Bienvenido a Miami, Lionel Messi!

On Wednesday, the signing of the 35-year-old was teased by Inter Miami on their Twitter page.

The tweet has now amassed over 5 million views, showing just how momentous the occasion is. The signing of Messi is a significant accomplishment, not just for Miami but for Major League Soccer as a whole.

After a two-year-long journey to acquire his services, the South Florida side prevailed, snatching the signature of the Argentine away from Barcelona and clubs in Saudi Arabia.

Al Ittihad pushed hard for the Argentine, but fell short. Barcelona desperately wanted their legend to return - only to be hampered by La Liga's financial fair play rules.

With the situation having settled, let's evaluate the winners and losers from the entire saga.

Winners: MLS

MLS as a league is a huge winner in this no matter what.

League commissioner Don Garber has always been open about wanting World Class players in the league.

With more high-profile super-stars (not necessarily aging players) in MLS under their new TV deal with Apple, the league and Apple TV will see a tremendous jump in subscribers as soon as the Argentinian laces up for the Herons.

Early in the year, Garber spoke to CBSSports about the prospects of having Messi in the league, stating that he'd be more than happy to welcome him.

"I can tell you that we would love him in Major League Soccer. We will work very hard with Miami, who is the team that is hoping to be able to sign him, to come up with a program for him that will allow him to establish a legacy that I think could be unprecedented globally..."

As the league continues to grow, the impact of signing Messi will be felt for years, similar to when David Beckham signed for the LA Galaxy in 2007.

Losers: MLS Defenders

The bad news for MLS defenders is that they will now play against a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.

For all the hype and excitement that Messi will bring around the league, defenders in MLS are probably the most alarmed at the thought of having to defend the Argentine for 90 minutes.

Messi has made his career by using his low center of gravity to dribble through opposition players.

Though he may have lost some speed, he can still be instrumental in attack, as seen in his 2022-23 season with Paris Saint Germain, where he netted 16 goals and assists in 32 matches.

In MLS, where most of the roster budget is spent on attackers, most non-Designated Player defenders are on significantly less money. Therefore, the level of performance may not be as consistent as other positions.

Messi will likely perform at a high level against most MLS defenses.

Winners: Inter Miami CF

The biggest winner in the Messi saga is the next club he'll be playing for: Inter Miami.

Miami co-owners Jorge Mas and Jose Mas have been working on a deal to bring the World Cup winner to the States since 2021.

Though there were many hurdles to clear, the South Florida-based side finally got the deal over the line two years later.

On the pitch, the men in pink and black will improve in the final third offensively, especially with an attacking player of Messi's caliber. He'll also be a provider to Miami's potent strike partnership of Leonardo Campana and Josef Martinez.

Miami will benefit commercially as well.

Already, their social media following has gone up significantly. Their Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter accounts have gained between 100,000 and 1 million followers within just a few hours of the signing being announced.

The club will benefit significantly from the sale of jerseys, tickets and the increased popularity that comes with acquiring a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Losers: FC Barcelona

Though they tried, Barcelona fell flat in their pursuit to re-sign Messi.

In an interview with Mundo Deportivo, Messi talked about why he decided to pivot towards Miami instead of waiting for his boyhood club.

"I really wanted to return, I was very excited to be able to return, but, on the other hand, after having experienced what I experienced when I left, I didn't want to be in the same situation again. I didn't want to leave my future in someone else's hands."

In August 2021, when he left the team, it was quite emotional for him. It's clear that Messi didn't want to experience the uncertainty of whether he would stay or leave again.

Based on his comments, it appears he wanted security in his future and with Barca's wonky financial situation, the Catalan club couldn't give him the assurance he needed.

Ultimately, their lack of assurance was the killing blow in the hopes of Messi returning to the club.

Winners: American Soccer Fans

Lastly, although this may be overlooked, the average American soccer fan will be elated with the news that one of, if not the greatest player of all time, will be joining their domestic league.

MLS has constantly been widely mocked due to its tendency to bring in aging stars as an attention grabber. As the league has grown and they've started to develop and bring in talented young players, they've slowly shifted away from the 'retirement league' moniker.

With Messi now playing in MLS, sure - he may be on the wrong side of 30, but he still has such a pull with the soccer public and captures the imagination of any fan of the beautiful game.

It may not be wise to ignore or downplay the effects of this move.

The die-hard soccer fan in America should feel excited about the future of the sport in the States. Messi's move to Miami means there will be more eyes on the league, more interest, and hopefully help entice other stars to move to the US in the future.

It will only be up from here.

Losers: Saudi Pro League

Despite their best efforts, Al Ittihad could not convince Messi to move to Saudi Arabia, no matter the amount of money offered.

While it was an extremely tempting offer, with the reported fee being $300 million per year, Messi decided against moving his career and family to the Middle East.

Speaking with Mundo Deportivo, the ex-Barca star said that money wasn't a priority in his decision to move to the US.

"If it had been a question of money, I would have gone to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere. My decision not based on money. Having achieved World Cup glory, I also wanted to look for something else and a bit of peace of mind."

Messi seemed to be searching for a peaceful and ideal living environment for himself and his family.

Looking at Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Al-Nassr, while they finished second in the league and Ronaldo scored the second most goals on the team with 14, the Saudi Pro League may not be the easiest product for neutrals to find. Also, the play on the pitch may not be to the level of Messi's liking.

The 35-year-old may be interested in the lifestyle and level of play offered by MLS, which could be why he chose to turn down the large offer from Saudi Arabia.