LIONEL MESSI’S MILLION-DOLLAR GAMBLE: How inter Miami’s Big Spend Sparked Success and Scandal

Inter Miami are in just their fifth season of Major League Soccer, but have already ruffled plenty of feathers due to David Beckham, Lionel Messi and Gianni Infantino
Inter Miami have come a long way in four years – but their rise has not come without controversy.

The franchise was founded in 2018 when Major League Soccer allowed the David Beckham -backed side to join the league. They played their first match in March 2020 and made headlines in 2021 when Beckham hired his former Manchester United and England team-mate Phil Neville as manager and signed Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain as the first marquee player.

There was very slow progress in the early days on the pitch, with results far from impressive despite the presence of Higuain, World Cup winner Blaise Matuidi and ex-Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs in the side. Everything changed in June 2023, when four days after sacking Neville, Miami announced the blockbuster signing of Lionel Messi.

After adding Messi’s former Barcelona team-mates Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez and ex-Barca manager Tata Martino, things clicked into gear. They won the 2023 Leagues Cup and have followed it up by breaking the MLS record for the highest regular-season points total, winning the Supporters’ Shield in the process.
But Inter Miami’s journey to becoming the best side in MLS has ruffled plenty of feathers, with other franchises irritated by what they see as preferential treatment.

Ruthless sacking

When Beckham hired his former team-mate and close friend as Inter Miami’s manager he knew the day would come when he would also have to sack him. Former England women’s boss Neville led Miami from January 2021 to June 2023, but managed to win just 35 of his 90 matches and knew the end was coming when his side were rock bottom of the Eastern Conference.

I knew the end was coming well before the time, it was pretty obvious to everyone in and around the football club,” Neville said recently. “We had to have some difficult conversations along the way but they were always pretty honest and frank.”

Neville had criticised Miami’s supporters, clashed with reporters in press conferences and seen his own son booed after introducing him off the bench. On the day he was sacked, Neville explained: “The day I actually got fired was probably actually harder for David than it was for me. He really didn’t want to do it, he was really emotional. I was emotional too but I knew it was coming so it was probably easier for me.”

Beckham had described Neville as “trust-worthy, loyal and hardworking” when hiring him, but he was left with no choice but to fire him. Sixteen months later, the decision has paid dividends.

Breaking the bank
Just a few days after giving his friend the boot, Beckham was celebrating the capture of a global superstar. Beckham worked alongside co-owner Jorge Mas to land Messi, who didn’t come cheap from Paris Saint-Germain.

The Argentina legend was paid $20.4m (£15.7m) in his first full season from Inter Miami, but Forbes estimates he pulled in $70m (£53m) from endorsements over the last year. Busquets is paid $8.8m per year, while Suarez and Alba earn $1.5m each, meaning that Miami’s wage bill of $41.7m is over double the vast majority of MLS franchises.
For Inter Miami – and MLS as a whole – Messi is undoubtedly worth it. At 37, he is in the twilight of his career, but is still ridiculously good, having contributed 33 goals and 17 assists in 36 appearances so far. Arguably more importantly, he has put Inter Miami on the map globally.

Messi backlash
Having one of the best players of all time on board allowed Inter Miami the chance to grow their fanbase in the Far East earlier this year. Messi Mania turned ugly, however, when the man himself did not play in a friendly in Hong Kong in February, sparking an international incident.

Chinese state media, Hong Kong politicians and fans all vented their fury at Inter Miami and Messi, who then played in Japan a few days after being declared unfit. Messi was forced to put out a video on Weibo to quell the rage that came after fans made 12-hour journeys just to see him play.

Fans paid HK$4,880 (£494) for tickets to watch Messi and booed Beckham when he came on the pitch to address them. The organisers of the match were later forced to offer 50 per cent refunds. Messi’s commercial interests in Asia are vast – he is an ambassador for Chinese brands such as Huawei, Chery, Tencent, Mengniu, Chishui River Wine and J&T Express – and the incident damaged his credibility.

Favouritism fury
FIFA president Gianni Infantino was in Florida on Sunday to personally deliver some good news to Inter Miami. “Miami loves football, the world loves football and the world loves Miami. So I have three things to tell you,” Infantino announced to the crowd at the Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

“The first: many congratulations for winning the Supporters’ Shield. And on top, with the record of points in Major League Soccer. Congratulations, you are the best team of the season in America. Second, based on this outstanding performance of this year you deserve to be, and you will be, for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

“And third, as the host team of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, you will have the honour of opening the tournament by hosting the opening game here in Miami at the Hard Rock Stadium in front of 65,000 people and tens of millions at home.”

The decision to hand Inter Miami a place in the Club World Cup based on parameters that weren’t previously stated has not gone down well. The news quickly went viral on social media, with fans of rival MLS clubs furious at perceived favouritism. The Club World Cup has struggled to attract broadcasters and the theory goes that Infantino needs Messi’s star quality to sell it. “The criteria was always the same,” one fan tweeted. “Whichever team had Lionel Messi was gonna qualify.”

Before the Club World Cup next summer, Inter Miami have the MLS play-offs to focus on. Messi could add another trophy to his gigantic collection, but an Inter Miami win wouldn’t be universally popular.