Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi, who recently signed a contract extension to keep playing for Inter Miami through 2028, thinks Major League Soccer should relax some of the financial constraints around player acquisitions in order to continue growing.

“Every team should have the opportunity to bring in players and sign whoever each team wants without limitations or rules for players to bring them in,” Messi said in Spanish during an interview with NBC Nightly News that was released Monday night. 

“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,” Messi said.

Inter Miami leads Nashville SC 1–0 in their first-round series of the MLS Cup playoffs, and it can advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals with a victory Saturday.

Cap Tracker

Currently, MLS allows clubs to sign up to three designated players whose total compensation and acquisition costs exceed the maximum salary budget charge. In 2025, the salary cap was $5.95 million per team for the first 20 senior roster players, with a maximum salary budget charge of $743,750 for any individual player. 

Messi’s $20.44 million salary is more than double the second-highest in MLS, $8.77 million for his Miami teammate Sergio Busquets. In total, 190 players are making more than the $743,750 maximum salary budget charge this season, according to Spotrac. 

Messi also makes money from revenue-sharing deals with the league’s media-rights holder, Apple, and apparel provider, Adidas. He’s also a co-owner of Inter Miami, which is opening a new stadium next year. Messi was suspended for one game this season due to skipping the MLS All-Star Game.

One More Time

Messi said he wants to play for Argentina in next summer’s FIFA men’s World Cup in North America.

“We’re coming off winning the last World Cup, and being able to defend it on the field again is spectacular because it’s always a dream to play with the national team, especially in official competitions, so hopefully God will allow me to do it once again.”

It would be the sixth World Cup for Messi, who will turn 39 during the 2026 tournament.

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