Lionel Messi MLS: Leo Messi Transfer: Lionel Messi is considering whether to continue his stay at Paris Saint-Germain beyond the current season and is reportedly being chased by Inter Miami. If he decides to play in the MLS, Messi could have a larger impact on the league than David Beckham had when he joined LA Galaxy in 2007. Follow Ligue 1 Live Updates on InsideSport.IN
David Beckham transformed Major League Soccer (MLS) in the US during his five seasons with LA Galaxy, becoming the league’s first star and helping to increase MLS’s average attendance by 40%. By joining the LA Galaxy in 2007, he became the face of a new league and completely transformed it.
Lionel Messi MLS: After PSG, Messi ready to take Major League Soccer ‘to the moon’ as Inter Miami stitch plan to get Argentina captain
9 out of 20 MLS executives believe Inter Miami will sign Messi this season 👀
Would you like to see the 🐐 join @MLS? 🙌 pic.twitter.com/JH252OO8zm
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) February 24, 2023
David Beckham’s impact on MLS
Beckham’s influence was such that the league changed its player compensation rules to allow high-priced international stars like Beckham to join the league. Beckham won two MLS Cups with LA Galaxy and helped to increase the profile of the league.
MLS saw an 8.2% jump in average attendance in his first season, and his arrival opened the floodgates for other world stars such as Wayne Rooney, Thierry Henry, and David Villa, as well as the young talent the league now has.
Lionel Messi’s move to MLS
Reports suggest that Lionel Messi may follow in Beckham’s footsteps and join Inter Miami, which could take the game to a completely different stratosphere in the United States.
If Messi does decide to play stateside, his influence will surely surpass that of Beckham with the LA Galaxy, and he will take the game to a completely different stratosphere in the United States. With a game-changing $250m global Apple TV deal that kicked off last week, MLS is sure to continue its growth in the years to come.
MLS – In Numbers
According to Nielsen data, the first game of the 2023 MLS season featuring Nashville SC versus New York City FC drew an average of 390,000 viewers on FOX. However, in comparison, last year’s Super Bowl game between the Rams and Bengals on NBC attracted almost 100 million viewers, while a regular season game between the Giants and Cowboys later in the year drew over 10 million viewers.
The upcoming 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, presents an opportunity for Messi to generate an unprecedented level of interest in the sport that even Beckham was unable to achieve.
