Wayne Rooney on Lionel Messi's 'massive' move to Major League Soccer
D.C. United head coach Wayne Rooney hailed Lionel Messi after his announcement to join Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami on a free transfer following his Paris Saint-Germain exit, labeling the move as “massive” for the American team.
Despite incessant efforts from Barcelona to bring him back and Saudi Pro League team Al Hilal’s eye-watering €400m-a-year proposal, Messi confirmed in a joint interview with Mundo Deportivo and SPORT that he’s headed to South Florida.
"I made the decision that I am going to go to Miami," Messi said. "I still haven't closed it one hundred percent. I'm missing some things but we decided to continue the path."
Though the initial pillars of the deal have been agreed on, Inter Miami continues to sort Messi’s contract for the final signature. As 90min reported earlier, the Argentine figure hopes to use his leverage to bring former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez to the South Florida team to create a competitive atmosphere.
But for now, coaches around the league are already preparing for his impending arrival.
"He's the best, simple as that. In my view, he's the best player to ever play the game, so that's how he's different. Obviously the fan base around him will be huge and commercially for the league, I'm sure it will be huge as well. It's massive for MLS," said Rooney.
"I know MLS has always brought players in, but I think it will do that again. It shows MLS can compete with leagues who are trying to grow in the world of football."
Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtain echoed Rooney’s thoughts, adding his arrival validates Major League soccer: "It shows that our league is a very attractive one."
"It’s the biggest day in probably MLS history, right? It’s the best player that the sport of soccer has ever had in my opinion, for what that’s worth. When you talk about the player, it speaks for itself. He’s won everything everywhere he’s been. It shows that our league is a very attractive one. There’s no problem recruiting the top players to come here."
This will be the first time Messi has ever played senior football outside of Europe, having enjoyed 17 years in the Barcelona first team before leaving for Paris Saint-Germain - where he won Ligue 1 in two consecutive seasons.
He’ll arrive after scoring an astounding 806 goals in 1,027 career games for Barcelona, PSG and Argentina, and lifting 43 trophies for club and country. Messi has also won the coveted Ballon d'Or seven times to lead the list of players with the most honors.
No official debut date has been given, but Inter Miami is set to host Cruz Azul in an inaugural Leagues Cup match on July 21 at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.