Messi after Pele, Cruyff or Beckham? The Eternal American Dream…

Between America and soccer—sorry, soccer—history is an eternal beginning. During King Pele’s time, Uncle Sam’s country had already openly declared its love for football. After his illustrious career at Santos, the Brazilian number 10 became the first global megastar to inhabit North American turf in the 1970s. Since then, many stadium heroes have succumbed to the call of American sirens, from Franz Beckenbauer to David Beckham via Johan Cruyff, Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry, Raul, Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Wayne Rooney. But each time towards the end of their careers, their star faded at the highest European level. So, should we be surprised to learn that Lionel Messi may soon succumb to the call of Major League Soccer? Tired of the grays of Paris, Argentine David Beckham-led Inter are reportedly in contact with Miami. At a time when the North American League signed a deal worth more than two billion dollars with Apple TV, the return of the seven-time Golden Ball will surely give “Made in America” ​​football a new media-marketing dimension. The truth is, to gain real legitimacy with the pundits, MLS is better off investing its dollars in prime-of-life players than looking for one last jackpot down the road before retirement.