The dream of seeing Lionel Messi and Neymar sharing the pitch once again has gained momentum ahead of the 2027 Major League Soccer (MLS) season, largely sparked by recent comments from Felipe Melo. With the consolidation of the franchise’s sporting and commercial project, Inter Miami management could have this reunion in mind.
The first step toward this potential move is already aligned thanks to current contractual schedules. Neymar is on track to become a free agent in January 2027, which would eliminate any transfer fee for the Florida club.
Meanwhile, Messi has a contract secured through the end of the 2028 season, setting up the perfect timeline for their paths to cross once more—an exciting prospect for everyone hoping to see them play together.
Strict MLS Rules and the designated player spot
The primary obstacle standing in the way of the Brazilian landing in Miami is found in the strict MLS Roster Rules and Regulations. MLS operates under a rigid salary cap, but permits a maximum of three Designated Players (DPs) per team. This exception allows clubs to pay unlimited salaries to three of their stars, ensuring that only a minimal fraction of those wages impacts the overall roster cap.
Neymar Junior of Santos
Currently, Inter Miami has its three coveted Designated Player spots fully occupied, with Messi serving as the immovable centerpiece of that structure. To sign a superstar of Neymar’s caliber, the Florida franchise faces a regulatory dead end: it is required to free up one of these spots before the start of the 2027 season, or the signing will be blocked by the MLS.
To clear a spot, management led by David Beckham and Jorge Mas will need to execute surgical moves in the transfer market. The only viable options are selling one of its current Designated Players to another league—with the remaining candidates being Rodrigo De Paul and German Berterame—sending one out on loan, or injecting General Allocation Money (GAM) to lower their salary charge against MLS rules and reclassify them as a standard roster player.
Here, the most likely scenario, given what it means for the club, is that German Berterame would be the odd man out due to his poor performance since arriving and his limited contributions to the team.
Financial engineering and the feasibility of a reunion
Even if Inter Miami manages to open up a regulatory DP slot, the base salary the club could offer on payroll would not come close to what Neymar is accustomed to earning. To entice the Brazilian, the club would have to replicate the “Messi Formula”: structuring a contract that offsets salary with external commercial deals, a percentage of global broadcast revenue, and potential sponsorships tied to the new stadium complex.
From a strictly sporting and organizational standpoint, the operation also carries a risk that the club must weigh carefully. The Brazilian’s medical history, marked by severe injuries in recent seasons, will force Inter Miami to evaluate whether committing a resource as valuable as a DP spot is worth it for a player who might not guarantee physical consistency through the grueling American schedule.
