?Soccer Is Exploding?: Setting Lionel Messi?s $150,000,000 Deal as Example, NBA Veteran and Birmingham FC Owner Opens Up About New Venture

Following Lionel Messi’s grand arrival in the USA to play in the MLS, the American audience has started paying more attention to soccer. From filling out stadiums to having celebrities in the audience, Messi has brought a major change to the hierarchy of sports in America. Seeing the rise in fans for soccer, this nine-time all-star has put in money and is now one of the owners of this soccer team in the USA.

Dominique Wilkins is one of the best players in NBA history to have never won a championship. Given the name, The Human Highlight Film, it was not safe for any player to meet him in the lane. But he is currently sharing his love for soccer with his investment in Birmingham.

Dominique Wilkins invested in soccer

Knowing firsthand how it feels to have everyone root for you after playing in Greece, Wilkins was ready to once again put himself in a smaller market to take them to the next stage. This time Wilkins has put his trust in a team from a sport that he is not used to playing in, but has high hopes for in the future. In a recent interview with VladTV, Dominique Wilkins talked about his investment in Birmingham Legion FC.

He had two words to describe the situation and soccer in the USA. He said it is ‘changing’ and ‘exploding’. Wilkins also said that with Lionel Messi coming from Europe to the MLS, soccer is now one of the premier sports in the USA. He has put soccer in the spotlight, and the attention the sport gets now is nothing like ever before.

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He wanted to buy a soccer team. And when the opportunity presented itself, he didn’t hold back. He revealed that he went to Birmingham to watch two matches, and they won both matches. He then continued by saying that they have a really nice stadium there.

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And then he revealed that they are currently building an advanced, state-of-the-art practice facility for the team. He believes that it’s just starting, and soon soccer will be just as important as basketball in the USA.

Wilkins’s hope for the future

Wilkins mentioned that there was a similarity between this and when he reached the Atlanta Hawks. He said when he got to Atlanta, it was rather small. But eventually, with him and the rest of the team, it grew to what it is now. He hopes Birmingham Legion will have a similar story and eventually grow massively along with the rise of soccer in the USA.

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MLS now has the attention of a global audience. Messi signed with Inter Miami in July 2023. He will make close to $150 million by the time his time with Miami comes to an end. His presence will help drive the rise of soccer in the USA. And Wilkins hopes to be an early ambassador for this with his investment in Birmingham.