“The Next Michael Jordan?”: Former MLS MVP Suggests ‘Messi Moved to America’ to Emulate MJ’s $5 Billion Milestone

MLS commentator and former MVP of the league, Taylor Twellman claimed in a recent Mirror Football interview that Lionel Messi wants to emulate Michael Jordan. The Argentine footballer is considered to be on track to break the $5 billion yearly revenue mark that MJ’s Jordan Brand makes every year. The World Cup winner left PSG to join David Beckham’s Inter Miami earlier this year, according to Forbes.

Understood to be making in the region of $50-60 million every year, Messi is still some way away from the kind of numbers MJ makes. Inter Miami’s form has recently been uplifted after a disastrous start after the arrival of multiple new signings, alongside Lionel Messi. The club is owned by Manchester United legend and longtime friend of Lionel Messi, former English footballer David Beckham.

Taylor Twellman claims Lionel Messi wants to build Michael Jordan-esque brand

There aren’t many athletes who can claim to command the kind of following that Messi enjoys. The World Cup winner is arguably the greatest footballer of all time and has achieved everything there is to achieve in the sport.

Still, converting that to a global brand that makes billions every year is extraordinarily difficult. Twellman believes Messi’s move to America is part of a bigger plan. He wants to build a brand like MJ’s, and the MLS is the right place to do so:

“People in this group have asked the question in the last 2-3 years, how can Messi be 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 transcend sports. Michael Jordan. Messi’s people have asked the question. 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.”

🗣️ “He wants to be a brand like Michael Jordan.”

💰 Lionel Messi considered more than on-field matters before moving to Inter Miami

📺 https://t.co/4cBqwmFDJK#football | #mls pic.twitter.com/Kno7uBRbCt

— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) August 6, 2023

Michael Jordan’s global presence means a net worth of over $3 billion. This allowed him to buy the NBA franchise Charlotte Hornets back in 2010. He recently sold the team for over $3 billion, according to Marca.

Inter Miami expected to reach $1.5 billion valuation by next year

According to Mas, Messi’s move to Miami means huge financial upheaval for the previously little-known club. The 36-year-old’s arrival means that both the club and the league will gain millions of worldwide viewers.

It has also resulted in huge spikes in jersey sales. It further allows the MLS to attract bigger names in the future. Inter Miami was recently reported to be worth $600 million by AS. The team was bought for merely $25 million in 2021.

In a matter of years, Beckham’s investment has seen a rise bigger than what MJ generated for the Chicago Bulls. MJ’s time at the Bulls is understood to have resulted in an increase in valuation of around $567 million, according to Forbes.