Lionel Messi does all his talking on the field; he’s the GOAT. The best soccer player of all time is not one to speak often, but when he does, sadly for MLS executives and American soccer fans, it rarely is for them. Messi usually speaks to Argentine outlets and people he is familiar with, but when Messi prefers to talk to an Argentine YouTuber over a Bob Costas, ESPN FC, or CBS Golazo, exposure for MLS and Inter Miami falls flat.
MLS has all its games on Apple TV, and while the goal for Apple and MLS is a bit different than in years past, when the biggest star of soccer is often silent to the American media, who knows just how far his reach has gone. A quiet Messi will make major networks and shows move on to something else, and usually for MLS, Lionel Messi is its only line of getting good content out to the masses.
Christian Pulisic, who plays for AC Milan in Serie A, did more interviews during the club’s summer American tour than Messi has done for American media all year. Pulisic even got on the Tonight Show, while Messi and Inter Miami‘s visit to New York at the end of September seemed like a major missed opportunity to get the biggest sporting star on the planet on late-night TV or American morning television.
MLS Needs to Get Lionel Messi “Out There More”
When Pelé came to America in the late ’70s to play for the New York Cosmos of the NASL, he was everywhere, from meeting the president to doing interviews to going on Johnny Carson. In fact, Pelé had done the Johnny Carson show years before he joined the Cosmos. The end result of Pelé’s involvement in the old league was getting the NASL on ABC television. While the NASL folded, MLS doesn’t have the luxury of knowing that having Messi will mean bigger and better things.
The league is locked into a remaining 8-year deal with Apple TV, it will be the home of the league for that time, by the end of the Apple TV deal MLS is hoping that the league is one of the top leagues in the world. Messi would have long retired by then.
The way Messi has communicated with the MLS/American audience has been threefold: his viral goal scoring, a few post-game interviews—it’s been nearly a year since he spoke at a press conference—and his advertising, whether it’s the announcement of his new ventures or a cameo for the new Bad Boys movie.
In a time when it feels that soccer needs to take the “next step,” the sport is weak on many fronts. The USMNT has fallen flat the last two years, needing to spend in the range of $6 million on head coach Mauricio Pochettino to get the program back on track. If you take out the ratings for the World Cup and Copa America, the viewership to watch the “golden generation” of USMNT players was some of the lowest in recent memory.
Then there’s MLS with Lionel Messi. While Apple TV is now the home and hub for all things Major League Soccer, getting the Argentine to break through the niche of the MLS fan must be a goal of the league, especially with the 37-year-old entering his contract year next season.
The league execs need to work their magic to get the Argentine in front of cameras more to sell the game, the league, and his brand. Inter Miami is two years away from breaking ground on a new stadium as the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be played in the United States, mostly, along with Mexico and Canada. Who can be a bigger salesman for these major events than the best player to ever kick a soccer ball? Lionel Messi.