Messi 'Merica: Global Soccer Superstar Heads To MLS With Inter Miami After Turning Down Saudis

Can Lionel Messi accomplish what David Beckham failed to do and morph the United States into a soccer-crazed nation?

It has been 16 years since Beckham made his move to the MLS in what was thought to be the move that would finally make the United States a soccer-mad nation.

It did not work out that way.

Now, Messi — who is set to leave his current club, Paris St-Germain — is headed stateside, with similar expectations.

Ironically, he reportedly plans to sign with Beckham's Inter Miami CF.

It is believed that once the deal is closed, Messi could be suiting up for the currently last-place team as early as this summer.

A move to Miami means that Messi opted to play in the MLS over joining Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, That in itself is a major win for the MLS, and serves as a statement of intent that there are clubs in the US ready to throw down ridiculous sums of money for elite-level soccer players.

While the exact numbers aren't out there, there are rumors that the Argentinian star's deal includes lucrative deals with both Adidas and Apple, per The Athletic. That's not a coincidence it's true. Both companies are major MLS partners and would benefit from seeing the league gain some international exposure thanks to Messi.

However, will Inter Miami, the MLS, and its partners see some ROI?

Who knows? It hasn't in the past. Not with Pele or Beckham or any other international star who was supposed to be the golden ticket. The player who would finally make soccer more than a punchline in an American sports landscape dominated by the other football. The American one.

However, Messi's circumstances are a little different than Beckham's and that could help in a big way.

Lionel Messi is just months removed from arguably his greatest career accomplishment: winning the FIFA World Cup. (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA / AFP) (Photo by JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images)

Messi May Not Be In The MLS For A Long Time, But He Will Be There For A Lucrative One

At 35, Messi is a few years older than Beckham was when he arrived in the MLS. This could make his time in the league a bit shorter. But there are some tools at his disposal that Beckham didn't have when he came stateside.

For starters, Beckham wasn't just a few months removed from hoisting the World Cup when he came to the MLS. Messi is. At his age, you've got to think this is one of the final moves in Messi's illustrious career, but he's arguably never had a higher profile worldwide.

That's huge.

Speaking of which, Messi also has an immense social media following which is something Inter Miami, the MLS, and the Apples and adidases that come along for the ride will certainly be excited about.

While social media was practically in its infancy when Beckham arrived, Messi would join Inter Miami with 468 million Instagram followers in tow. That's more people than the US population, and they'll all have their eyes on the MLS's newest star. You can't buy that kind of publicity.

Actually, you can... that's kind of what they did.

Will Messi's Move Work Out Or Flame Out?

Of course, this is no certainty. It's entirely possible that Messi's time with Inter Miami could flame out or end under acrimonious circumstances.

It has happened with big-time soccer players many times before. Think about Cristiano Ronaldo, who torpedoed his second stint with Manchester United thanks to an interview with Piers Morgan. Then he skipped town and took a bag of cash from the Saudis.

I'm not saying that's how I think a Messi move will pan out. I am saying that I could totally see a "what could have been"-style documentary about this 10 years down the line.

However, no player since Beckham has been as well suited to help soccer crack the US market in such a significant way as Messi is now.

All we can do is lace our hands behind our heads and see how this all plays out.

Follow on Twitter: @Matt_Reigle