If football fans felt Major League Soccer (MLS) is the sanctuary of soccer players who are past their prime, then think again.
Lionel Messi has changed all that with his tally of eight goals and an assist in the five games that he has played for Inter Miami so far.
The World Champion from Argentina is in all probability the greatest footballer of all time with all the titles and accolades that he has won at the club level for Barcelona and of course the Argentine national team.
Messi's prowess
There were murmurs in certain quarters that one of the most decorated footballers of all time might be past his best days when he decided to make the shift to MLS in the United States.
The Argentine superstar's form could be gauged from the fact that he registered 67 touches of the ball. But he was not dispossessed even once.
Messi completed 40 passes including 12 into the final third with 83 % accuracy and created one chance. The World Champion had a role to play in defence as well as he won two tackles and eight ground duels.
Brand 'Messi'
It's true that soccer in the US is still a baby in its infancy but a 'GOAT' like Messi who is very much in the pink of his footballing health is the nanny that American soccer needs.
Inter Miami has found that out and how!.
As Miami reached the semifinals of the Leagues Cup with a 4-0 win against Charlotte FC, Messi's fourth goal was the icing on the cake as the fans who turned up in large numbers for the man got their monies worth.
Every sport and every brand needs an ambassador at a certain point in its existence. An ambassador who can take that brand to the stratosphere it aspires to be at.
Michael Jordan is the classic example and what he did for the NBA and Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls were a team that was just about average in its existence prior to the MJ era but Jordan completely transformed the club during his years there winning five NBA championship titles and in the process becoming a world-renowned brand himself.
Chicago Bulls became a name synonymous with Jordan and the best of the NBA in its heydays and MJ was solely responsible for that.
Ofcourse, Messi is probably at the fag end of his career but by no means is he past the best years of football that he has to offer.
Management gung-ho
The Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas summed up the Messi mania recently in a social media post:
"The Messi effect is real!Subscribers to MLS Season Pass on Apple TV have more than doubled since he joined Inter Miami. Also, Spanish language viewership on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV has surpassed over 50 % for his matches and continues to rise. How exciting for a truly global fan base!..
These are still early days in the MLS for Messi and for MLS with Messi. But one truly feels that the love affair is here to stay with the way it has begun.
