MSN reunion for Lionel Messi & Luis Suarez? MLS warned off Neymar ‘mistake’ amid Inter Miami links as Giuseppe Rossi explains ‘snail’s pace’ progress concern

For much of its existence, Major League Soccer has relied upon marquee signings to generate interest and pull in punters. From David Beckham to Heung-min Son via Steven Gerrard, Kaka, Andrea Pirlo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney, the American dream has been chased by plenty of household names.

Argentine GOAT Messi treaded that path in 2023, having been lured to the U.S. by Manchester United and England legend Beckham, and has been the main attraction in a division that knows tickets can be shifted wherever the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner goes.

Some familiar faces have joined him for the ride, with it being suggested that Neymar - on the back of a difficult return to his roots at Santos - could be next to pack bags for the Sunshine State.

As a marketing tool, there are few bigger or better than Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer. He is, however, 34 years of age and has struggled for form and fitness with club and country in recent times.

With that in mind, would Neymar be a shrewd addition for Miami and MLS or an unnecessary gamble? Ex-Real Salt Lake forward Rossi, who is now Head of Soccer at the New York Cosmos, told GOAL while speaking in association with BetBrothers: “This is where MLS are making mistakes, and they continue to make these mistakes.

“It’s great marketing, it is what it is, but what kind of product are you putting on the field? Bringing Neymar back to reunite him with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, what are you trying to become as a league?

“If it’s to get to the level of the big boys out in Europe like the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and those competitions, you’re moving at a snail’s pace but MLS is very thirsty for clicks and views, and they don’t really care about the standard of the football itself.

“Yes, they have made great strides, and well done to them for that. The valuations of the clubs are high and it’s a great business model but what about the football? Is that growing and moving forward? I don’t think so, and that’s something that has to change.

“The problem is that the people in charge don’t really care. They only care about the valuations. That’s the problem when you put these billionaires in charge of a league. They’d love to see Neymar come to MLS and play with Messi again but it’s not going to grow MLS as a football league. That’s what I think.”

It may be that a move from South to North America helps Neymar to rediscover his lost spark, with considerable success having previously been enjoyed alongside Messi and Suarez at Camp Nou.

Quizzed on whether that could be the case, with sporting benefits to be found for MLS, Rossi added: “If Neymar could make the move to Miami, why not? It would be great for him, and he’s still a great player. I freaking love Neymar. He’s one of the best players of his generation and I think everybody would love to see him play, and that’s great for the fans and everything else.

“I just look at it another way because there are pros and cons to everything, and yes everybody wants to see Neymar but it does take away from the integrity of the products itself by making MLS into even more of a circus than a true football league.”

Neymar’s contract at Santos is due to expire at the end of the year, which will clear him to head for Miami. If said move is made, then he will form part of a new era for MLS - with the 2027-28 campaign set to see a European-style calendar adopted by domestic soccer in the States.

Messi should, despite hinting at retirement, still be around to form part of that process as he is tied to a contract through 2028. Suarez would, however, need to sign another extension to his terms in order to form part of ‘MSN’ for a second time.

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