"MLS Isn't Far Behind Major European Leagues" – Lionel Messi

Written by Patrick Echatah

The Major League Soccer (MLS) is not too far behind the major European leagues and has a good potential to catch up, according to Lionel Messi, who has scored nine goals in six games for Inter Miami in the Leagues Cup since joining the team.

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“I think it has every opportunity to do so,” Messi told ESPN in an interview on Thursday. “That growth depends a lot on the league. It’s an ideal moment to grow. There are important competitions upcoming that will be played in this country [2024 Copa America, 2026 FIFA World Cup].”

“It’s time for the league to make that leap and finish growing, finish looking for what it’s been seeking for a while. Everything is in place here to witness top-level football because of the country, the structure, a bunch of things,” the Argentine superstar added.

Inter Miami had a strange 11-game winless streak and had not won a single title prior to Messi’s debut this summer. They are currently very close to earning their first trophy in franchise history after winning all six of Messi’s games. On Saturday at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, they will compete against Nashville in the Leagues Cup final.

“I think that soccer in the U.S. has grown a lot in this last year,” Messi told ESPN. “It has shown that in the results the USMNT have had lately. It was a great squad in the World Cup, too. Very competitive. It held its own against every team it had on its slate. It’s getting closer and closer to the level of Mexican soccer.”

“This Leagues Cup demonstrated that. There is no Mexican team in the final. While you can question a lot of things, the reality is all the matches were very close, very competitive,” Messi said.

Meanwhile…

The LA Galaxy’s 2023 campaign has not been the easiest. LA Galaxy were once the dominant powerhouse and in Major League Soccer, are currently ranked 13th out of 14 teams in the Western Conference this season with three MLS teams scoring less goals.

But Riqui Puig’s development as a legitimate MLS star has undoubtedly been a plus for LA Galaxy this year. The player is not planning on going back to Europe anytime soon, which is even better news for the Galaxy. This report comes directly from the club’s head coach and sports director.

Greg Vanney made it clear in his interview with The Athletic that the Galaxy have big hopes for Puig in the future. “He’s our guy that we want to continue to build around and build with,” Vanney said.

(CGTN)

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