Is Major League Soccer a legitimate top-flight league, or just a very lucrative retirement home for European superstars?

It’s been nearly 20 years since MLS enacted the designated player rule (AKA, the "Beckham Rule" ) and first rolled out the red carpet for aging icons. But with the arrival of the greatest of GOATS, Lionel Messi, and a new wave of blockbuster signings from Son Hueng-min to Thomas Müller, the debate is hotter than ever. Do these flashy, big-name signings actually grow the beautiful game in America, or do they just sell a few more jerseys before riding off into the sunset?

On this episode of Finance of Football, Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé crunch the numbers and debate whether the MLS's star-studded strategy is a brilliant long-term play or a costly short-term sugar rush.

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Asli - @brefootcontessa

Michael - @michale.lore

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On Instagram - @financeoffootballpod

On Facebook - /financeoffootball

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Finance of Football, a Frequency Machine Podcast, is…

Written, Hosted, and Produced by Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé

Editing and Sound Design by Ryan Hammond

Mixing and Mastering by Julian Kwasneski

Executive Produced by Stacey Book and Avi Glijansky

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Check out more of Frequency Machine’s podcasts - including Undercover Sports, a show about the wildest sports conspiracy theories, at frequencymahine.com

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