I'm looking slightly ahead to next year - there is no way that they're not going to throw the other owners a bone after making everyone contribute to the Messi fund in terms of competitiveness.
It's going to be interesting to see how Messi feels about playing in some of the shit stadiums of the MLS... Both NY sites come to mind and the crap turf in Vancouver, Houston in July, etc..
My guess is that those games will be "Load management"
On the other hand...if they force those stadiums to upgrade in order to not embarrass the league on a global scale, I'm totally on board with that.
It will be interesting what happens in Miami with regards to the stadium too. DoDo they continue in their temp stadium or do they move some games to Hard Rock stadium for increased capacity?
I understand the sponsorship concern. It's a grey area, fraught with conflicts of interests. However, for myself, there is a difference, unique sets of concerns, between a league sponsorship and league sponsors providing more funding to one clubs DP over another; as a separate but favouring initiative; marketing deal. IIUC, in the latter instance, I suspect Nike is similarly involved in the NFL, MLB and NBA. I believe that Messi already is/was sponsorship engaged by Adidas. The league/all other clubs sponsorship nee contribution is troubling. However, maybe those contributions are not what we speculate-direct or as overwhelming as presumed; For instance, perhaps instead of any jersey profit pooling, I-Miami/Messi gets a greater slice/additional points on those/their sales.
By most accounts any deal is 'complicated'. Possibly as much as $150M over the contract, supposedly 2 1/2 years with option for 2026? Again, by most accounts, his earnings involve salary, bonuses/marketing components and equity. It has also been widely reported Adidas and Apple were offering profit sharing in their initiatives of merchandising and/or subscriptions.
I do think it is still early days; the fine details being unknown. For myself, even $150M for 2 1/2 years seems conservative; $60M a year? By my own rough cost thoughts gamed out it's easy @ $134M/YR...
1/ IMCF/MLS 'Official' (laugh track here) Salary, league highest token award @ $10M/YR Guar/Comp.
2/ Equity @ 35% or $200M on a now nonsense $600M valuation = $66M/YR.
2/ Apple MLSSP profit sharing with ads. A MJorden 5% on $80 Sub/Yr on a global 1% of 450M Insta conversion is 4.5M subscribers by $4 = $18M/YR.
3/ A Beckham like Adidas/IMCF merchandise deal... jerseys like at MLS Store, at club/stadium and et al. @ conservatively $10M/YR.
5/ Best in sector, all media campaigns/commercial ads for a credit card/bank, car, fast food establishment, soft drink, etc, saturation contolled 10 spots a year @ conservatively $2.5M/PER/YR = $25M/YR.
6/ MLS/FIFA League/WC media campaigns @ $5M/YR.
Interesting. The Extratime guys are kind of nervous about this being a headfake. Messi saying he intends to sign in Miami is not the same thing as signing in Miami.
"There are some people who might have better technique than me, and some may be fitter than me, but the main thing is tactics. With most players, tactics are missing. You can divide tactics into insight, trust, and daring." - Johan Cruyff
Until the MLS contract is signed by Messi, not even an agreement with the agent, his father, matters in the end. And till then, the 'hijack' is always in play...
https://www.planetfootball.com/quick...tit-gascoigne/
Has Don Garber confirmed?
It would be an extremely bad look on all parties involved if this fell through.
AFAIK, no Don Garber/MLS official 'it's done' confirmation. Just this...
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/thesoccerdon/status/1666858663791800340
Exactly, that is the point. Bankruptlona may still find a way!
Nah. I dont think Barcelona actually wants him back, at least not anyone below the board level, I think they are trying to appease fans by trying to sign him.
Xavi is more than fine working with his young players than trying to change his system by accommodating an aging Messi.
Fair. The 'just going through the motions' is one of the reasonable narratives. However, if they were trying to appease the Cules, than why diss Messi with that goodbye-so long-farwell parting statement? Another approach seemed warranted. I think Barca-the business needed Messi at this moment more than most think. Mal tempum adventum/bad times coming. He would be the transitional (father) figure (head) of calm in their sea of financial turmoils and any pending upcoming SuperLeague decisions or fall-out.
Anyone know through the "league cup" if we would possibly be able to play Miami.
The cost of these tickets are quite high, and I would have 100% opted out. But now with Messi in Miami. Just curious to know if it could be a possibility.
Unlikely, see link: https://www.leaguescup.com/news/2023...t-announcement
On the knockout, we have to get through the other east group winners before we would face the winner of all the south group winners.
Getting through Group stage and three knockout rounds is a big ask for these Toronto and Miami teams.
Last edited by wopchop; 06-11-2023 at 07:55 AM.
That and we are the second lowest ranked team - we only could have a home game if somehow we met DCU.
BA... 'Messi is good for the league'...
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/TommyQuinlan_IV/status/1667911980978429952
Neymar Jr. may be being targeted by the KSA/Al-Hilal, but where does he happen to be? In Miami, at the Miami Heat game!
Vini Jr and Pogba were also there. Shakira too (she is apparently dating Jimmy Butler, so a special case).
International hipsters dig the NBA Finals, when it's in a place like Miami.
"There are some people who might have better technique than me, and some may be fitter than me, but the main thing is tactics. With most players, tactics are missing. You can divide tactics into insight, trust, and daring." - Johan Cruyff
Even Vini Jr. 'knows the score'...
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/FCBSiddu/status/1667568559030149120
If/when he does sign, and if/when Tata signs on as coach what are the odds Messi's allowed to provide some influence on coaching/assistant manager decisions?
Think we see Aguero take the opportunity to get back around the pitch and football again and be an assistant mgr/coach under Tata? His buddy and family in town now with him in Miami - perfect opportunity to be around the field and dip toes into coaching. Unless he loves his twitch streamer/memer gig now too much to commit to that type of thing lol. Might be worth a punt tho even as a way for him to be around their younger forwards/strikers, or potential other Argentinian youth transfers lol
Do you think Miami took the approach of stressing all the unique challenges of MLS when trying to lure him there? The more I read about this the more I can see this souring really quickly.
Naw, cause it's Magic City baby...
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/MLS/status/1667929319820206081
Unique problems Messi will face
Refs
Travel
Weather
Pitches
Tactics
Quality of play of his teammates
Interviews
Weird roster rules (he's always been on a team that could buy what it needed)
Now, I can imagine him dealing with most of that
Could in no way imagine Ronaldo doing so