Hogan Lovells plays prominent role in bringing Lionel Messi to Major League Soccer

Press releases | 19 July 2023

Denver, 19 July 2023 – A team from global law firm Hogan Lovells advised Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami CF, as it completed the signing of Lionel Messi, seven-time Ballon D’Or winner, captain of last year’s World Cup winning Argentina soccer team, and one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.

Messi’s transfer to Inter Miami – where he is likely to make his team debut this Friday – is a transformative event for soccer in the United States. Messi comes to Major League Soccer having spent the first 21 years of his career playing for Barcelona in Spain’s Primera Liga, where he holds the club record for goals and assists. He spent the last two years playing with Paris Saint-Germain in France’s Ligue 1. Argentina’s defeat of France in last year’s World Cup Final, a game watched by over 1.5 billion people, was Messi’s fifth World Cup and the nation’s first win since 1986.

Hogan Lovells has a long-standing relationship with Inter Miami, owned by Miami businessmen Jorge and Jose Mas, and former Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan, and LA Galaxy player David Beckham. The firm has advised the club since its debut in Major League Soccer in 2020, and is working with the club’s ownership on the development of Miami Freedom Park, including a new soccer stadium due to open in 2025.

The Hogan Lovells team was led by Denver partner Mark Kurtenbach, head of the firm’s Colorado Corporate & Finance practice group, with support from partners Christopher Weigand (Denver, Corporate & Finance) and Mark Weinstein (New York, Tax).