**OFFSITE** Paul Tenorio, "The Messi Effect"

Join us at The Soccer House with Paul Tenorio to celebrate the release of his book The Messi Effect!

ABOUT THE BOOK:
In his new book, The Messi Effect: The Global Legend’s Last Act and American Soccer’s New Beginning, one of soccer’s top writers, Paul Tenorio, takes the reader inside the locker room and behind the scenes as Lionel Messi’s arrival turned a last-placed team into a global phenomenon, and in due course, jump started a major wave of soccer madness in the U.S.

From his cinematic debut goal to his first trophy with Miami and across two more transformative seasons, Messi’s impact was immediate and enormous. In the locker room, players making $100,000, who once had Messi’s poster on their wall, were now sharing that locker room with the global idol. What was it like when Messi showed up for team activities that first day? Or when he joined the team’s group chat for the first time?

Off the field, Messi’s pink #10 shirt became the world’s best-selling jersey, MLS Stadiums sold out in city after city despite soaring ticket prices, Inter Miami’s valuation blasted past #1 billion dollars, MLS’s commercial partnerships – Apple TV+, ‘MLS Season Pass” subscriptions and their social media following shot up, too. But Messi’s influence extended beyond the pitch and merchandise racks. It gave him the chance, as Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas said, to change the sport in the U.S. forever. And this was in a league that began almost as novelty in 1996 with ten teams. Thirty years later, the league was solid, with growing attendance even before Messi’s arrival. MLS is now sitting at 30 teams, having grown exponentially. Yet it still missed one thing: a major marquee name and presence. Enter Lionel Messi.

Since the last World Cup on U.S. soil in 1994, the sport has seen a tremendous trajectory in the country. England’s Premier League games draw massive audiences on NBC. CBS’ Champions League coverage is a worldwide hit. Cable and streaming coverage of games from the other major European Leagues – Italy’s Serie A, Germany’s Bundesliga, Spain’s La Liga – have loyal viewing audiences. TV shows like Ted Lasso and Welcome to Wrexham have had amazing crossover appeal. Copa America and Liga MX (Mexico) have shown the might of a vast and influential Spanish-language audience in America. Still, MLS, despite its solid growth, remained in the middle and risked being left behind and remaining in the minds of fans everywhere a niche league. It lacked the resonance to drive big media dollars, which were needed to help the league evolve in order to stand out in such a global competitive landscape. Again, enter Lionel Messi.

The Messi Effect is a story about the business of sport and how, always, that rides on the back of a player who must be both superstar athlete and economic engine. It’s the story of celebrity on a global scale. It’s also the story of perhaps the greatest to ever play the most popular sports around the world as he rides into the sunset, the choices he makes, and the after effects of his greatness on future generations. As Messi pushes Inter Miami to another possible MLS Cup title in 2025, and even more so is hoped and expected to be playing for defending World Cup champion Argentina in the 2026 World Cup played in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, the sport and fans around the world will get to watch greatness for a little bit longer with Messi, fresh off leading Inter Miami to their first-ever MLS Championship, agreeing to play for the team until 2027.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Paul Tenorio is a senior writer for The Athletic who has covered American and international soccer since 2007. His work has also appeared in The Washington Post, The Orlando Sentinel, FourFourTwo magazine, and ESPN. A Costa Rican-American born in Alexandria, Virginia, Tenorio graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He lives with his wife and two children in Chicago, Illinois.