Messi’s Latest Injury Scare Is Worse News For MLS Than Inter Miami

Before the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 match against Nashville SC on Wednesday night, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi were playfully teasing each other.

Following Inter Miami's success in the Concacaf Champions Cup with a 3-1 win against Nashville SC on Saturday night, coach Tata Martino disclosed that Lionel Messi was substituted in the second half due to a leg issue and it is unlikely that he will participate in the upcoming league match against D.C. United on Saturday.

Messi participated in the game while being injured which he had received during the first match of the round-of-16 series against Nashville a week ago. He did not play in the 3-2 league defeat against CF Montreal last weekend due to the injury.

It's highly likely that he won't be playing in the next couple of MLS matches. As a precautionary measure for his injury, he won't be playing in the game against D.C. Furthermore, he'll also be absent from the game against the New York Red Bulls the following week because he'll be representing Argentina during the March international window.

In the upcoming future, it's possible that he might not play during the match against New York City FC on March 30 at home. This is due to the fact that the first quarterfinal of Miami's Concacaf Champions Cup is just a few days afterwards, around three to four days later.

Miami is facing a tough challenge with their schedule, as they try to balance both league play and continental competition. Unfortunately, this comes at an inconvenient time. However, there is still time left in the second half of the season for the team to bounce back from missing players, including Messi, who will be playing for Argentina in the Copa America this summer. It won't be easy, but there is hope for Miami yet.

It could be a more concerning development for the entirety of Major League Soccer.

To begin with, Messi won't be present for his team's trips to the cities with the highest number of international media in the United States. Although there will be more significant audiences in other stadiums compared to Audi Field and Red Bull Arena, it will be challenging to surpass the vast exposure to global media that these two areas could have provided.

Due to his injury, his limited availability will result in fewer live appearances on Apple TV. This is due to the fact that the league's global streaming partner has exclusive rights to broadcast all MLS regular season and playoff games, as well as the Leagues Cup. However, their rights do not extend to the Concacaf Champions Cup.

The start of this weekend's 14 MLS games without any charges ahead of the MLS Season Pass paywall commences with Saturday's match in D.C. Lionel Messi's nonattendance will undoubtedly lessen the enthusiasm for the promotion of the subscription service.

This incident also highlights the fact that Major League Soccer has very limited power when it comes to promoting its most valuable resource.

According to reports, Messi's agreement to join Inter Miami involved making a deal with Apple TV. As part of this agreement, Messi would receive a portion of the proceeds from Apple selling subscription fees to its Season Pass service. However, Messi's main focus as an Inter Miami player has always been to strive for victory and trophies, with little regard to which entity holds the competition rights.

This season, Messi has appeared in three games on both the FOX family of TV channels and Season Pass due to the Concacaf competition in the United States. It is quite nonsensical that FOX has relegated both of Messi's Champions Cup games to FS2, most likely due to contractual obligations.

Messi and Miami have logically considered the benefits of winning the Concacaf Champions Cup, which include securing a spot in the lucrative FIFA Club World Cup and earning a cash prize of $5 million. However, for MLS, whose broadcasting rights are owned by FOX, it is unlikely to be advantageous if Messi and Miami fail to win the entire tournament.

Consider the example from last year, when Messi's desire to participate in the U.S. Open Cup right after winning the Leagues Cup resulted in injury troubles that restricted his involvement in league games towards the end. A critical observer of MLS might even say that the league's decision to drop out of the tournament altogether in 2024 was a simpler alternative than persuading Messi and Miami to overlook it since it wasn't part of the Season Pass.

To be honest, the situation is more intricate than it seems. Even though Messi declared he was going to sign with Inter Miami, MLS had to adjust and follow his lead. Over the next few months, MLS might have to reluctantly accept that Messi will focus on avoiding injuries so he can perform well in Miami's Champions Cup games and prepare for Argentina's Copa America tournament. This could imply that he won't prioritize playing in MLS matches during the spring and summer.