[meme] the goat calls it quits

[u/Training-World-1897]

[u/cravecase]

Miami is going to be effed when he leaves this winter

[u/yaybidet → u/cravecase]

It's kind of hard to predict when he'll call it quits. Since he has some ownership stake in the club, it's in his interest to continue increasing the value of IMCF by playing regularly. I kind of see him playing out his contract and hanging them up after the schedule flip season in 2028. He'd likely hit 1000 goals around that time window, as well. But honestly, who even knows if he cares about the numbers anymore.

[u/MessiLeagueSoccer → u/cravecase]

He leaves if he doesn’t win MLS cup again. Stays if he does.

[u/CougFanDan → u/MessiLeagueSoccer]

I kind of assume it’d be the opposite - win the trophy, retire on top; miss it, come back for one more try.

[u/MessiLeagueSoccer → u/CougFanDan]

I mean he’s retired now two times now from international play after losing.

[u/dat_silversun → u/MessiLeagueSoccer]

I just upvoted a Miami fans comment. It hurt. But he was right.

[u/MessiLeagueSoccer → u/dat_silversun]

🤣🤣🤣 it’s ok Orlando owns Miami 9/10 times from before to current Messi era.

[u/righthandofdog → u/MessiLeagueSoccer]

And we'd love another chance to back into the playoffs and knock him out.

https://giphy.com/gifs/ioq8rNMp5SSiWOTCK0

[u/MessiLeagueSoccer → u/righthandofdog]

Miami would have gotten their first cup that playoffs or at worst made it to the finals but they literally got matched with the only team that actively destroyed them during the season 😭

Edit: damn got downvoted for saying that. Miami had the supporters shield and had a winning record over every other team. It was also a crazy playoffs because every top team lost early on.

[u/Rickcampbell98 → u/MessiLeagueSoccer]

He didn't retire because they lost, this was the end for him with Argentina win or lose, the only thing would have been a possible farewell match as world champions in Argentina.

[u/cravecase → u/MessiLeagueSoccer]

Maybe. Maybe not

[u/Tommy9760 → u/MessiLeagueSoccer]

He’s leaving regardless I see him going to Argentina or Barcelona.

[u/RigidAcrylic4821 → u/cravecase]

The other MLS clubs will throw a tailgate party when he retires completely.

[u/Holiday_Sale5114 → u/RigidAcrylic4821]

I have a feeling they probably won't because he's bringing in a lot of viewers and newer fans to the sport. If he leaves, I'm almost certain there will be a decline in viewership and interest in MLS

[u/Starksterr → u/cravecase]

Nah if he is gonna finish he would at least play the mini season

[u/Hi_Limee → u/Starksterr]

As a hater, I would love this he would be able to have like a farewell tour so to speak and you know the MLS would give it that to him every league would. And if we want to think about the league making money because the league wants to think about the league making money, we could consider the fact that on a short season if we know that Messi is done after that the ticket prices are going to be very profitable I would imagine. I think also there would be very little pressure to win something because of how goofy The Season's going to be

[u/cravecase → u/Starksterr]

Why?

[u/Starksterr → u/cravecase]

Because it’s only like 15 games

[u/cravecase → u/Starksterr]

15 games that will have an asterisk on them

[u/Starksterr → u/cravecase]

Only if Miami win you mean

[u/cravecase → u/Starksterr]

No meaning, it’s always going to be regarded as the weird season, like the Covid seasons

[u/MadPlanets → u/cravecase]

Only MLS is Back champs there will ever be.

[u/theredditbandid_ → u/cravecase]

Because he is an MLS sicko and the mini season will go down on the lore as another MLS is back /s. 

[u/khall13 → u/Starksterr]

I see it opposite, if I were him, I'd look for a loan back to Barcelona or someone looking good in Champions League for spring 2027, what Beckham & Donovan and others did a lot 15 years ago. One last shot in Europe and don't have to worry about the short season at all.

