Why did Messi move to America (MLS)? A triangle of competition, family and business
At the age of 38, Lionel Messi left the European elite and chose Inter Miami in MLS. In the 2025 season he won the league MVP award for a second year running and led the club to its first MLS Cup title. Why did he choose America and how did he manage to reach the top again in a “new land”? This column looks at the reasons and the background.
1) A return to Europe was not realistic
Messi himself has said that he initially wanted to return to his former club FC Barcelona. However, because of the club’s serious financial problems, it was almost impossible to secure both a large salary and a registration spot under La Liga’s regulations. In the end, a romantic return to Barça was more or less off the table.
2) Turning down a huge Saudi offer – choosing family and happiness over money
With the path back to Europe effectively closed, reports said that a Saudi club had made an offer worth hundreds of millions of dollars per year. But Messi is believed to have rejected it, as he and his family did not want to move far away from their familiar European base, and he still wanted to feel satisfied on the pitch, not only financially.
3) Choosing to “get normal daily life back”
In interviews Messi has stressed that he wanted to prioritise his children’s schooling, lifestyle and his family’s happiness. Miami has a large Spanish-speaking community and is considered relatively easy to live in in terms of safety and daily life. As much as he is a world star, he is also a father, and that perspective helped push him toward MLS.
4) A “new challenge” – to change MLS and Inter Miami
Even after his peak years in Europe, Messi did not lose his desire to enjoy football in a new culture and a new league. His arrival was not just about signing a superstar; it became a catalyst for structural change across MLS as a whole.
5) One of the most powerful contracts in history – more than a player deal
Messi’s contract was about far more than his base salary. It reportedly included:
- Revenue sharing from Apple TV’s “MLS Season Pass”
- A profit-sharing component with Adidas
- Options to acquire a future stake in Inter Miami
Together, these elements turned his move into a “second-chapter career project” involving the club, the league and major companies. It was a structure that would have been almost impossible in Europe and became a decisive factor in choosing MLS. In other words, Messi was not merely “playing as a footballer” – he committed long-term to raising the club’s value, strengthening the MLS brand and investing in the future. It was a form of commitment that went far beyond a simple pay cheque.
What changed after Messi arrived? Economic impact in numbers
From Messi’s arrival in 2023 through the 2025 season, MLS and Inter Miami experienced unprecedented growth. Looking at the numbers makes the impact easier to see.
✔︎ Attendance – record 11.45 million fans, up 5% year-on-year
The 2024 season saw total official MLS attendance reach around 11.45 million spectators, a league record and a +5% increase year-on-year (around +14% compared to 2022). Average attendance rose to approximately 23,234 fans per match. There were several matches with more than 70,000 people in the stands, and multiple clubs set new attendance records – tangible proof of the “Messi effect” on the league as a whole.
✔︎ Inter Miami’s crowd – from 12,600 to over 20,000
Reports indicate that Inter Miami’s average attendance jumped from around 12,600 before Messi arrived to more than 20,000 when counting MLS and Leagues Cup fixtures. The club’s home games turned into events that attracted not only local fans but also tourists and neutral football lovers.
✔︎ Broadcasting and streaming – MLS Season Pass subscriptions double
According to various reports, subscribers to Apple TV+’s “MLS Season Pass” more than doubled from roughly 1 million to over 2 million after Messi joined the league. On the day of his debut alone, estimates suggest that around 100,000 new users signed up, highlighting the immediate drawing power of his presence.
✔︎ Club value – Inter Miami’s valuation doubles to 1.2 billion dollars
In the 2025 Forbes ranking of MLS club values, Inter Miami was valued at approximately 1.2 billion USD. Before Messi’s arrival, in 2022, the club had been valued at around 600 million USD. In just a few years the figure has almost doubled, making Inter Miami the second most valuable club in MLS.
Annual revenue, estimated at around 50–60 million dollars before Messi, has reportedly approached 200 million USD in 2024. It is no exaggeration to say that Messi “changed the economic structure of the club and the league”.
Results: back-to-back MVPs and a first title – what the trophies mean
In the 2025 season, Messi was named league MVP for the second year in a row – the first time in MLS history that a player has won the award in consecutive seasons. Then, on 6 December 2025, Inter Miami won the MLS Cup final, lifting the trophy for the first time in club history.
A player who had “kept on winning at the very top level” in Europe now used a move that combined competition, life and business to raise the value of MLS as a whole and once again reach the summit in a new environment.
In October 2025, Inter Miami officially announced a contract extension with Messi through the end of the 2028 season. According to the club, the extension is closely tied to the opening of the new stadium, Miami Freedom Park. Messi himself expressed his joy, calling it “a continuation of this project” and “a commitment to this city, this club and this game”.
For Messi, MLS has not been a place to quietly wind down his career as a legend, but a stage on which to create a new chapter of history.
2025 season stats summary
Messi’s numbers in the 2025 MLS season underline just how dominant he was.
- Regular season: 28 matches, 29 goals, 19 assists – winning the Golden Boot
- Playoffs: repeatedly decisive performances, driving the team through knockout rounds
- MLS Cup final: 2 assists and a commanding display to lead Inter Miami to their first MLS Cup title
