- Lionel Messi shocked the sporting world by deciding to come to the US and join Inter Miami and MLS.
- The move was a huge win for MLS on and off the field.
It is no surprise that Lionel Messi has had a huge impact on both Major League Soccer and the sport in the US, in general.
The prices for Inter Miami tickets are soaring.
The club, which was the worst in MLS before signing Messi, just won its first trophy at the Leagues Cup on Saturday, with Messi scoring 10 goals in just seven matches.
Inter Miami has become the most followed US sports team on Instagram, surpassing even NBA and NFL franchises.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said Apple TV+ beat its subscriber goals thanks to Messi.
But it turns out that moving to the US and MLS has also already had a big impact on Messi and his family.
Before the Leagues Cup final, Messi sat down with Apple TV+ for his first interview since signing with Inter Miami. Sportscaster Tony Cherchi asked Messi about the decision to sign with David Beckham's club and which factor was the most important in making that decision. Messi spoke about how hard his two years with Paris Saint-Germain in France's Ligue 1 were on his family.
"It was a family decision," Messi told Cherchi, according to Apple TV+ translation. "We had been through two difficult years. The truth is that we had not been well. It was very difficult for the whole family."
But coming to the US, Messi said "was a little bit like going back to what we were in Barcelona, enjoying everyday life. It was about the kids, having the family doing well."
Messi added that after spending time in the US, the family was right when it decided Miami was "the right place."
Messi reportedly turned down other, bigger offers in order to join Inter Miami, including one from a Saudi Arabian club worth $1.6 billion. He also spurned European leagues with stronger traditions, as MLS has struggled to shred its reputation as a "retirement league" for star players past their primes.
Of course, Messi will still make a lot of money in the US, including a share of Apple TV's subscriber revenue. Still, during his interview ahead of the Leagues Cup, Messi also said he had rediscovered his love of playing the sport in MLS, noting that enjoying the day-to-day of the sport "wasn't happening" in Paris.
"My happiness was always playing football and being able to have fun with what I liked when I was a kid and what I had fun with all my life," Messi said. "And today, I can continue to do it here, which was one of the reasons why I made the decision to return to enjoying what I had lost a little."
Messi compared being with Inter Miami to his time on the Argentina National Football Team.
"My escapes to the national team when I was called up, those were my happiest moments because I enjoyed the place I was in, my teammates," Messi said. "I wanted to come here and find the same thing, and thank God, I found it."
In 2022, Messi won his first World Cup with the national team, leading Argentina to their third win overall.