How the Americans hiijacked the Messi deal from the Saudis in the last minute

[Titanium100]

This is kinda of crazy bidding war and there seems to have been intense contract bidding between the two. The US is hosting the world cup in 2026 hence they need this kind of signings in order to promote the World cup for the next 3 years and the Saudis are planning to host the World Cup in 2030 hence they wanna get ahead of the competition and promote.

The Americans want a share on the promotion for their own world cup and this lead to bidding war over the signing of Messi.

How Inter Miami, MLS can afford Lionel Messi, and how they beat Saudi Arabia's wealth​

Henry Bushnell
·Senior soccer reporter
Thu, 8 June 2023 at 9:12 pm CEST·5-min read

A mural depicting Argentine football player Lionel Messi is pictured in Miami on June 7, 2023. (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)

The Americans beat a massive Saudi contract offer that is almost estimated to be at 600 million per year in 2 year contract meaning 1.2 billion USD but the Americans found a way to top this contract via doing something entirely different. Saudi contract was the biggest contract ever offered in history.

Saudi Arabia had offered somewhere between $400 million and $600 million per year, according to reports

But the money will be good in Miami too, because MLS rules allow it to be good, and because various American companies will make it better.

Inter Miami, the oft-dysfunctional franchise owned by billionaire businessman Jorge Mas, will pay Messi a base salary that will almost certainly be the highest in MLS. 43-million USD per year.

And MLS, to be clear, does not have to bend its rules to allow this. They've already been changed on whims over the years. They were reshaped in 2007 to accommodate the league's first true celebrity, David Beckham. Now, 16 years later, a version of the Beckham Rule — now mostly known as the designated player (DP) rule — allows each team to spend limitlessly beyond the salary cap on three players.

Messi will make millions more than Inter Miami's current top earner, striker Josef Martinez ($4.4 million). The real value of his deal will be everything else.

According to various reports, the deal will include equity in the club, which was valued by Forbes in February at $600 million — a number that Messi himself should propel toward $1 billion.

It's unclear how big a stake Messi will receive, but those shares will bump the total value of the deal up to between $125 million and $150 million over two-and-a-half years, according to the Miami Herald. (The deal reportedly includes an option for an additional year, 2026, when the men's World Cup will be played in North America.)

Additionally, hand-in-hand with MLS, Adidas and Apple have discussed commercial arrangements with Messi. The Athletic reported Tuesday that Adidas — which has outfitted and sponsored MLS since its inception, and Messi since he was a teen — had offered Messi a share of any profits related to his MLS involvement.
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TL;DR version

The Saudis threw on Messi biggest contract offer in history 1.2 Billion USD in 2 years and the Americans replied to that offer by instead offering Messi shares of Adidas and Apple including shares of Inter Miami this sealed the deal. MLS knew they couldn't match the Saudi cash but instead came up with an smart alternative that worked

 

[dbc]

This is kinda of crazy bidding war and there seems to have been intense contract bidding between the two. The US is hosting the world cup in 2026 hence they need this kind of signings in order to promote the World cup for the next 3 years and the Saudis are planning to host the World Cup in 2030 hence they wanna get ahead of the competition and promote.

The Americans want a share on the promotion for their own world cup and this lead to bidding war over the signing of Messi.

How Inter Miami, MLS can afford Lionel Messi, and how they beat Saudi Arabia's wealth​

Henry Bushnell
·Senior soccer reporter
Thu, 8 June 2023 at 9:12 pm CEST·5-min read

A mural depicting Argentine football player Lionel Messi is pictured in Miami on June 7, 2023. (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)

The Americans beat a massive Saudi contract offer that is almost estimated to be at 600 million per year in 2 year contract meaning 1.2 billion USD but the Americans found a way to top this contract via doing something entirely different. Saudi contract was the biggest contract ever offered in history.

Saudi Arabia had offered somewhere between $400 million and $600 million per year, according to reports

But the money will be good in Miami too, because MLS rules allow it to be good, and because various American companies will make it better.

Inter Miami, the oft-dysfunctional franchise owned by billionaire businessman Jorge Mas, will pay Messi a base salary that will almost certainly be the highest in MLS. 43-million USD per year.

And MLS, to be clear, does not have to bend its rules to allow this. They've already been changed on whims over the years. They were reshaped in 2007 to accommodate the league's first true celebrity, David Beckham. Now, 16 years later, a version of the Beckham Rule — now mostly known as the designated player (DP) rule — allows each team to spend limitlessly beyond the salary cap on three players.

Messi will make millions more than Inter Miami's current top earner, striker Josef Martinez ($4.4 million). The real value of his deal will be everything else.

