Messi recently signed a contract renewal with Inter Miami until 2028, his future with the side and in the MLS is secured for years to come. The Argentine is enjoying life in the United States, but reveals that he thinks the MLS need to make one crucial rule change in order to grow the league and attract more talent.
As reported by GOAL, the Designated Player attracted top players like Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Kaka, Robbie Keane, and Sebastian Giovinco. A DP in the MLS is a player whose salary and purchase costs exceed the Maximum Salary Budget Charge, but their impact on the team's salary cap is limited.
Clubs can choose between having three Designated Players and three U22 Initiative slots or a different set-up. This is what Messi wants to change to bring in more world class players, therefore boosting the reputation of the league.
He told NBC: "Every team should have the opportunity to bring in players and sign whoever each team wants without limitations or rules for players to bring them in.
“I don’t think that today all teams in the United States, all clubs, have the power to do that, and I think that if they were given the freedom, many more important players would come and help the growth of the United States.
“Everything I went through and everything I did to achieve that — it was the dream of my life. And it all came to mind, everything I went through to get there — my family, my people, and Argentina."
MLS has operated for its entire existence with an arcane rulebook regulating player signings. If that were to change then the public perspective of the league could alter and it may therefore be more respected and watched by fans around the world who currently tune in for Messi.