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Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami conundrum is setting headlines — and not in the way fans hoped. On Thursday’s episode of “The Cooligans,” hosts Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros dove deep into why the world’s greatest player is struggling in Major League Soccer, and how the league’s own rules might be to blame.
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Polanco doesn’t sugarcoat his take: “Lionel Messi is wasting his time playing for this Inter Miami side, and it’s MLS’ fault.” He points to the recent 3-3 draw between San Jose and Inter Miami as symptomatic of larger issues. Despite the presence of Messi and other global stars like Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, Miami’s defense is “barely defending,” and it’s ruining what could be the most dominant MLS team in history.
“Whatever style and tactics that Javier Mascherano has in place for this team … defending just has not been a priority,” Polanco said.
But why is that? “They couldn’t keep the players that they had last year because year over year, the cap rules make it so difficult to do that,” Guerreros explained. He stresses the absurdity of fielding such elite talent and still not winning consistently: “How is it that Inter Miami has won one of their last five games and on that team is Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba, Busquets … and you’re not able to win as often because defensively you just don’t have the ability?”
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According to the hosts, MLS’ strict roster and salary-cap policies are stymying Miami’s ambition and, ultimately, the league’s own growth.
“Would [Miami owner] Jorge Mas have a better defensive team?” Guerreros asked. “Would him and [minority owner David] Beckham go out and get better defensive players if they were able to?”
“Without a doubt,” Polanco asserted.
The crux of the problem, according to Guerreros: “When you have someone like Lionel Messi for three years, those rules are hindering you. … Apple’s paying for it, the rest of the owners are paying Messi’s salary. Everyone is putting in a little bit to keep this guy here, and you can’t surround him with a good enough team to not look like this defensively.”
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For fans and league officials hoping Messi would transform MLS overnight, it’s a sobering reality check. “You are hindering your own success,” Guerreros warned, urging for change.
If MLS wants to shine globally, it needs to let stars like Messi win on the field — not just on the marquee.
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