Inter Miami has made headlines with its star-studded roster, including the likes of Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets. But how did the MLS club manage to build such a talented team within the constraints of the salary cap?

The first step was creating designated player spots. Miami opened up one DP spot by buying down the salary budget charge of forward Leo Campana, allowing Messi to be slotted in. The team also had to open another DP spot to bring in Busquets, which they did by agreeing to a mutual contract termination with midfielder Rodolfo Pizarro.

To generate allocation money, Miami saved space and made trades. One recent trade saw midfielder Bryce Duke head to CF Montreal in exchange for defender Kamal Miller and $1.3 million in general allocation money. These moves helped create a reserve of allocation money that Miami could use to buy down players' salary budget charges.

With the allocation money in hand, Inter Miami was able to sign top players like Messi, Busquets, Jordi Alba, and others. The team's roster now boasts some of the highest-paid players in MLS.

While building this star-studded roster was no easy task, Miami's strategic moves and careful allocation of resources have paid off. The team is now seen as a global success, and their success in the Leagues Cup is a testament to the rising level of the North American league.