Lionel Messi has said MLS must ease spending restrictions to become world soccer's top league and said he hopes he can physically contribute to Argentina's World Cup squad next summer.
In a rare interview with a US publication, Messi sat down with NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In the interview, Messi was asked if he thought soccer could become as popular in the United States as American sports such as soccer, baseball and basketball. Messi said he believes the sport can achieve this, but teams need to have more freedom first.
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“Every team should be able to attract the players and sign whoever each team wants – without restrictions or rules on the players,” Messi said. “I don't think today all the teams in the United States, all the clubs have the opportunity to do this, and I think that if they were given the freedom, a lot of more important players would come in and help the United States grow.”
Throughout its existence, MLS has maintained an arcane set of rules governing player signings, with the goal of controlling costs, promoting competitive balance between teams and, in its early days, preventing teams from bidding against each other for players. Many of the original rules that formed this structure have been repealed or changed, but MLS Today, teams still must approach roster construction strategically while navigating a variety of roster rules and categories.
Each MLS team is allowed up to three Designated Player (DP) spots, allowing them to acquire players like Messi who they can pay whatever they want while only counting toward the maximum annual salary for this season ($743,750 in 2025). Teams can also “buy out” a maximum number of players using various forms of cash distribution. The U-22 league's initiatives provide teams with financial incentives to sign young players they can sell later.
Discussions about changing or abolishing these rules have generally been circulating for years, but they have gained momentum with the arrival of Messi and Inter Miami's success on and off the field. Thus, Messi's vote will have some weight, but the final decision will rest with the MLS owners.
Elsewhere in the interview, Messi said he intends to play at the 2026 World Cup for Argentina, while admitting his age will be crucial.
“I'd like to be there, feel good and be a big part of helping my national team if I'm there,” he said. “I'm going to evaluate this on a daily basis when I start pre-season with Inter next year. [Miami] and let’s see if I can really be 100%, if I can be useful to the group, the national team, and then I’ll make a decision.”
