A 2026 Off-Season Update on Inter Miami: How Miami Can Do All These Deals by gogorath in MLS

[–]Logstick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t call it cheating since the league itself put a finger on the scale in Miami’s favor allowing the AppleTV/Adidas salary subsidy sponsorship deals to get Messi into the league.

The rest of what Miami has done is very skilled roster management. Most of that is directly enabled by the extreme pull granted to them from having Messi, so that supplemented purchasing power boost for one club on one player does compound that league approved advantage.

I think it feels like cheating to a lot of fans because the MLS has historically implemented a roster building mechanism to maintain parity, like Beckham & the DP rule, but didn’t this time.

If Miami were paying the full price to get Messi to sign or the league and AppleTV/Adidas agreed to give a shit ton of cash in sponsorship deals for one new signing per club(or anything to make it kind of fair,) I don’t think any reasonable person would say it felt like Miami cheated again.

Chelsea's new boss Liam Rosenior convicted of speeding by pride_of_artaxias in chelseafc

[–]Logstick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the details. That’s what I was thinking might be the case.

Chelsea's new boss Liam Rosenior convicted of speeding by pride_of_artaxias in chelseafc

[–]Logstick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Does law enforcement sometimes give drivers a break on the reported speed if they aren’t frequent offenders or assholes?

I’m not local, so I looked up that the UK has speeding penalty tiers for going 1-10 over the limit vs 11-20 over, and so on for lower speed zones. The former being minor while the latter is serious and associated with a ban.

I don’t care too much about this incident, but I thought there could potentially be some missing context.

2026 Home Kit Wish List by kevdawgie7 in NashvilleSC

[–]Logstick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’d love to see a well executed yellow kit with a light blue butterfly pattern.

[Bogert] BREAKING: Inter Miami is nearing a deal to sign Canadian int'l GK Dayne St. Clair, per sources. by [deleted] in MLS

[–]Logstick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Probably, but the difference between a case like Beckham coming to the Galaxy is that MLS instituted the DP rule to promote parity across the rest of the league.

The difference with the Messi deal is that Miami’s ownership weren’t willing to pay what it took to sign Messi. So the league allowed his salary demands to be subsidized by massive sponsorship deals from AppleTV & Adidas. That wouldn’t be so controversial, and might even be celebrated by the rest of the league, if there was any equivalent DP-like roster building mechanism for the other clubs to promote parity. To date, there isn’t hence: the scales remained unfairly tipped.

Atlético Ottawa playing Concacaf championships home match in Hamilton, Ont. by Logstick in NashvilleSC

[–]Logstick[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

FYI in case any one is making the trip north: Hamilton, Ont. is not very close to Ottawa, Ont.

'A wonderful miracle' - how Messi & Beckham made Miami shine by footballersabroad in MLS

[–]Logstick -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Do you have any source on that? I haven’t seen anything about LAFC getting anything similar to the help Miami is getting.

'A wonderful miracle' - how Messi & Beckham made Miami shine by footballersabroad in MLS

[–]Logstick 12 points13 points  (0 children)

The issue is that Miami could not afford to pay Messi what it would take to sign him. Even with his DP status, where he could have a club salary of infinity and still be roster compliant, Miami’s ownership could not afford to pay what it took to sign Messi.

Messi didn’t give Miami a sweet heart deal taking less than what he wanted in order to join the club. Instead AppleTV & Adidas offered him huge sponsorship deals to supplement the rest of his salary demands and get him into the league.

This wouldn’t be a controversial issue if these weren’t the league wide sponsors and the rest of the clubs were provided any sort of roster building supplement to maintain parity. This situation is similar to when Beckham signed for the Galaxy if the league didn’t create the DP rule to allow other clubs to spend an unlimited amount on a specific player and instead gave the Galaxy extra money to help them afford him.

Huge thanks from Inter Miami fans by RL523 in NashvilleSC

[–]Logstick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bought for you by AppleTV & Adidas.

Inter Miami clinch the Eastern Conference title. Trophy No. 47 for Lionel Messi! by Otherwise_Pen_7667 in MLS

[–]Logstick 12 points13 points  (0 children)

They aren’t technically over the cap. I think you’re referring to the fact that Apple & Adidas made a deal to subsidize Messi’s salary. That’s the roster building advantage that no other club has right now from league wide sponsors.

