Back in 2007, Wayne Rooney observed his then-England teammate David Beckham join the LA Galaxy from Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid.
Flash forward 16 years and Rooney, like fans worldwide, is reading headlines about Lionel Messi planning to join Inter Miami CF this summer after playing for Paris-Saint Germain, another one of Europe's big-name clubs.
So, what’s the difference between the two paradigm-shifting moves in Major League Soccer's growth?
“He's the best, simple as that,” D.C. United's head coach said last week. “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.”
Rooney stressed there’s something different about the Messi effect, especially since the 35-year-old lifted a World Cup title only six months ago with Argentina.
“I think over the years, we've all seen the impact of David Beckham coming in, Zlatan [Ibrahimović] coming in – different players obviously from overseas,” Rooney said. “To get Messi in the league, arguably the greatest player of all-time and still – yeah he's a little bit older – but recently won the World Cup almost singlehandedly. I think it's great for the league and it's going to have a huge impact, I'm sure for Miami, for MLS.”
Messi would arrive with an astounding 806 goals in 1,027 career games for FC Barcelona, PSG and Argentina. He has also won 43 trophies for club and country, a series of stats underlining his GOAT (greatest of all-time) status.
Rooney, a legendary striker for Manchester United and England, experienced his own big move to MLS in 2018 when playing for D.C. United. With that background, he’s seen the quality of imported players improve over time.
“I know MLS has always brought players in, but I think it will do that again,” said Rooney, who played with Cristiano Ronaldo at Man Utd. “It shows MLS can compete with them leagues who are trying to grow in the world of football, which is a positive because I think it shows it's a league where players want to come, players want to play. It's another huge step.”
Rooney also offered some words of caution to Messi, whose debut date is not yet known and hinges on his contract being formally signed.
“I think the one thing I will say: It’s not going to be easy for him,” said Rooney. “The league’s a difficult league and I don't think he's coming to come over and just absolutely tear it up immediately. I think he's going to have to adapt to it because this league is a little bit different. It won't be an easy ride for him, that's for sure.”
