By Andrew Posadas
The Miami Dolphins. The Miami Heat. The Miami Marlins (thanks again for Giancarlo Stanton, Derek Jeter). Now, Miami can call itself a soccer city.
Since 2014, David Beckham has been on a mission to bring a soccer team to South Beach. In that four-year period, he saw the MLS award teams to New York, Atlanta, Minnesota and neighboring city Orlando. With confirmation on Monday, Beckham and the rest of the ownership group celebrated an emotional victory in downtown Miami.
Beckham told the Miami Herald, “Luckily, this four years of pain, at times, has taught me that sometimes you go through certain moments where it’s difficult.” Given the news, it’s safe to say David Beckham is now unequivocally the most popular owner in the MLS. (Also, the most handsome owner, but that’s a given.)
The amount of support for a soccer team in Miami was endless. From Tom Brady to Jennifer Lopez, Beckham and ownership weren’t short of star power in their pursuit of a franchise. However, there is one congratulatory message which catches the intrigue of soccer fans.
Lionel Messi.
The 30-year old Argentinian striker took to social media, sending his best wishes to David Beckham and the city of Miami for their new squad. At the end of the video, Messi can be heard saying, “And who knows? Maybe in a few years you can give me a call.”
Could those words be a jest? Something for a laugh? Perhaps. Unfortunately, thinking in this manner isn’t any fun. What if we take those words seriously? Is it possible Lionel Messi may entertain the thought of playing in Miami? I come back to the same answer: Perhaps.
The stars may align perfectly for a potential Messi-Miami soccer marriage. For starters, the team won’t begin MLS play until 2020. They won’t move into a permanent stadium until the following year, 2021. Why is this important? Yes, Messi signed a new contract with FC Barcelona this past September but…his contract ends in 2020-2021.
Messi will be thirty-two to thirty-three years old around this time. Every soccer fan knows even the greatest of footballers begin a steady decline in talent after the age of thirty. Messi is still arguably the best soccer player in the world; but for how much longer? If Messi starts to drop off in production, I believe he seriously considers the move to the MLS after his contract expires.
His impact on the MLS would be, dare I say, of biblical proportions. Messi can omnipotently change the landscape of professional soccer in the United States. He’d put the MLS on the map, no longer being a “second-rate” league in the eyes of the rest of the world. Obviously, he’d be the highest paid MLS player of all time, which would set a precedent for other MLS stars to be paid higher. Most importantly, other skillful players from Europe would be more enticed to play here. Seeing a generational player come to the states may start a domino effect of better talent funneling through the MLS.
I know what you’re thinking: too good to be true. Maybe it is. But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense for all parties involved. I’ll leave you with this: there are also rumblings Cristiano Ronaldo has interest in joining Beckham in Miami.
Messi and Ronaldo in Miami? Sign me up.