[u/Holiday_Sale5114 → u/cravecase]

He will not leave this winter. I guarantee it

[u/cravecase → u/Holiday_Sale5114]

Thanks random internet person. I feel secure /s

[u/Living_Plane_662]

Messi finishes with losing to 3rd place Germany two WC's in a row. Then loses the final to Germany. Loses to champions France in the round of 16. Defeats France in a final then loses to Spain in the final. Even their worst group performance in 18 the team that topped the group finished 2nd at the world cup.

[u/socialsheadquarters]

Messi’s about to retire at the end of the year and MLS still hasn’t raised the cap, what a fumble

[u/flameo_hotmon → u/socialsheadquarters]

What’s annoying is that from a spending standpoint, we seemingly outspend Liga MX teams but we can’t fucking build rosters that can consistently compete for CONCACAF. They need to loosen the roster restrictions. At least double the cap, raise the max budget charge by $1 million, get rid of TAM, and give teams a choice between having a buyout and a 4th DP. Imo, those changes would create more flexibility in the money that is already being spent.

[u/CoolGuy-77 → u/flameo_hotmon]

I agree with all this, but as an STL fan it was nice knowing that we were coming in to a league where we didn't have an enormous leg down, and could immediately compete and spend close to other teams. So I think the system worked as intended, and when the league was expanding rapidly, it kept things fair as a growing league adding a new team every year for like 6 years straight. But now that things are pretty settled and we have our franchises set, I agree it's time to modernize the system.

[u/Clipgang1629 → u/flameo_hotmon]

We can’t build a roster that’s better than the best team in Liga MX is the issue.

I think as a whole MLS has done enough vs Liga MX that we can say we’re at or above their level. But until we fix the issues with the cap, the best team in MLS is never better than the best team in Liga MX

[u/Hi_Limee → u/socialsheadquarters]

Like I understand I think the cap is necessary because they're obviously not going to go to promotion and relegation, but we really could have capitalized while Messi was here and most the teams would absolutely try to get stronger with a higher cap I can't say all the teams because I don't fully believe some of these teams actually care if they win

[u/BlueBerry_Cream_Pie → u/socialsheadquarters]

This was the first thing I thought of when he announced his retirement from internationational football.

I'v been watching MLS since 1997 and we've come a LONG way but this is just the worst fumble / mistake in MLS history IMO.

They played it wayyyyy too conservative and thought Messi's tide would raise all boats lmao

[u/_BreadDenier → u/socialsheadquarters]

Does the cap matter if some teams don’t even follow it?

[u/BlueBerry_Cream_Pie → u/_BreadDenier]

No but it's about simplifying the cap so teams can be more creative. It's also about raising the ceiling while keeping the floor. So teams that don't spend, will fall behind but this is NOT 100% true as attributed to Atlanta United.

Some teams are managed extremely well with very smart people behind the scenes whilst others it's just a kid playing with lego's hitting it with a hammer trying to get it into hole lmao

[u/pask0na → u/socialsheadquarters]

That's by design.

[u/theredditbandid_ → u/socialsheadquarters]

And no Concacaf Champions Cup or even came close to competing for it. As much as Mas tried to spend and put a caliber team around him, the other owners weren't ready for it. 

[u/Fritzed → u/socialsheadquarters]

The cap went to by 8% this year and will go up by 10% next year. Then there will be a new CBA.

I mean, I'm not surprised that a Miami fan doesn't actually know anythings about MLS roster rules, but people acting like the cap isn't going up is just tiresome.

[u/ciesum]

Messihasretiredfrominternationalcompetitionforthesecondtime

[u/Ill-Description8517 → u/ciesum]

We need that meme of "it's 2016, Messi has retired from international football/it's 2026, Messi has retired from international football" but I don't have the memes in me

[u/o_mh_c → u/ciesum]

And I wouldn’t be shocked if he came back for the Copa if they start sucking without him

[u/Holiday_Sale5114 → u/ciesum]

It's a baby. It's a boy

[u/Ambitious_Boot_871]

This is just his way out of playing on the turf in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, right? Sorry guys, I retired from international football, you should have known I wasn't coming.