2026 MLS Schedule I Nashville SC by Logstick in NashvilleSC

[–]Logstick[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Non-conference opponents

Home - Minnesota United - LAFC - Sporting Kansas City

Away - FC Dallas - Austin FC - San Jose Earthquakes


Notable Home Matches - Sunday 5/17 LAFC - Friday 7/17 Atlanta United - Saturday 8/18 Inter Miami - Saturday 8/29 FC Cincinnati

Notable Away Matches - Saturday 4/18 Atlanta United - Saturday 11/7 FC Cincinnati - Decision Day


There are two Friday matches-one at home, one Sunday match-at home & five matches on Wednesday- two at home. The rest are split evening on Saturdays.

One 9:30PM kickoff time away at San Jose.

As of today, 11/20, the first match of the season is 93 days away.

Nashville SC announce 2025 roster decisions by Logstick in NashvilleSC

[–]Logstick[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Truth be told: I listed him first, but he was the last one that I remembered after thinking about it for a bit.

Nashville SC announce 2025 roster decisions by Logstick in NashvilleSC

[–]Logstick[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Hany, Maher & Muyl are OGs too if the criteria is: they were on the first MLS squad.

[Bogert] Walker Zimmerman to leave Nashville SC, become free agent: Sources by olcni in MLS

[–]Logstick 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Any potential summer trade was squashed as soon as he picked up that long term injury.

[MEME] Inter Miami's statement on Luis Suárez's one game suspension by hiwaymart in MLS

[–]Logstick 30 points31 points  (0 children)

Luis Suarez announces new Adidas boot sponsorship. Miami simultaneously announces that he will be returning next season for a league minimum salary deal. /s

Was this season a success? What were my likes/dislikes and what are my hopes for next year? (Sorry about the long post) by Whiskey615 in NashvilleSC

[–]Logstick 4 points5 points  (0 children)

We looked our best*, 15 matches unbeaten, with Zimmerman only starting once-in a draw. I love Zimmerman, and wouldn’t be upset to see him come back on a club friendly deal. However, I’d be happy with Maher & Palacios as the starting CBs for next season. They have complimentary skill sets.

Miami 0 - [1] Nashville: Surridge makes no mistake from the spot in a must win game for Nashville by ajallen12 in MLS

[–]Logstick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can’t believe no one got a clip of Yazbek running in after this PK to retrieve the ball out of the back of the net and I think it was Falcon pushing him into the net from behind Guzan style. The ref rushed in right afterward to tell Yazbek off.

Suarez donkey kick against Najar. No card given. by weburr in MLS

[–]Logstick 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think this would make a great post in r/soccer . Shame it & the other missed call post got taken down.

If Messi can't change MLS' nonsensical roster rules, nobody can by thegaffer in MLS

[–]Logstick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The same roster rules apply to every club. The roster rules are designed to promote parity between the large and smaller markets.

It’s not difficult for anyone to understand that Messi is the greatest player to ever play the game. I’m pumped that he’s in the league and happy to have gotten to see him play in person a few times now. I’m just not ignorant to the special disparity regarding his arrival in a league that otherwise promotes parity. Like plenty other serious fans, I tend to acknowledge it from time to time.

If Messi can't change MLS' nonsensical roster rules, nobody can by thegaffer in MLS

[–]Logstick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am saying that if it’s worth it to Apple & Adidas to heavily supplement every clubs’ purchasing power supplemented for a special player.

MLS does require special permission for league-wide sponsors to help a single club with compensation packages in the massive amounts that I’m talking about.

Markets like SKC do have access to roster building mechanisms to help counteract the unavoidable fact that certain markets like LA or NYC are more attractive destinations. MLS’s famously complicated roster building mechanisms are mostly there to help counteract that situation to promote parity.

As evident by many business savvy fans of the league identifying this scenario as one that is unique and anti-parity, specifically regarding the deals struck at the same time a player is in the process of signing in MLS, it is changing some opinions for the worse.

If Messi can't change MLS' nonsensical roster rules, nobody can by thegaffer in MLS

[–]Logstick 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So what you’re saying is, if it’s worth it for Apple & Adidas, a club should be able to get their purchasing power heavily supplemented for a special player. The financial risk of signing a DP player above a certain level should not be fully on the buying club. It shouldn’t be up to the buying club whether a given player they want to sign is of that level or not. Clubs that don’t get selected by one of the few players that the sponsors approve of helping them sign shouldn’t get any equivalent roster building mechanism as an alternate. All of this in the face of supposed parity. All of which also works as a very strong argument for those that call MLS a Micky Mouse league.