MLS designated players not fulfilling the league's goals

Major League Soccer launched the ‘designated players’ rule in 2007 to allow David Beckham to join the league. Despite several changes, the rule’s purpose stayed the same: attract international stars who require major wages without going against the salary cap that instills parity in Major League Soccer. The current iteration of the rule states that […]

Major League Soccer launched the ‘designated players’ rule in 2007 to allow David Beckham to join the league. Despite several changes, the rule’s purpose stayed the same: attract international stars who require major wages without going against the salary cap that instills parity in Major League Soccer. The current iteration of the rule states that the salary cap hit of designated players is $480,625, and those who arrive in the middle of the season count as half of that. However, the owner pays the rest of the player’s agreed total compensation.

For reference, the MLS salary cap in 2007 was just $2.1 million. Under the ‘Beckham Rule,’ the winger had a guaranteed salary of $6.5 million. However, it only accounted for $400,000 against the team’s salary cap. Yet, Beckham massively changed the outlook of Major League Soccer. He brought more eyes, interest and discussion about the league. The majority of designated players since Beckham have not furthered that discussion, and instead, they are ways for the league and its owners to pay more money for players without generating the desired buzz.

When scanning the current list of registered designated players in MLS, some names stand out. Lionel Messi tops that list, and his arrival in Major League Soccer in the middle of the 2023 season instantly paid dividends for the league. Subscriptions to MLS Season Pass rose and ticket prices skyrocketed, for better or for worse. Other notable DPs include Lorenzo Insigne, Christian Benteke and Xherdan Shaqiri, who each had strong European careers. Other DPs have developed sensationally in MLS. Thiago…

Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/mls-designated-players-not-fulfilling-the-leagues-goals

Author : Kyle Fansler

Publish date : 2024-04-16 22:54:36

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