Lionel Messi is set to become part of the next chapter of men's soccer in North America. With a World Cup on the horizon in 2026, Messi's announcement Wednesday that he will join Major League Soccer's Inter Miami is another landmark moment for the league and the sport in the United States. Edson Arantes do Nascimento was already a three-time World Cup champion and undoubtedly the best player in the world when he left Brazil in 1975 for the chance to be the face of soccer in North America.
Lionel Messi is set to become part of the next chapter of men’s soccer in North America. Messi’s announcement that he will join Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami is another landmark moment for the league and the sport in the United States. But he’s only the latest big-name international player to bring his talents to the U.S. It started with Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cryuff in the NASL, and since the MLS was launched other stars like David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimović have raised the profile of the game in North America.