The MLS Commissioner sat down with Rich Kleiman from “Boardroom” to discuss the impact that the Inter Miami superstar has had on Major League Soccer.
Video Transcript
Even I didn’t realize the power, the influence, the awareness that Leo has around the world.
I see pink messy jerseys wherever I go.
We in America have so many great sports stars, you know, they’re basketball stars and hockey stars and baseball stars, but there’s one messi if you’re going to ask everybody, maybe not Cristiano Ronaldo, but you ask every coach, every player in the world who the best.
The player ever to play the game is, it’s messy and we’re living with him.
He’s a remarkable guy.
He loves our league.
His family loves being here.
He’s got a bunch of sons who are pretty elite youth players, so the impact from a commercial perspective has been beyond our expectations, and it’s the unique structure of Major League Soccer and our desire to take risks, evolve our system that allowed us to sign him.
Competing against Saudi Arabia, we’re competing against his home club in Barcelona where he went as a 15 or 16 year old.
We were able to structure a deal where he gets a share of certain incremental revenues.
We were able to figure out a way that it works for him long term.
We hope that it continues to keep him involved with us and frankly he’s doing pretty well.
I hope he resigns and stays with Major League Soccer for some time.
