He is one of two players where on field value doesn’t matter so much given the rest. As for the latter he’s in a different universe than Pirlo.
RUMOR: Messi/Pep to MCFC and NYCFC
- Thread starter LionNYC
- Start date
you're right that just having him on the squad will sell an additional 10K tickets, just like that.
and i'd be lying if i said i didn't want to see him playing in person. i had hoped my first time seeing him play live would be at the camp nou but i guess yankee stadium will have to suffice.
If Messi were here, I think we'd sell out the entire Yankee Stadium most games. Even in 3 or 4 years, he will still be incredibly good and probably one of the best players in MLS.
It's lionel freakin' messi. I'll take him at 45 years old just for the opportunity to see the man play LIVE, IN PERSON, at least three or four times.
Also, some players age better than others. Zlatan is a freak of nature, and he's literally dominating serie A at 39. Of course it would be a gamble from a strictly soccer perspective but if it's not a gamble from a financial/branding POV then you do it, and trust that he'll still have something in the tank. Then it would depend on the rest of the squad to play in a way that compensates for whatever qualities Messi has lost at that point, while exploiting the immense gifts he'll still have for sure.
Also, we're not talking about Lionel Messi in six years -- the rumor is he plays 2 years in Manchester, then comes here. Lionel Messi is still starring in a major European league now. He would rip up MLS in 3 years if he wanted to.
Rumor is it’s 2+ An option 3rd year. So worst case is 3 years from now if this is to come to fruition. Still perfectly acceptable IMO. If anything it’ll be a huge attraction for mls and maybe help push the stadium through.
NYCFC could be one of the 3 or 4 clubs that Lionel Fucking Messi, the greatest to play the game, plays for in his career. Holy shit, boys and girls.
I've always been extremely wary and completely non-sentimental about the risk of older players.
If he plays 3 years at Man City that means he comes to us midseason 2024, just as he turns 37 and coming off a full Premier League season with no rest. Then we get him for 1.5 or 2.5 seasons at ages 37-40. Plus we have to massage our DP slots to make sure one opens up after 2023, which could limit who we sign as a DP between now and then. And we pre-commit now to wasting the slot for the first half of 2024.
I acknowledge it has the potential to be awesome. But for pure sporting reasons it's not a risk I would take. Though I might sign him in 2024 if he's been playing well and if we have a DP spot open, I don't like committing to this course of action right now. It could make sense for business reasons, not just selling tickets but growing the fanbase. But I really don't like how this is being structured.
PREDICTION: October 2027.
Lionel Messi had his initial 2.5 year contract extended by one year after his brilliant 2025 season, when he scored 32 goals in the regular season but none in the playoffs as NYCFC again was ousted well short of the Conference Final. But then he missed 20 games in 2026 with an injury that never quite healed, and the club was stuck with him eating up a DP slot for 2027, while he ended up playing less than Pirlo did in 2017. In NYCFC's final home game of 2027, which was expected to make the difference between playing all of the postseason at home, or starting on the road, Coach Pep Guardiola started Lionel Messi in a clear sentimental nod. Pep kept him in until the 88th minute even though he can barely run, leaving NYCFC's top goal scorer on the bench on a 0-0 game. As Messi leaves the field, the overflow capacity crowd at Etihad Island Stadium gives him a full standing ovation, most of them wearing Barcelona jerseys just before they head to the exits before the final whistle, as 98% of NYCFC season ticket holders decided to sell their tickets, which were going for 0.1 Bitcoin on the secondary market. Half of those who sold retired within 3 years. Messi's clearly unhappy replacement fails to score in the little time he has, while NYCFC's latest left-back gets beaten on a late run by their opponent's super sub right winger as NYCFC concedes the winning goal. This game goes down in NYCFC lore as Wingert-Cosmos 2.0.
