MLS, Inter Miami Reportedly in Talks to Sign Lionel Messi

According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, Major League Soccer and Inter Miami are pushing to sign Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi, The Athletic reports.

The report further notes that MLS and Apple are discussing the possibility of offering Messi a share of the revenue generated by new subscribers to MLS Season Pass.

As per one source, MLS executives say Messi’s decision lies between Inter Miami and Barcelona, ruling out the possibility of joining a club in Saudi Arabia, the report adds.

MLS has presented an offer to Messi that includes contributions from the league’s two primary commercial partners i.e. Apple and Adidas. Both parties view Messi’s potential involvement in MLS as mutually beneficial.

Apple recently announced that a four-part docuseries chronicling Messi’s five World Cup appearances would be streamed on Apple TV+.

MLS Apple TV

Adidas, one of MLS’s key corporate sponsors, has also devised its own proposal to entice Messi to the United States.

Multiple sources familiar with the plans revealed that Adidas is offering Messi a profit-sharing agreement, allowing him to receive a portion of any increase in Adidas’ profits resulting from his participation in MLS.

Messi has had a longstanding relationship with Adidas since 2006 and signed a lifetime footwear sponsorship deal with the company in 2017.

Messi, who spent 17 years with Barcelona, signed a two-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) last season. During the current season, he scored 16 goals and provided 16 assists in 32 league games.

In recent weeks, Messi faced a two-week suspension from PSG for undertaking an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi club Al-Hilal has also expressed interest in signing Messi, reportedly offering a deal worth over $400 million per year.

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