The moment seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi announced he would head to the U.S. to begin his MLS career, the "Messi effect" immediately took hold. Inter Miami CF's social media following exploded, ticket prices skyrocketed and upcoming fixtures sold out. And all before he even signed a contract.
Ahhh, the contract. As the league and club went to work on the specifics of Messi joining Inter Miami following the expiration of his PSG contract on June 30, questions emerged about how one goes about formulating a deal compensating for such influence.