Lionel Messi doesn’t typically share his thoughts on playing soccer in the U.S. But in an interview with NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas on Monday, he spoke out on how he’d change MLS if he were the commissioner for a day.
“Well, for starters, every team should have the opportunity to bring in players and sign whoever each team wants — without limitations or rules for players to bring them in,” Messi said.
“I don’t think that today all teams in the United States, all clubs, have the power to do that, and I think that if they were given the freedom, many more important players would come and help the growth of the United States,” Messi continued.
Messi’s comments on Monday proved that while he’s enamored with life in the U.S., and certainly motivated to help build Inter Miami into a perennial league contender, he has doubts about the direction of MLS. Stating bluntly that MLS clubs don’t have the power to decide their own sporting strategies will no doubt rally the other MLS owners who share similar sentiments.
He didn’t sing the league’s praises. Instead, Messi, who has won everything there is to win in the sport, let the world know that giant leaps for soccer in America are conceivable, but the clock is ticking faster than normal.
“I think that growing soccer in the United States is possible,” he said. “I think there are still big changes to be made so that teams can continue to grow, but I think there is a very important foundation in place where teams are prepared and want that growth, and I think it’s time to do it.”
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