Speaking about the impact of the world-famous forward on the US soccer scene since his transfer to Inter Miami, Ibrahimovic pointed out that his former teammate had once again made the MLS relevant to many people in the country. It is important to note that according to the former forward of both the club and Sweden national teams, such a move by Messi has helped bring back the attention of viewers who stopped paying as much attention to the league before.
Specifically, Ibrahimovic claimed that there was a drop in the interest in soccer since his departure from the United States, so he was pleased to see that one of the best players in history decided to participate in the development of the game in this country. This statement indicates that it would be reasonable to believe that the presence of Messi will motivate Americans to pay attention to this game.
During the summer of 2023, Messi was signed to Inter Miami following his tenure with Paris Saint-Germain. Messi started his Inter Miami career with style when he netted a goal from a free kick in the first leg of what appeared to be an early match. The spectacular performance highlighted the beginning of a whole new chapter for the Inter Miami club and also for the league itself, as the fans enjoy watching star players deliver amazing performances.
In 13 league appearances for Inter Miami, Messi managed to score 11 goals and provide 5 assists. This statistic highlights the player’s great goal-scoring abilities while also proving that Messi is a talented creator who is able to help out his teammates with their goals. It is safe to say that having Messi in a team makes its attacks more unpredictable and harder to defend against.
Messi won his first-ever trophy in North America after winning the League Cup as part of the Inter Miami team which beat Nashville via penalties, 10-9 in the League Cup final. This achievement was an indication of how a game in the MLS can be exciting like those in Europe and thus the competition is not a joke. This success marked another milestone in the life of this great player whose profile continues rising in the league as he has helped raise the level at which MLS plays.
During the last games in the league, Messi had missed some of the matches played by Inter Miami due to injuries. This means the team suffered greatly from his absence since they are heavily dependent on him for their results. His injury meant there were opportunities for other players in the team to perform and contribute to their success. This proved that despite their strength in having the best talent like Messi, they still need other people to help in their success.
There were claims making the rounds back then indicating that Ronaldo was expected to earn nearly twice as much as Messi in 2023. This was an indication of the nature of the competitive market within North America for top-flight football players. It also showed how lucrative salary negotiations could be in MLS as both Ronaldo and Messi would go into negotiations for their salaries based on their market value as celebrities.