The magic rental has a price, but it pays off.
Will there be a section in some football Louvre titled “Yes, it’s Messi’s Code”? Perhaps even a collection by that name in Florida.
In the “Théâtre du Châtelet,” Manchester City’s player, Rodri, was awarded the “Ballon d’Or” as the player of the season. Tickets for this gala event in Paris, eagerly awaited by millions of fans worldwide, went for as much as €16,000. Lionel Messi now has eight “Ballon d’Ors” in his collection.
Around the same time, news came from the United States that Inter Miami celebrated winning a historic trophy as the best team in the MLS league stage. This was accompanied by the report that the club’s main star, Lionel Messi, earned $20,446,667 — over a million dollars per game. He made 19 appearances, sometimes entering as a substitute.
Inter Miami is owned by a group of investors led by David Beckham. Before deciding to continue his career across the Atlantic, Messi received a lavish offer from Al-Hilal. “If money was all that mattered, I would have gone to Saudi Arabia.” His estimated annual earnings now stand at $150 million, including income from Adidas merchandise sales and Apple streaming subscriptions. Many believe that what ultimately drew him to the U.S. was the agreement for future club ownership when, one day, he hangs up his boots.
When the contract became official, MLS’s official Twitter account posted, “GOAT is coming.”
And many football greats have come before him. For half a century, America has sought to cultivate its fertile sports ground through football. But neither did the roots spread, nor did the petals develop in the desired shape, even when bathed in the warmth and glow of the biggest stars. In 1975, Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, and Johan Neeskens arrived at New York Cosmos; Johan Cruyff signed with Washington Diplomats, while Gerd Müller and George Best joined the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in Florida. The NASL mission also featured Eusebio, Bobby Moore, and many other stars. However, by the mid-90s, it became evident that “soccer” had beaten “football!”
In recent decades, MLS has welcomed Kaka (Orlando), Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls), Didier Drogba (Montreal), Wayne Rooney (DC United), Zlatan Ibrahimović (LA Galaxy), some even with a “Ballon d’Or” to their name. Yet none achieved the status of a messiah, individually, collectively, or as a team, like Lionel Messi does now. The love and respect people hold for him is clear: a napkin on which Barcelona committed in 2001 to sign then-13-year-old Leo sold at an online auction by London’s Bonhams for nearly €900,000 in May this year.
The U.S., Canada, and Mexico will co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where 48 teams, 16 more than in Qatar, will compete for the first time. It’s known that Messi’s influence is greater than America; he will “shake” everything from Vancouver in the north to Guadalajara in the south. With him, there’s always a spectacle. This is the measure of football’s impact on the heartbeats of those watching from the stands, in front of TVs, or on digital platforms.
And could there be a more beautiful invitation to the world stage of games and passion than the one written in football calligraphy by Lionel Messi? Many, when they witness or hear of virtuoso work on the field or on stage, envision Messi’s image. And for those refreshed memories, they say: There’s nothing better!
