Reports have emerged suggesting that Lionel Messi is set to join Inter Miami, a Major League Soccer (MLS) club owned by David Beckham and the Mas family.
These reports indicate that Messi rejected an enticing Saudi offer, which included a substantial annual salary of US$400 million.
According to The Athletic, Messi was proposed a deal that would involve a profit-sharing arrangement with Adidas and Apple.
None of the involved parties, including Inter Miami, Apple, or Adidas, provided any comments when approached.
This development presents a significant blow to Saudi Arabia’s ambitious sports expansion plans, led by Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
After recently attracting Cristiano Ronaldo to Al-Nassr, Saudi Arabia was hoping to add more star power to its league.
The country’s Public Investment Fund has not only financed the LIV golf league, which is merging with the PGA Tour, but has also purchased Newcastle United, propelling the formerly struggling Premier League club into a major competitor in English soccer.
The move could be transformative for Miami and the MLS as the city gears up to host the 2026 World Cup.
If Messi, 35, joins Inter Miami, it would mark his first experience playing professional soccer outside Europe.
Having spent most of his career with Barcelona, winning numerous league titles and Champions League trophies, he moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and has been rumored to be considering a return to Barcelona.
Messi’s potential association with Apple could bolster its soccer-focused strategy, which recently saw a US$2.5 billion, 10-year deal with MLS to broadcast matches on its TV+ platform.
Adidas, facing challenges in the wake of its Yeezy franchise’s decline after parting ways with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, could see Messi’s move as a victory.
As Adidas loses market share in the U.S. to Nike and other smaller brands, soccer remains a positive area of growth in the world’s largest sports market.
Earlier this year, the German company extended its contract with MLS, a step that Adidas CEO Bjorn Gulden termed as highly significant.
The company aspires to merge soccer with fashion and music, creating a global soccer “street culture” comparable to that of basketball.
Gulden emphasized last month the importance of maintaining their leading position in soccer in key markets.
Lionel Messi, Saudi offer Messi, MLS club, Major League Soccer (MLS), David Beckham and the Mas family