Lionel Messi has been backed to make an impact in the MLS by a former USA international. The World Cup winner is expected to win the 2023 Ballon d'Or after Argentina's successes in Qatar but he is being linked with a move to Inter Miami - the David Beckham-owned franchise in America - when his contract with Paris Saint Germain ends in the summer.
Alan Gordon, an ex-professional striker for many MLS teams including LA Galaxy and Chicago Fire, believes that Messi could be transformative for the American game. He told The Guardian : “Messi is the biggest name in the sport and one of the best to ever step foot on a soccer pitch. He’s going to fill stands.
“Before Beckham came, we travelled ‘Group C’ on Southwest Airlines with LA Galaxy. We’d walk through the airport and either nobody knew us, or nobody cared. When he arrived, we went from playing in front of 10,000, to 60-70,000 people in [American] football stadiums. That’s what it’s going to be like. And guess what? I’d be the first to grab a ticket and take my kids to see Messi."
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Messi is coming to the end of his contract at PSG and many expect that he will not extend his stay in the French capital. He has won everything that there is to win in club and international football so the 34-year-old may see the MLS as a great way to close the curtain on his incredible career.
The lure of America for footballers is not something new. Beckham was followed into the MLS by superstars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Andrea Pirlo, all of whom made a tremendous impact on the game in the States.
Messi continues to be heavily linked with a move to Miami but such speculation goes against the ethos of youth that Beckham is trying to promote within his club, managed by former Manchester United defender Phil Neville. Both men have a desire to implement the youth setup at United in Miami.
“MLS is a young person’s league. Some of the best young players are coming through the academies. We’re a club that wants to produce our own players,” Neville told the Guardian in 2021.
But Messi is no ordinary player and it is difficult to see any club passing up the opportunity to sign one of the greatest footballers of all time. If he becomes available, it is tough to see Neville and Beckham turning their noses up.
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