Lionel Messi's Inter Miami club is at risk of violating Major League Soccer regulations on February 20, when the squad needs to be finalized for the 2024 season, but the tournament can make a trade-off with them.
Inter Miami will have to reduce a large part of their squad to comply with the league's regulations, unless MLS decide to ignore it once again.
David Beckham's side are currently struggling ahead of the 2024 season. This is not surprising as they have Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez in the squad.
In MLS, each team has a salary limit, with some spots for designated players and a cost so that they can exceed the maximum salary for certain stars.
But Miami has pushed their limits and is in the warning zone with just six days left until the new season. The new season began on February 21 (local time) when Inter Miami hosted Real Salt Lake, and they have until February 20 to finalize the squad.
Inter Miami have released a number of players recently, but The Athletic believe that De Andre Yedlin, Serhii Kryvstov, Gregore, Jean Mota and Robert Taylor could all be offered for sale this week.
But with such a short time for Inter Miami to settle and the commercial franchise being an important commercial aspect for MLS, they can give the Reds special treatment once again.
The MLS have tried to get Messi in their league, and his impact proves why they are so determined.
Fans have gone crazy because Messi has been with Inter Miami since he signed, and his league rankings have increased, the number of Apple TV Season Pass subscribers has skyrocketed, the number of spectators has also increased, especially when Inter Miami plays away from home.
Fans have paid $500 per ticket for Inter Miami away, about 10 times higher than the average ticket price MLS usually has.
Inter Miami received a portion of its revenue from the Season Pass on Apple TV, while generating revenue from selling jerseys. It is similar to the deal David Beckham had when he signed for LA Galaxy.
MLS is the fastest growing league in the world and Messi has been pushing them faster. But Inter Miami had to consult and negotiate with the league to sign him, ensuring that he would not often take on media duties.
MLS players have to hold a post-match press conference and also interact with reporters in the dressing room. They will be punished if they refuse to meet the media, but Messi is exempted from this.
LA Galaxy have been banned from transfers after violating league rules in the past, so if Inter Miami cannot address their current problems before the start of the season, it will be clear how MLS will treat them compared to other teams.
Some clubs have been disappointed with Inter Mami's model since bringing Messi back, but it is clear that other teams will benefit from more attention to the tournament.