Lionel Messi had his initial 2.5 year contract extended by one year after his brilliant 2025 season, when he scored 32 goals in the regular season but none in the playoffs as NYCFC again was ousted well short of the Conference Final. But then he missed 20 games in 2026 with an injury that never quite healed, and the club was stuck with him eating up a DP slot for 2027, while he ended up playing less than Pirlo did in 2017. In NYCFC's final home game of 2027, which was expected to make the difference between playing all of the postseason at home, or starting on the road, Coach Pep Guardiola started Lionel Messi in a clear sentimental nod. Pep kept him in until the 88th minute even though he can barely run, leaving NYCFC's top goal scorer on the bench on a 0-0 game. As Messi leaves the field, the overflow capacity crowd at Etihad Island Stadium gives him a full standing ovation, most of them wearing Barcelona jerseys just before they head to the exits before the final whistle, as 98% of NYCFC season ticket holders decided to sell their tickets, which were going for 0.1 Bitcoin on the secondary market. Half of those who sold retired within 3 years. Messi's clearly unhappy replacement fails to score in the little time he has, while NYCFC's latest left-back gets beaten on a late run by their opponent's super sub right winger as NYCFC concedes the winning goal. This game goes down in NYCFC lore as Wingert-Cosmos 2.0.
Just to be clear, our current DPs are Maxi Moralez, Jesus frickin’ Medina and the ghost of Alexandru Mitrita. And people are questioning whether it would be better if one of them was Lionel Messi instead?
lionel messi @ 37. between now and then, is a long time in playing years.
i don' tthink this deal would go through anyway. i think if he'd want to retire in argentina or spain. i don't think he really wants to come to MLS...
IT'S LIONEL MESSI!
Seriously, guys ... we're overthinking this. It's the greatest player to ever play the game. He's not going to be 45 years old, he'll be in his mid-to-high 30's, and will tear the defenses in this league apart with one leg tied behind his back. It's Lionel Messi. Is there a chance it doesn't work on the field? Absolutely. But there are rumors about Lionel Messi playing for NYCFC, and some people are wondering if it's a good idea or not? Man, people just love being miserable.
If Lionel Messi comes here, it would be the best thing to ever happen to NYCFC. Bigger than David Villa by miles.
Spain sure, Argentina he kinda said no in that interview he did a couple of months ago.. He basically said “id like to but my family comes first and their opinion matters too its not just me”
for the US he went along the lines of “hed like it and open to the idea”. Though the vibe was more like he’s not actively pursuing it “if it happens it happens”
We disagree. Fine. Don’t make it personal and psychoanalyze with stupid insults as bolded. Old players get hurt all the time and disappoint. It’s not a fucking personality flaw to remember that.
Messi at 40 with desire would be a great MLS player, whereas Messi at 35 with no desire would be awful.
Pirlo could have been great, Villa could have been horrible. People who know Leo (and Leo himself) will just have to try and figure out which he'll be when the time comes.
I have to think that if a guy like Messi only wants a paycheck, he'd do it in China or Saudi, but if he wants to have an impact in the greatest city in the world (and still make some sweet bank), he could do it here.
Pirlo could have been great, Villa could have been horrible. People who know Leo (and Leo himself) will just have to try and figure out which he'll be when the time comes.
I have to think that if a guy like Messi only wants a paycheck, he'd do it in China or Saudi, but if he wants to have an impact in the greatest city in the world (and still make some sweet bank), he could do it here.
exactly. it's about whether he wants it or not. if you watch barca play now, he barely plays defense or is active in their press. he is a playmaker going forward but he doesn't do his magical dribbling runs anymore. that's just not how he plays anymore due to age and energy.
with 3 more years on those legs that have been hacked to oblivion over the years, it is going to take its toll. add to that, if he does play in the premier league, he will get hacked even more and chances are, he will suffer injuries that won't ever heal 100%.
so let's say he does come here with zero injuries but is still 37 and knows he is coming here to retire. I think his movement on the field will be similar to that of pirlo's. We will get the benefit of his vision and free kicks for sure and as I said above, his name alone will sell tickets and fill the stadium. But I do not believe he's going to come to MLS and rip through defenses like he did in La Liga in his 20s. His supporting cast at barca right now is infinitely better than what we have and he's still unmotivated to be the Messi we all admire. To assume he will be more passionate and motivated when he comes to MLS playing in a baseball stadium... i just don't see it. would it be cool to have Messi? of course! it's messi! but from a team standpoint with our DP spots to think about, I don't see it being a smart choice.
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