"I think is fun, it's exciting" - MLS commissioner praises Lionel Messi's Inter Miami for signing multiple ex-Barcelona stars
MLS commissioner Don Garber has praised Inter Miami for signing Lionel Messi and several of his former Barcelona teammates in the last few months. The Herons have made a good number of high-profile additions since getting Messi to join their club in the summer of 2023.
Owned by David Beckham and the Mas brothers, Inter Miami has prided itself on being a competitive franchise since its creation. The owners have appointed top-level managers such as Phil Neville and Gerardo Martino, both of whom have worked at top levels of football.
The Florida-based outfit have also spent money on several quality players, including the likes of Blaise Matuidi and Gonzalo Higuain, over the years. Their most recent success was fuelled by the signing of Lionel Messi after he left Paris Saint Germain (PSG) to join them for free in 2023.
Don Garber is happy about the situation at Inter Miami and the prestige their signings will bring to MLS. He was, however, quick to remind everyone via ESPN that the league has always tried to sign quality players from around the world.
"It's important to remind ourselves and everybody else that having arguably the best player of all time in our league says a lot about where MLS is, and how far it's come over the years," he said. "And I don't think Miami is stopping, right? Signing Luis Suárez and putting together a bunch of guys that Leo has played with for so many years, I think is fun. It's exciting.
"And I think we're going to see just more energy, and lots more attention in Year 2. But the league has been signing really big-name international players for many, many years, and we're going to continue to do that. But as importantly, focus as much as we can on not just the top of the roster and the players that will bring us attention around the world, but also young players both here in the U.S. and players from overseas."
Inter Miami signed Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba shortly after the signing of Lionel Messi was confirmed. They then completed a deal to sign Luis Suarez in the MLS off-season after he left Brazilian outfit Gremio.
Eden Hazard picks Inter Miami star Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo
Former Chelsea and Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard recently picked Lionel Messi ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo as the greatest footballer. The former Belgium captain made the revelation while speaking on the Obi One podcast, as he revealed his preference for Messi's style.
"Who is the GOAT, Ronaldo or Messi? For me, Messi is the one. People have different opinions. Ronaldo is an incredible scorer, but I prefer Messi’s playstyle," Hazard said.
The Messi vs Ronaldo debate is not ending anytime soon, especially as both players remain active in the game. What is without doubt is that they are the greatest rivals in the history of football, and arguably the top two footballers ever.