According to various reports, the deal will include equity in the club, which was valued by Forbes in February at $600 million — a number that Messi himself should propel toward $1 billion.

It's unclear how big a stake Messi will receive, but those shares will bump the total value of the deal up to between $125 million and $150 million over two-and-a-half years, according to the Miami Herald. (The deal reportedly includes an option for an additional year, 2026, when the men's World Cup will be played in North America.)

Additionally, hand-in-hand with MLS, Adidas and Apple have discussed commercial arrangements with Messi. The Athletic reported Tuesday that Adidas — which has outfitted and sponsored MLS since its inception, and Messi since he was a teen — had offered Messi a share of any profits related to his MLS involvement.
-----------------------------------------------

TL;DR version

The Saudis threw on Messi biggest contract offer in history 1.2 Billion USD in 2 years and the Americans replied to that offer by instead offering Messi shares of Adidas and Apple including shares of Inter Miami this sealed the deal. MLS knew they couldn't match the Saudi cash but instead came up with an smart alternative that worked

pretty sure the Mrs didn’t want to go to Saudi.
that‘s got to be worth more than 1.2b$

 

[Titanium100]

pretty sure the Mrs didn’t want to go to Saudi.
that‘s got to be worth more than 1.2b$

He is already the tourism ambassador in Saudi Arabia and have visited multiple times but the decision is entirely economical he was excited and moved by the shares offered.

Him and his father Jorge are business minded

 

[dbc]

He is already the tourism ambassador in Saudi Arabia and have visited multiple times but the decision is entirely economical he was excited and moved by the shares offered.

Him and his father Jorge are business minded

Well you’ll have a hard time convincing thousands of irate Cules who have been flooding her social media account with angry words.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

This is all rather moot unless somehow Messi suddenly perks up mass interest in Soccer…which has failed in the past over and over and over.

 

[mangochutney]

Manchester City turned him down
PSG fans booed & hounded him out .
Saudis would have given him the world with icing on top but USA showed that razzmatazz & super stardom is still held by them .

Saudis have only welcomed bit part discarded players £200 million a year for benzema wow .Ronaldo goading Arab fans to “ suck his ....” lol on national TV
We love you Ronaldo the reply lol .

Ronaldo hounded out of juventus & discarded like toilet tissue by Manchester United had no other takers .
USA putting Arabs in their place funny as f....

Saudis are setting up a 20/20 cricket league next to compete against India’s premier league and will throw money never seen before in the game ala liv golf .

 

[-=virus=-]

Saudis are setting up a 20/20 cricket league next to compete against India’s premier league and will throw money never seen before in the game ala liv golf .

not gonna work, that one

 

[F-22Raptor]

Messi and family want to settle down in Miami. It has nothing to do with the money. They love Miami and that’s where they see their future.

 

[SaadH]

Bad business decision if it was one to begin with. No amount of shares will ever amount to NPV of $1.9 bn total that was on the offer.

Messi and family want to settle down in Miami. It has nothing to do with the money. They love Miami and that’s where they see their future.

Yes and there won't be any language barrier for them in Miami.

 

[mangochutney]

not gonna work, that one

I hope not , they will ruin cricket .

First the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia came for golf, and I did not speak out, because it’s for men named Chad who want to network while supporting the manufacturers of boat shoes.
Then Saudi Arabia came for Newcastle United, and I did not speak out, because frankly it was Newcastle United. Actually, Saudi Arabia already had Formula One racing, but that was a natural fit between those who produce oil and the pastime that most conspicuously torches it. By the time they came for Cristiano Ronaldo he too seemed largely made of hydrocarbon polymer, though he is biodegrading faster.

Now Saudi Arabia is coming for cricket – just another step in the grandest sportswashing campaign in history.

Saudi Arabia’s grand sportswashing campaign comes to finish off cricket’s current order | Geoff Lemon

A lucrative T20 tournament is the country’s latest shameless attempt to forge a better reputation for itself – and it seemingly comes without care for the game itself

www.theguardian.com

 

[Azadkashmir]

saudi investing and buying but cant they not produce their own superstar.

 

[-=virus=-]

I hope not , they will ruin cricket .

First the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia came for golf, and I did not speak out, because it’s for men named Chad who want to network while supporting the manufacturers of boat shoes.
Then Saudi Arabia came for Newcastle United, and I did not speak out, because frankly it was Newcastle United. Actually, Saudi Arabia already had Formula One racing, but that was a natural fit between those who produce oil and the pastime that most conspicuously torches it. By the time they came for Cristiano Ronaldo he too seemed largely made of hydrocarbon polymer, though he is biodegrading faster.

