"Wants to be a brand like Michael Jordan" - Ex-MLS star maps out Lionel Messi's plan to transcend the sport following Inter Miami transfer 

Former MLS star Taylor Twellman has outlined how Lionel Messi could become a brand like NBA legend Michael Jordan. While Messi is already a massive brand in itself, his popularity in places like the United States is set to skyrocket following his move to Inter Miami.

The Argentina captain surprised many by deciding to join the MLS club on a free agent following the expiration of his Paris Saint-Germain contract this summer. It's Messi's first foray beyond European club football.

Twellman reckons the transfer is the perfect opportunity for Messi to grow and become one of the biggest brands in the sports world. Twellman told Mirror about the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner:

"The Messi people in the group have asked the question for the last two or three years, ‘How can Lionel Messi become the next Michael Jordan?’

"And people over here don’t understand what that means. PSG wore the Jordan brand, that is a basketball player in the United States that transcends sport, Michael Jordan."

Twellman added:

"Messi’s people have asked the question, ‘ How can he become the next Michael Jordan?’ The only place to do that is the United States of America. They know that. The World Cup’s there in 2026. Copa America is there in 2024.

"Apple TV’s got the documentary along with Major League Soccer events. He and his family want to live in Miami. A lot of that was lined up for him and his people to answer that question or how he becomes the next Michael Jordan.”

Lionel Messi has said that he won't play the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to take place in the United States, after guiding Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022. Twellman, though, thinks it would be easier for Messi to play that tournament:

“Now, he has said he’s not going to play in the World Cup in 2026. Would it surprise anyone if he does? Nope. Because he’s going to be there. He’s going to see it.

"The travel to play for Argentina now is just cut in half because he’s not travelling around the world now. So there’s a lot of things that are going to play a factor in that. But he wants to be a brand when he’s 50, 60, 70 years old."

Twellman added:

"I think he made the calculated decision on the backs of Apple TV, adidas, and Major League Soccer of saying, ‘I want to be the next Michael Jordan, I want to be the Michael Jordan in the sport of soccer’.

"It’s still an untapped market. I don’t care what anyone says, how far we’ve grown in the United States. It’s still an untapped market and he’s going to be the brand for the next two-and-a-half to three years that everyone talks about as an Inter Miami player, that’s hard to calculate.”

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Lionel Messi's arrival could boost US football

Following Lionel Messi's arrival at MLS club Inter Miami, it's worth taking a look at the forthcoming fixtures for USNMT. The United States will host the 2024 Copa America and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Moreover, the US will also host the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025. Having a player like Lionel Messi is set to attract more eyeballs to the MLS. People's interest in the upcoming major tournaments will only help US football boost its profile.

Attracting eyeballs is one of the perks of having a superstar of Messi's stature apart from his unquestionable on-field brilliance.