Lionel Messi’s move to MLS, alongside a crucial strategic shift, is propelling Major League Soccer to unprecedented global recognition and success, fundamentally altering its future.
Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi has publicly urged Major League Soccer (MLS) officials to make sweeping changes to the league’s restrictive transfer rules, arguing that only a liberalization of spending will allow the competition to fulfill its massive global potential.
According to reporting by FotMob, the Argentine superstar believes the current complex salary cap and Designated Player (DP) structure are now hindering growth, preventing MLS from becoming a true global powerhouse.
In a rare interview, Messi laid out his vision for a league free of the spending constraints currently designed to maintain competitive parity. He stressed that clubs need the freedom to build squads of world-class talent to compete with Europe’s elite.
“Well, for starters, every team should have the opportunity to bring in players and sign whoever each team wants—without limitations or rules for players to bring them in,” Messi told NBC.
The current system, which includes the salary cap and limited DP spots, was historically implemented to prevent the financial collapse that plagued previous American leagues.
However, Messi’s sentiment, which echoes past calls from figures like Zlatan Ibrahimović and Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham, suggests the rules are now archaic.
Messi contends that if clubs were granted more financial autonomy, the sheer magnetism of the United States would draw in an even greater influx of top-tier talent.
“I don’t think that today all teams in the United States, all clubs, have the power to do that, and I think that if they were given the freedom, many more important players would come and help the growth of the United States,” he added.
The World Cup winner pointed to Inter Miami’s transformation since his 2023 arrival as a blueprint for the league’s possibilities, citing the club’s rapid growth in global stature.
“Today, the Inter Miami brand is very strong, not only in the United States but also globally. I think the club made a huge change and grew in every way, both athletically and institutionally,” Messi said, concluding that the foundation for soccer’s success in the U.S. is now in place, and it is “time to do it.”