Over the years some incredible footballers have plied their trade in the US. “Plied their trade” is probably a very apt phrase for the earlier years too, because for a long time football in the States was not really all that serious, or high quality, and South American and European stars who went there were definitely selling their services.
Major League Soccer (MLS) had its first season in 1996 but before that there was the North American Soccer League (NASL). There were leagues and organisations before that but it was really with the birth of the NASL that big-name players began heading to the US. The likes of Pele, Gordon Banks, Geoff Hurst, Bobby Moore, Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller, Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, George Best, Carlos Alberta and Peter Lorimer all played NASL football.
However, all were very much past their best when they moved. Pele played for New York Cosmos four years after his last game for Brazil, Moore appeared three years after his last England appearance, as did Hurst and Ball. Beckenbauer did not play in the NASL until six years after his last cap for (West) Germany and it was the same for most of the league’s star names.
Football in the USA is now far more serious, with MSL at a decent standard, with a good mix of homegrown talent, lower-level South and Central American players, and more than a sprinkling of big-name stars. The league as a whole is at a far higher standard than it was back in the 1970s and 1980s. According to one analysis, MLS makes a global top 10, coming in at number nine, ahead of the Danish Superliga and even the Netherlands’ Eredivisie. An alternative assessment, by Opta, broadly agrees, placing the US 10th in global terms in March 2024.
Inter Miami Could Dominate
Part of the reason for the rise of the MLS in the Opta data was the success of Inter Miami in the 2023 Leagues Cup. The club, which is part-owned by David Beckham, won the competition that’s contested between teams in MLS and the Mexican Liga MX. Inter was only founded in 2018 (though didn’t compete until 2020) and they have taken their time to find their feet.
However, right now they are almost certainly the best team in North America and have assembled a truly impressive squad. Lionel Messi signed in 2023, with Luis Suarez signing a year later. Cynics would ask how their signings differ from the marquee names of the NASL and it is true that Messi, Suarez and most of the other big names playing MSL football are past their very peak.
However, the difference is clear, in that Messi was the captain of Argentina when he signed – and still is – and had won the World Cup in 2022. He won the World Cup Golden Ball and Silver Boot in December 2022, signing for Inter Miami seven months later. He also won the Ballon d’Or in 2023, even if some felt that award was questionable. Suarez was also still representing his country when he signed, though has now retired. As such there is a very obvious difference between Inter’s key signings and those made by the US sides of times gone by.
Rapid Improvement Since Arrival of Messi
Inter Miami struggled somewhat in their first seasons in MLS. They signed Gonzalo Higuain as one of their designated players (marquee signings permitted outside of the standard salary cap rules) and whilst he was their top scorer in 2021 and 2022, he had stopped playing for Argentina in 2018 (though officially retired in March 2019).
Their overall ranking in MLS was 19th in 2020, 20th a year later, then 12 and then 27th in 2023. Messi signed midway through the 2023 campaign, with Miami bottom of the Eastern Conference. The turnaround in their fortunes was instant, with the Argentine GOAT scoring almost at will. He scored 11 in his first 10 games as his side went on a long run without defeat. They also managed to win the Leagues Cup, as said, and made the final of the US Open Cup, where they lost 2-1 to Houston Dynamo. Messi and Jordi Alba both missed the defeat through injury.
The 2024 Season Promises Great Things
As we approach the business end of things, Inter Miami sit atop the Eastern Conference, having won 19 of their 30 games and lost just four times. They are eight points clear at the top and are also ranked first overall, ahead of LA Galaxy who head the Western Conference. The playoffs begin in October and Messi and co will be hopeful of going all the way.
| Rank | Team | P | W | D | L | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inter Miami | 30 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 64 |
| 2 | LA Galaxy | 31 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 58 |
| 3 | FC Cincinnati | 30 | 17 | 5 | 8 | 56 |
| 4 | Columbus Crew | 29 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 56 |
| 5 | Real Salt Lake | 30 | 14 | 5 | 10 | 51 |
Mexican side Monterrey eliminated them from the CONCACAF Champions Cup at the quarter-final stage, winning 5-2 on aggregate. Columbus Crew knocked them out of the Leagues Cup in the round of 16 but MLS glory will be their number one aim. If Messi and Suarez stay fit they should have every chance of claiming their first title but they are far from a two-man side.
Inter Miami’s Stars
Lionel Messi, as the current holder of the Ballon d’Or, captain of the world champions Argentina (he also skippers Inter) and quite probably the best player to have ever kicked a football, is unquestionably Miami’s star man. From 15 MLS matches in 2024 he has registered 14 goals and 10 assists, giving him a staggering 24 goal involvements in 15 games. Sadly for him and Inter, various muscle and ligament issues have meant he has missed a number of games, including all four at the Leagues Cup. He also missed five MLS clashes due to international commitments.
However, it is Suarez who is his side’s top scorer, with 21 in all competitions to date. But Inter also boast two more brilliant ex-Barcelona players in Alba and Sergio Busquets. Alba is 35 and only retired from playing for Spain in the summer of 2023, whilst Busquets is 36 and won the last of his 143 Spain caps in 2022.
𝙇𝙪𝙞𝙨 𝙎𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙯 𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙨𝙤 𝙛𝙖𝙧:
🎖️ Scored the fastest goal in club history 😮💨 🚀
🎖️ Broke the all-time single-season goals record 🤯 pic.twitter.com/WQDRIdGJ8S
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) August 25, 2024
Argentine defender Tomás Avilés, aged just 20, is also a very promising talent, with midfielder Federico Redondo a fellow Argentine youth international. Redondo is the son of the former Real Madrid and Milan player Fernando and is highly regarded and will be very well mentored by Busquets to whom he has drawn comparisons.
They have several other talented young players, such as Diego Gomez, Benja Cremaschi and Facundo Farias. With a good mix of players in their peak years and with plenty of experience, including goalie Drake Callender and Matias Rojas, they are worthy favourites for MLS glory this year. If Suarez and Messi remain available throughout the playoffs they should prove unstoppable.