From grassless fields under overpasses to the construction of a modern entertainment complex, a chasm separates the soccer championship that Messi and Pelé found upon their arrival in the United States. Leader of a project that gives the world a golden decade for national sport, with the World Cup and other football events, the Argentine has the mission of finally making football popular in the United States. And, given the growing interest of young people, she succeeded.
Nearly five decades separate the arrivals of Pelé and Lionel Messi in the United States. And the scenarios each of them encountered are as different as the game. soccer and American football. Recently world champion, the Argentine left PSG for Major League Soccer (MLS) to become the protagonist of a bold plan, which aims to finally popularize the sport in the country. The King of Football came out of retirement with the mission of saving a mambembe project, full of semi-professional teams, made up of Latin American workers, university students and Europeans working in construction.
Technology itself is Messi’s ally. If in Pelé’s time the news clashed with the natural limits of newspapers, radio and TV, the explosive purchase of the Argentine by Inter Miami went around the world in a few seconds. The official announcement soon became the most talked about topic on social media and saw the club jump from one million to over 15 million followers on Instagram. This number makes Inter Miami the fourth North American franchise with the highest number of followers, behind only the NBA teams: Golden State, Lakers and Cavaliers. Owner of the MLS broadcast rights, Apple TV helped further spread the star’s image by broadcasting his performance around the world. The broadcaster, which broadcasts matches with commentary in English and Spanish, has since celebrated the acquisition of 300,000 new subscribers.
— The United States will enter a golden decade for soccer and the structure is very well set up for it. The country will host the Copa América-2024, the Club World Cup-2025 and the World Cup-2026 — underlines Luiz Mello, sports management specialist and strategic consultant of 777 Partners: — All the work that has already been developed for This cycle will bring the visibility and stability necessary for soccer to consolidate in the United States.
Sponsored race
The Messi phenomenon has also increased the search for sponsors interested in combining their brand with this explosion. Inter Miami today has around 40 partners, which allow the licensing of a series of products with the ‘Messi 10’ seal. According to the club’s estimates, this season alone 500,000 pieces should be sold on all continents, with a turnover that will reach 100 million dollars (the equivalent of R$485 million).
The growth of soccer in the United States is consistent compared to other leagues. The MLS is second only to basketball and American football in terms of the number of players, and is already getting closer to baseball — underlines Mello, underlining that young people are attracted to football: — Approximately 11% of the population between 18 and For 29 years, football has been the favorite sport, behind only basketball and American football. The trend is for MLS to make this number grow even more.
With the ball rolling, what we see are packed stadiums to watch Messi’s matches. In the Argentine’s debut, against Mexican Cruz Azul, tickets cost an average of 712 dollars (R$3,450). Pelé’s first game in a New York Cosmos jersey, in 1975, was against the Dallas Tornado, in a dilapidated stadium under a highway overpass. The structure was so precarious that the grassless and potholed field was painted green to look (a little) better. But Pelé’s genius attracted the public and aroused the interest of other stars to play in the United States, such as Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto Torres, Johan Cruyff, Gordon Banks and Bobby Moore. King’s retirement in 1977, however, meant that the league began to lose strength.
After a back and forth, Cosmos is deactivated and there is no official information on its return to activities. Meanwhile, Inter Miami begins construction work on the Miami Freedom Park. It is a complex that will host a new stadium for 25 thousand people, entertainment centres, three hotels, a park, shops and car parks.
Off the pitch, another face well known to Inter Miami fans: David Beckham, partner of the construction magnate Jorge Mas and his brother José Mas. The Englishman exchanged his idolatry at Real Madrid for near-oblivion at LA Galaxy in 2007. He was labeled a former role player, but what he did there was outline a very well-defined strategy: the contract had a clause that allowed him to buy out a franchise in the American League as soon as he retires, for a fixed amount of 25 million dollars (R $ 121 million). Nine years later, Inter Miami is worth 24 times more, according to ‘Forbes’ estimates, and could reach 1.5 billion dollars (R$ 7.2 billion) in 2024, thanks to the Messi phenomenon.
Convincing the Argentine was not a difficult task. While the main players left Europe for Saudi Arabia, a closed country with rigid habits, Inter offered Messi a place with beautiful beaches and where the language is predominantly Spanish. Added to this, of course, is a seductive proposition: around 58 million dollars (R$ 285 million) per year. For comparison purposes, Pelé received less for two years. The Argentine still has the right to share the profits of Apple and Adidas — all clubs have a contract with the German brand. More: after his retirement in 2025, Messi will have the right to become one of the owners of Inter. Until then, he will have time to make his brilliant plays, score beautiful goals, enjoy the city and learn from Beckham that there is life in football off the pitch.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
