When will Lionel Messi play for Inter Miami, teammates, wages and Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino reunion?
- George Dempsey
- 9 June 2023
Planet Sport takes a closer look at when Messi will play for Inter Miami, how much money he’ll be paid and who his new manager and teammates are.
It's been rumoured that World Cup winner Lionel Messi, 35, will be reunited with ex-Barcelona, Argentina and Atlanta United head coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino in Miami.
When will Lionel Messi play for Inter Miami?
It looks like the Argentinian playmaker is set to join his new club no earlier than July. The rumoured plan is to give Messi a four-week break after Argentina's upcoming internationals.
The World Cup winner has certainly earned it and it could rule him out of MLS action until August 16th, when Inter Miami travel to face St Louis City.
Messi could make his Inter Miami debut in the Leagues Cup against Liga MX side Cruz Azul at DRV PNK Stadium on Friday, July 21.
Who is Inter Miami manager?
Inter Miami are currently without a manager after sacking Phil Neville on June 1, 2023, with the club sitting bottom of the Eastern Conference in Major League Soccer.
When parting ways with ex-Manchester United teammate, Owner David Beckham said "Sometimes in this game, we have to make the toughest decisions".
Neville took over on 18 January 2021 and regularly took the team on long losing runs. During one of their losing runs, Neville was fined for a press conference that demanded an investigation into officials, saying "I feel we're being cheated."
Lots of names have been linked but the one which stands out is Gerardo 'Tata' Martino. Martino transformed Atlanta United, a team full of South American talent, into the most exciting side in MLS.
Messi has played for Martino twice before when his fellow countryman was boss of Barcelona in the 2013/14 season and again when he managed Argentina from 2014 to 2016.
How much will Lionel Messi make at Inter Miami?
According to GOAL, Messi could be paid as much as $125-$150m per year in Miami. His wages will only make up a small part of the package, as MLS has strict salary caps and financial rules.
However, the league have moved heaven and earth to entice Messi to the States, reportedly offering him a sizeable chunk of related Adidas sales.
He's also expected to receive a percentage of sales from Apple TV, the platform where MLS games are streamed. Apple are also working on a four-part docu-series detailing Argentina's World Cup win.
His contract is rumoured to last two years with an option for a year extension until the summer of 2026. Once complete, Messi will have the option to buy in and create his own MLS club.
Who are Lionel Messi's Inter Miami teammates?
There are 10 South Americans in the Inter Miami first team, including 101-goal MLS legend Josef Martinez and youngster Leonardo Campana.
He will also link up with fellow Argentinians Benjamin Cremaschi, Franco Negri and Nicolas Stefanelli.
Another familiar name to fans of English football will be DeAndre Yedlin. The American international and former Tottenham, Sunderland and Newcastle United man has featured 15 times this season.
Will Inter Miami win MLS Cup?
At this stage, it might seem unlikely. Inter Miami sit bottom of the Eastern Conference at the midway point in the MLS season.
They're currently priced at 14/1 to win MLS Cup, a price which has shortened dramatically since Messi's announcement.
Because of the play-off system employed by MLS, Miami are just eight points behind a guaranteed place in the end-of-season play-offs.
If David Beckham can appoint the right manager to build a team around Messi, then there's every chance they could make a run deep into the play-offs.
