Messi Magic Comes to the MLS

Argentinian striker Lionel Messi, widely viewed as soccer’s greatest player ever, made his MLS debut with Inter Miami on July 21, 2023. Since then, U.S. soccer has been turned on its head. Inter Miami gained four million followers on Instagram in less than 24 hours after Messi’s transfer was announced. Their ticket prices skyrocketed, and any Messi game since has been an instant sellout. MLS as a whole has benefitted from the additional viewership and cash Messi has brought in. His presence in the United States put the MLS on the international radar and provided a major boost to the league in their quest to become a top-five league. His impact on and off the field will be a catalyst in evolving American soccer. However, it is yet to be determined if this resurgence of the MLS will last.

Messi magic came to the tri-state area on August 26 as Inter Miami played the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. I was lucky enough to snag tickets to the game, and the atmosphere was electric. Fans from all over the world gathered to see the greatest player of all time. Even at a Red Bulls home game, the most popular shirt in the stands was the pink jersey of Inter Miami, followed by Argentina’s blue and white stripes. Despite all of the excitement around Messi, he didn't actually start on the field. Periodically throughout the first half, whenever the play slowed down for just a couple of seconds, the whole stadium would vibrate to chants of “We want Messi! We want Messi!” It seemed as if Red Bull Arena would collapse due to the sheer noise of 25,000 people announcing their desire to see the greatest player of all time.

The game was evenly balanced during the first half, with both sides generating a couple of meaningful chances. Red Bulls attacking midfielder Omir Fernandez sent a golden opportunity just wide of the far post, after which Inter Miami striker Diego Gómez beautifully controlled a cross and slotted the ball into the corner. The standout player of the half was Inter Miami left-back Jordi Alba, whose experience showed in both his offensive and defensive contributions.

The second half started with much more intensity, as both teams pressed high up the pitch. However, at this point in the game, the fans didn’t care how intense the game was, or who won—they just wanted to see Messi play. More focus was on the Inter Miami bench than on the match. Finally, Miami head coach Gerardo Martino substituted Messi onto the pitch in the 66th minute to roaring approval from the fans. Despite this response, Messi’s first few minutes were uneventful. In fact, Messi was slowing the play down, rather than speeding it up, spending most of his time walking around the pitch.

This is one of Messi’s secrets, because, at his age, running the whole game like a 22-year-old is untenable, so he saves his energy by walking most of the game, then bursting into action to surprise his opponents. This is how he scored his goal against the Red Bulls. In the 89th minute, he received a pass in the box, turned, then threaded the ball through three Red Bulls defenders to midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi, who returned the ball to Messi for an easy tap-in. Just a couple of seconds before this moment of brilliance, Messi was lightly jogging down the pitch, as if he had all the time in the world. Aside from his goal, Messi was also a phenomenal distributor in the game. Ten minutes before he scored, he received the ball, turned, drove forward, and played the ball to midfielder David Ruiz, which led to an attacking chance.

Messi’s method of conserving energy didn’t just win Miami their game against the Red Bulls. His statistics thus far speak for themselves—11 goals in 10 games. Before Messi arrived in Florida, Inter Miami were bottom of the league with six losses in 10 games. After his debut, Inter Miami won nine straight games, including a legendary run to win the Leagues Cup. Every single one of his games was sold out. Messi’s on-field impact on U.S. soccer has been an immediate success. However, his long-term, off-field impact has yet to be seen.

The MLS hopes Messi’s presence will lure other big names to the U.S. and start a positive feedback loop where star players come to America, do well, and then convince other high-quality players to join the league. If you look back at history, however, this plan has never worked. Both China and Japan tried and failed to grow their domestic leagues by overspending for aging stars, hoping the attention they brought in would popularize soccer viewership in their country. There is no reason to suggest the latest attempt at this strategy by the MLS will play out any differently. What happens after Messi retires? Will the MLS find another star, homegrown or imported from Europe, that can bring in the views?

Two other soccer greats have visited the United States: Brazilian forward Pelé and English midfielder David Beckham. Both of these players had a similar impact as Messi, albeit to a lesser extent. They both pushed American soccer forward during their stay in the U.S. However, once Pelé and Bekham retired, U.S. soccer reverted back, and its viewership dropped. Pele’s soccer league, the NASL, went bankrupt. The current leaders of the MLS need to realize this and understand that no matter how great Messi will be in the next couple of years, no matter how many goals he scores, his impact should be measured by how he has changed soccer in America 10 years from now. The World Cup is coming to the U.S. in 2026, and American soccer needs to be ready for the spotlight.