Now Saudi Arabia is coming for cricket – just another step in the grandest sportswashing campaign in history.

Saudi Arabia’s grand sportswashing campaign comes to finish off cricket’s current order | Geoff Lemon

A lucrative T20 tournament is the country’s latest shameless attempt to forge a better reputation for itself – and it seemingly comes without care for the game itself

www.theguardian.com

Our Gangu passion alone can and will sustain it for a whiles should SHTF in cricket

Wrt the IPL, I was a huge skeptic to begin with (whole 20 scene tbh) and I still mostly view it as timepass, not real cricket.. but it turns out my fears were unfounded, it has not -vely impacted the game, if anything its got more people interested.

Grassroots still remains a red ball game, the Ranji is still the pinnacle domestic circuit.. matlab base solid hai abhi bhi.

Saudis are just being greedy here, for unlike thier football league with Messi, Ronaldo etc.. those guys want nothing to do with cricket lol.. stadiums full of Indian, Pak and Sri Lankan and BD folk still translates into decent money, I imagine.. but overall nahi chalega.

Aramco invests big in IPL, there's always an 'al mansour al habibi' something from there giving out MOM trophies etc.. kisi pagal sheikh to shayad chaska lag gya game ka

Unless they plan to challenge Sharjah with cricket hosting..

mann.. Sharjah.. agar match friday ko hota tha, we knew we'd lose.. jumma chumma of death.. but what a great place that's been for cricket over the years.. who can forget these ?

also, Tony Greig ! what a great set of pipes, right up there with Drury, Bhogle, Benaud, Blofeld, Holding and the rest... guys calling matches are just as important from a viewer perspective imho..

@mangochutney

 

[epebble]

Bad business decision if it was one to begin with. No amount of shares will ever amount to NPV of $1.9 bn total that was on the offer.


Yes and there won't be any language barrier for them in Miami.

Dumb analysis. Anyone can see a billion+ dollar check is more valuable than a truckload of contracts and endorsements till the cows come home. It was obviously based on non-economic interests.

 

[mangochutney]

Our Gangu passion alone can and will sustain it for a whiles should SHTF in cricket

Wrt the IPL, I was a huge skeptic to begin with (whole 20 scene tbh) and I still mostly view it as timepass, not real cricket.. but it turns out my fears were unfounded, it has not -vely impacted the game, if anything its got more people interested.

Grassroots still remains a red ball game, the Ranji is still the pinnacle domestic circuit.. matlab base solid hai abhi bhi.

Saudis are just being greedy here, for unlike thier football league with Messi, Ronaldo etc.. those guys want nothing to do with cricket lol.. stadiums full of Indian, Pak and Sri Lankan and BD folk still translates into decent money, I imagine.. but overall nahi chalega.

Aramco invests big in IPL, there's always an 'al mansour al habibi' something from there giving out MOM trophies etc.. kisi pagal sheikh to shayad chaska lag gya game ka

Unless they plan to challenge Sharjah with cricket hosting..

mann.. Sharjah.. agar match friday ko hota tha, we knew we'd lose.. jumma chumma of death.. but what a great place that's been for cricket over the years.. who can forget these ?

also, Tony Greig ! what a great set of pipes, right up there with Drury, Bhogle, Benaud, Blofeld, Holding and the rest... guys calling matches are just as important from a viewer perspective imho..

@mangochutney

Yes to all your points especially Ranji trophy , I watched it growing up when we could , funny thing is we had to watch it on a Pakistani channel in U.K. as Indians didn’t show it here with the great commentary of chisthi sahib

https://twitter.com/x/status/1384516627568504834

Also I enjoyed Geoffrey boycott & David Lloyd commenters

Oh and I just cannot get on with T20 no matter how much I try it’s only Pakistan v India I’ll watch due to the rivalry


Real cricket

 

[-=virus=-]

Yes to all your points especially Ranji trophy , I watched it growing up when we could , funny thing is we had to watch it on a Pakistani channel in U.K. as Indians didn’t show it here with the great commentary of chisthi sahib

https://twitter.com/x/status/1384516627568504834

Also I enjoyed Geoffrey boycott & David Lloyd commenters

Oh and I just cannot get on with T20 no matter how much I try it’s only Pakistan v India I’ll watch due to the rivalry


Real cricket

is that captain Srikanth in t he clip from the 89 test, Sachin's debut series ?

that shit still get me all goosebumpy.. Waqar vs tender wee hatchling baby Tendulkar