![]() Though he might end up paying what is called the “jock tax”, whereby each state could stake its tax claim based on the percentage of time a player spends in their states, where for a league game, or training or rehab, he could save a lot on taxes. Unlike most other states, it does not enforce a state individual income tax. But, fundamentally, it’s a business deal and not born out of romance or idealism to improve the quality of the game in the States.Ĭoincidentally, Florida is a relatively tax friendly state, where fellow billionaire super-athletes Tiger Woods, Derek Jeter and Tom Brady have residences too. Miami is his second home of sorts (after Barcelona) he owns at least three apartments, is familiar to the city, his wife feels his children to grow up in a plusher locale that Barcelona or Paris Argentina is a short flight away and he could polish his dreams of defending the World Cup, even though he would be 35 at that time. The truth is that my final decision goes elsewhere and not because of money,” he would say. “If it had been a matter of money, I’d have gone to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere. He said when asked about why he shot down the $ 400 million offer from Saudi Arabia. Later, Pele would say it was not all about money but about popularizing and glamorizing a game that had hardly any emotional connect in the country.Įxplained | Explained: Why Lionel Messi chose to sign for Inter Miami and the role of Apple TV in it Pele eventually agreed, but Cosmos had to shell out nearly six million dollars for a three-year deal. “Prof, tell them that they are crazy! I’ll never play for anybody after Santos!” he told his confidante and advisor, Professor Julio Mazzei.īut Cosmos persisted, and it was a fairly protracted saga. He snubbed the first few approaches of the club. Like it was for Messi, Cosmos was not Pele’s dream destination to wind down his career. The times were different when Pele landed in New York. New York Cosmos’ Pele gestures during a press conference in New York, Sept. Maybe, Messi could bridge the gulf, like Pele catalysed the birth of a soccer culture in the country. It’s country that has already hosted a World Cup, would be the primary hosts in 2026, yet its stature in the game has not matched its ambition. It’s rather America’s Dream to be spoken in the same breath as the European and Latin American powerhouses when it comes to the sport. He could lure more names from Europe to America, infuse more competitiveness into the league, improve its level and bust its place for golden sunset image, where you just need to turn up and stack the dollars. (AP Photo)Īnd we have not even begun to discuss how he would influence the game in the country, which would co-host the World Cup in three years. Messi might not have inspired PSG to the promised land of European glory, but he fetched them roughly $750-million through new sponsorship deals, shirt and team merchandise sales, and ticket purchases, besides a stratospheric surge of followers on social media platforms.Ĭhinese fans cheer and film as they catch a glimpse of Lionel Messi gesturing on a bus while the Argentina national team returns to its hotel from practice in Beijing. Little wonder though, as Messi has spawned an industry around him. According to Miami Herald, the real estate prices in South Florida have begun to skyrocket. ![]() Messi would pocket a reasonable proceeds of the jersey sales, as per the contract. As many as 150,000 jerseys were sold in the first 10 minutes after Adidas began to roll out his Inter Miami jerseys. In an hour after his transfer was confirmed, as many as 14,522 people searched for Inter Miami tickets on StubHub. The price for the league game against the New York Red Bulls on August 26 spiked from $30 to $512, according to the ticket-selling platform TickPick. ![]() The cheapest for Inter’s Leagues Cup encounter against Mexico City’s Cruz Azul on July 21, assumed to be his first match with the club, leapt from $29 to $459. The tickets for Miami’s games have been sold out, despite a spike of 1000 percent for certain games. But MLS has been buzzing in anticipation in what is dubbed as the league’s biggest moment since Pele descended in New York and changed the game in the country forever, four-and-half decades ago.Įven before Messi has worn the Inter Miami shirt, the delirium has soared into the pristine skies of the Sunshine State. His contract with PSG ends only a week later, and he is expected to make his Major League Soccer debut later next month. Lionel Messi would not feature in Inter Miami’s next fixture, against Philadelphia Union on June 24. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |