Everyone thought Lionel Messi would remain a one-club man throughout his illustrious career. Spoiler alert: the Argentinian superstar ended up playing not for one, but three different clubs. Although he caught everyone off guard by leaving his boyhood club FC Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2021, a move to Major League Soccer in the final stretch of his career was par for the course. For Alexis Ohanian, however, Messi might have ended up joining ‘one of the worst teams in the MLS’ by signing with Inter Miami last year!

No offense Herons fans, right Alexis!? Of course, before things get worse, let’s understand what is actually the husband of Serena Williams is trying to imply. The backstory you ask? Well, Ohanian was the latest guest to attend Thanasis Antetokounmpo-hosted Thanalysis Show podcast. During the conversation, the Reddit founder fervently discussed how the impact of athletes extends beyond their sport. And what better example there was to state than by talking about “The Messi effect.”

A small glimpse was shared by Ohanian on his official X account with a caption saying, “When Messi left @PSG_inside and moved to @InterMiamiCF, Inter Miami SKY ROCKETED. Just goes to show it’s about the player and their stories, not the logo. Fans crave a HUMAN connection in sports, and Messi is just the latest superstar example of how big this power shift is.”

An actual spoiler alert for Miami fans and Mr. owner a.k.a David Beckham, y’all surely wouldn’t approve of what Ohanian had to say in the small clip: “[Messi] He moved from PSG, one of the biggest clubs in the world, to one of the worst teams in the MLS in Miami,” began the American entrepreneur. “Literally, millions of fans unfollowed PSG and followed this no-name club. That’s the power of the individual.”

Continuing his analytical views on Messi’s Fort Lauderdale move, he added, “The momentum is now really shifted. The most important story a team can tell is actually now about their players. Y’all are the reason people get in the seats. People scream and cry and feel so emotional. It’s not the logo, right? It’s the players in this new era.”

In short, Ohanian feels it’s Messi alone who completely turned the tables around for Inter Miami. Of course, to some extent, it’s true as the World Cup winner has surely brought a remarkable soccer culture to the States like no other. Yet again, Alexis couldn’t make it more obvious with his sharp views on the Becks-owned side.

We can feel for all the Miami fans and DB7 himself if Ohanian’s words are a bitter pill to swallow. But look on the brighter side, might we remind you what a glorious time it has been so far for the Florida-based club in the presence of Messi?

A lookback at Inter Miami’s growth ever since Lionel Messi planted his foot in Fort Lauderdale

Inter Miami started their journey in the MLS as a typical club in around 2020. It was almost three years since they had to wait for their first trophy as it came in the form of a 2023 Leagues Cup. The protagonist? Lionel Messi of course. Even though he joined Tata Martino’s side in the middle of the season, one can’t stress how quickly he made an impression—like scoring a goal in his debut match.

It wasn’t any regular goal; La Pulga came off the bench to net a crucial winning goal from a direct free-kick! As time passed by, he brought more fame to the club, helping Miami skyrocket its valuation to a whopping $1.03 billion. Even the Instagram following saw a massive surge from 1.06 million to 17.1 million as of October 2024. Fast forward to today, a second trophy was recently added to their collection—the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield.

If all of this isn’t magical then what it is. Though it proves Alexis Ohanian’s true to some extent, we would like to know your opinions on the same in the comments section.