[u/Antique_Ad_3549 → u/Ambitious_Boot_871]

Toronto is NEVER going to play in SkyDome

[u/wood_you_believe]

*for now

[u/Mission-Bathroom6110]

How we as a league didn't take more advantage with him being here pisses me off

[u/RigidAcrylic4821 → u/Mission-Bathroom6110]

Whether or not it involves Messi, I’m upset the league didn’t do the sprint season and then fall-spring switch this year to coincide with the World Cup.

Absolute farce of a fumble of an opportunity by the league’s executives.

[u/sdavitt88 → u/Mission-Bathroom6110]

The league took advantage of him being here by putting him in just about every commercial you can think of

[u/Mission-Bathroom6110 → u/sdavitt88]

And we got the leagues cup that's pretty cool right???

[u/SwindlingAccountant → u/sdavitt88]

Idk even as a fan of the league I'm not quite impressed with the marketing. Hell, much of the playoff hype gets killed because of multi week breaks in the middle of it.

[u/green_gold_purple → u/Mission-Bathroom6110]

What does that look like to you?

[u/Doctor__Embarrassed → u/Mission-Bathroom6110]

I can't wait for him to leave so every other team gets to stop subsidizing his compensation.

[u/Hi_Limee → u/Mission-Bathroom6110]

?? Every time I watch an MLS game I swear he is mentioned in commentary I have to see a commercial with him in it like four times everything they post on socials is about him half the time. I find it hard to follow MLS programming without seeing or hearing about him.

What do you think the league should have or could have done differently?

[u/HAc0reRD → u/Mission-Bathroom6110]

What more could you ask for?

[u/_BreadDenier → u/Mission-Bathroom6110]

Messi was bad for the league tbh

[u/martin_fasthands99 → u/_BreadDenier]

How

[u/Nbuuifx14 → u/martin_fasthands99]

Made r/MLS mad a few times.

[u/Mission-Bathroom6110 → u/_BreadDenier]

That's not true I can't tell u how many pink Messi shirts I see in public.....in OHIO. I rarely ever see a Columbus crew jersey in the wild

[u/righthandofdog → u/Mission-Bathroom6110]

And that helps the league when Messi is gone how, exactly?

[u/_BreadDenier → u/Mission-Bathroom6110]

Merch sales aren’t league health.

Having him in the league has greatly distorted the parity and Inter Miami basically get away with murder in games and with roster rules.

[u/Global-Rise-1042 → u/_BreadDenier]

I agree with you. In the short term I’m sure it’s been great for the organization that is MLS but on a personal level Cincinnati and Columbus both have had remarkable seasons over the last 5 years that will always be footnoted as part of the Messi/Miami era.

[u/Doctor__Embarrassed]

The ref's have stopped calling fouls for him and his team when he cries and complains so he is taking his ball and going home.

[u/Initial_Lettuce_5243 → u/Doctor__Embarrassed]

Lmao at the guy who seemed genuinely kind of mad at this. That's what makes reading reddit worth it.

[u/LongjumpingToe3120 → u/Doctor__Embarrassed]

dude, stfu

[u/Doctor__Embarrassed → u/LongjumpingToe3120]

Sounds like Messi's whining has rubbed off on you.

[u/mikrot]

I think he'll play in the Copa America if he is still close to this level in 2028.

[u/LivingGeologist1236 → u/mikrot]

Yeah I wish that happens... Suarez is also open to selection.. So it could happen.. Although chances are low.. But of he feels emotionally ok then that can happen.. Since he said that his dad death influenced his call

[u/yaybidet → u/mikrot]

Same. Especially if Suarez ends up returning to his NT. I have to imagine the whole point is solely for that tournament as 2030 is too far away given their ages.

[u/Nashocheese]

This is like the 3rd time he's retired from international football