While Lionel Messi earns $12.5 million, the salary Inter Miami must offer Cristiano Ronaldo

Inter Miami, the US soccer team that recently made headlines with the arrival of Lionel Messi, is now facing a challenge of a different nature. The club, under the leadership of David Beckham, aims to reunite two of the most iconic players in football history by bringing Cristiano Ronaldo to the team. However, this plan faces significant financial and regulatory hurdles within the structure of Major League Soccer (MLS).

MLS Salary Rules and the Designated Player System

MLS has a strict salary cap system in place to maintain competitive balance and ensure that teams do not overspend. However, there is a notable exception: each club is allowed to sign up to three "Designated Players" (DPs), often referred to as "franchise players." These players’ salaries can exceed the league’s salary cap, which allows teams to attract top talent from around the world.

Currently, Inter Miami has already filled all three DP spots. Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba are the players designated by the club, with Alba being the most recent addition, officially signing on as a Designated Player in February this year. Given that the club’s DP spots are filled, Inter Miami cannot sign another player to a salary above the salary cap unless they either create room by letting one of these three players go or offer Ronaldo a salary that falls within the league’s standard limits.

The Challenge of Signing Ronaldo

The task of signing Cristiano Ronaldo becomes complicated when considering his current contract and the regulations of the MLS. Ronaldo currently earns a staggering €183 million per year at Al-Nassr, his club in Saudi Arabia. This figure is significantly higher than what any MLS club, including Inter Miami, can afford under the current salary cap system.

To bring Ronaldo to Inter Miami, the club would either need to offer him a salary that fits within the salary cap restrictions or find a way to make room within their existing roster. This would likely involve parting ways with one of their current Designated Players—Messi, Busquets, or Alba. Given that Messi’s presence at Inter Miami has already been a game-changer, and the club is looking to build a strong team around him, it is unlikely that the club would consider letting him go. Similarly, Busquets and Alba, both of whom are veterans with significant experience and leadership qualities, are crucial to the team's structure.

Offering Ronaldo a Non-Designated Player Salary

Another option Inter Miami could explore is offering Ronaldo a salary that does not fall under the Designated Player category. This would mean offering him a wage that is within the constraints of the league’s salary cap, which is a significantly lower amount than what he is accustomed to. However, this scenario seems unlikely given the vast difference in the salaries between what Ronaldo earns in Saudi Arabia and what is possible in MLS. Furthermore, it would be difficult to convince a player of Ronaldo’s stature to take such a pay cut, even for a short period of time.

The Possibility of Parting Ways with a Current DP

The more likely scenario is that Inter Miami may look to part ways with one of their current Designated Players to make room for Ronaldo. However, this decision would not be an easy one. Messi, as arguably the greatest player of all time, is a major asset to the club, both on the pitch and in terms of the global brand and media attention he brings. Letting him go would not only impact the team’s sporting performance but also its commercial success.

Similarly, both Busquets and Alba are highly experienced players who add immense value to the squad, both in terms of their technical skills and leadership qualities. Releasing one of these players would leave a significant gap in the team, and it is unclear whether Inter Miami is willing to make that sacrifice.

A High-Risk, High-Reward Move

Signing Ronaldo would undoubtedly be a high-risk, high-reward move for Inter Miami. The potential benefits of having both Messi and Ronaldo on the same team are immeasurable, from a sporting perspective as well as from a commercial standpoint. The presence of both superstars would undoubtedly increase the team’s visibility on the global stage and elevate the profile of MLS as a whole.

However, given the financial constraints and the complex rules of MLS, Inter Miami’s ambitions to sign Ronaldo are far from guaranteed. The club’s strategy of bringing together these two footballing legends is an exciting one, but it will require careful planning and potentially difficult decisions. Whether they can find a way to make room for Ronaldo under the current salary cap remains to be seen, but the possibility of seeing Messi and Ronaldo together in an Inter Miami shirt is a tantalising prospect that would change the landscape of American soccer forever.