2024-02-10 13:52:08
Can these five star players make a Messi-like splash in the North American league?
İdman.biz presents an article with a link to livesport.ru.
The Year of Messi is coming. After last year’s demo of a Major League Soccer season featuring the greatest player of all time and an offseason full of anticipation and hope, the upcoming campaign promises to be one of the most important in MLS history, writes ESPN.
What lasting impact Lionel Messi will have on the league remains to be determined, but his presence – in the short term – promises to bring more attention to it than ever before. From this point of view, he is the only and unique one in it. No one other than Cristiano Ronaldo is capable of generating even remotely as much interest.
In recent years, MLS has deliberately moved away from prioritizing bringing in big-name players late in their careers as a marketing strategy in favor of more promising talent from overseas. However, there will always be room in the league for players of a certain level if they want to try life in the United States or Canada.
The profile, more or less, looks like this: free agents, offensive players over 30 years old, with already established prestigious careers, whose legacy is no longer in danger. To get things moving, it needs to be a globally recognized star.
With that vague criterion in mind, here are five players who could conceivably take a cue from Messi and move to MLS in the next couple of years. That doesn’t mean it will happen – or even could happen, it’s just that these are the type of players that MLS is designed for and could still make an incredible impact on the league or might want to move to it.
The arrival of Messi taught us that nothing is impossible.
Robert Lewandowski
Center forward, 35 years old, Barcelona
Lewandowski’s performance, one of the greatest strikers of his generation, has declined markedly this campaign. This is his second year with Barcelona after eight brilliant seasons at Bayern Munich.
He averages 0.45 goals per 90 minutes, equaling the lowest figure of his 16-year career (2010/11 with Borussia Dortmund). However, this is still an impressive performance rate for most players and would instantly make him the best striker in MLS.
In 2017, Lewandowski’s wife gave an interview in which she said that the couple hoped that he would finish his career at the Los Angeles club. “We can say that this would be our dream,” Anna Lewandowska told Polish publication Business Insider.
If this is still the case, then the clock is ticking. Lewandowski’s contract is reported to run until 2026, but there are rumors about the possibility of an early termination of the deal.
Neymar
Forward, 31 years old, Al-Hilal
Given that Neymar is 31 years old, the first thought would be that he is probably too young to be interested in MLS. However, having already left Europe for the Saudi Pro League, it is clear that competitive ambitions are no longer driving the Brazilian at this stage of his career.
A serious knee injury prevented Neymar from truly making the most of his first season in the Middle East: he played just 207 minutes without scoring a single goal in three matches.
As always, money is a complicating factor. No MLS team can compete with his $300 million deal with Al-Hilal. But when his contract expires after next season, it’s possible that the North American league could become an option as Neymar would be a big signing
But there will also be questions (and this isn’t just him on this list) about how serious he’ll be and what risks that entails.
Antoine Griezmann
Forward, 32 years old, Atlético Madrid
Griezmann has never been shy about his curiosity about the US, and it seems inevitable that a move to MLS will happen at some point.
“I’ve always said that,” Griezmann said in August. “My goal is to be [в МЛС]“With everything I love about American sports, I want to play in MLS and have fun with it, be able to win and be at my best level.”
“First I want to make history here and win trophies with Atlético. After that we’ll see… I think Leo’s arrival [Месси], [Серхио Бускетса] and Jordi [Альбы] will benefit the league. That, and signing younger players, especially from South America, is the best thing the league can do.”
Given that he is still one of the best players in La Liga for a Champions League club, the timing of a possible move for Griezmann is difficult to determine, with his contract running until June 2026.
Thomas Muller
Forward, 34 years old, Bayern
It feels like Müller has been at Bayern forever, but he’s only 34 years old and still very much fits the profile of the type of player MLS teams would want to add to their roster.
In November, German publication Sports Bild reported that Müller was interested in MLS, although the striker himself said he would like to remain at Bayern.
However, with just one goal in 17 Bundesliga appearances this year, Müller’s diminishing influence on the team could spell the end of his tenure at the club he broke into at 18.
An added bonus is that his fun-loving personality will be a welcome addition to the league.
Karim Benzema
Center forward, 36 years old, Al-Ittihad
The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner is reportedly less than happy following his move to Saudi Arabia, and while that doesn’t mean a move away from Al Ittihad is imminent, it does make it easier to speculate about his move to MLS.
As with Neymar, Saudi salaries are not something MLS teams can compete with, but if he wants a change of scenery and circumstances, then MLS is his option.
At 36, Benzema is approaching retirement, but he is still one of the best players in the world and could make a splash in MLS that will cause a stir.
İdman.biz