'The Dream Of My Life': Inter Miami Skipper Lionel Messi Suggests Necessary Changes To Major League Soccer Transfer Rules

Reigning FIFA World Cup champion and arguably the greatest to have graced the football pitch, Lionel Messi is in the final phase of his career. After winning the FIFA World Cup in 2022, the Argentina icon formally joined Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami in July 2023. Messi joined the club alongside his former Barca teammate Sergio Busquets.

Messi recently gave his honest take on his future and his plans of playing the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Inter Miami star said that he still needs to assess his body, and he will take a final call during his pre-season with Inter Miami.

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Lionel Messi Gives His Takes On Designated Player Rule

The MLS has fundamentally benefitted from the Designated Player rule by attracting stalwarts of the sport such as Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Kaka, Robbie Keane, and Sebastian Giovinco in the past. The rule allowed the league to boost its international profile. The league also introduced the Young Designated Players rule to promote signing of younger players.

Inter Miami skipper believes that the MLS isn't being able to explore its full potential, and the current transfer regulations are holding it back.

'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. Everything I went through and everything I did to achieve that, it was the dream of my life,' said Lionel Messi, as quoted by NBC.

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Dissecting The Designated Player Rule In MLS

Players acquired under the Designated Player rule are the ones whose salary and purchase costs surpass the Maximum Salary Budget Charge. The first player signed under this rule was Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham. The LA Galaxy had signed Beckham back in 2007.

The rule allows clubs to choose between three Designated Players and three U22 Initiative slots. In addition to it, the Unlimited General Allocation Money (GAM) accrual gives teams a larger kitty to spend from.