Lionel Messi’s MLS Arrival Spurs Leadership Lessons and Calls for League Reform

A recent book, *The Messi Effect*, examines how Lionel Messi’s 2023 signing with Inter Miami revealed a leadership style built on humility, respect and team‑first attitudes. Teammates note that Messi deferred to existing captains, engaged personally with players, and avoided the spotlight, offering a model of servant leadership.

The same work argues that Messi’s presence should act as a catalyst for structural changes in Major League Soccer. It advocates a shift to a fall‑spring calendar, renegotiation of the Apple TV broadcast contract, and a revamp of roster rules to allow clubs greater freedom in signing talent. Messi himself, speaking in late‑2025, urged that teams be permitted to recruit “so many more important players” to advance the growth of soccer in the United States.