballon d’Ors and leading Argentina to a World Cup victory in 2022. He started showing promise early on, traveling to Spain at age 13 to join Barcelona’s youth team. He quickly rose through the ranks and became the youngest player to score in La Liga at seventeen with Barcelona’s professional team. Soon after, he helped Barcelona win the Champions League in 2006. He continued leading the team to championship victories until 2021, when La Liga financial rules and other conflicts led him to become a free agent. He joined PSG’s superstar team and helped them win a League 1 title during both years playing for them. Outside of his professional career, Messi has focused on humanitarian work with the Leo Messi Foundation. He supports global healthcare and education programs and is a UNICEF ambassador. He was notably awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Joe Biden in 2025 for his contributions to MLS and humanitarian work. Since joining in 2023, he has become one of the most impactful players in American sports history, bringing new attention and popularity to soccer. If Messi decides to become an owner of Inter Miami upon his retirement, he may be an essential part of continuing MLS’s upward trajectory.