Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami They leave on Saturday as top favorites for the two-time championship in the MLS In the decisive year of the World Cup, the definitive bet of the soccer to conquer the United States.
The World Cup (June 11 to July 19) will close a circle for the North American League (MLS), the great legacy of the first World Cup in the United States in 1994.
That competition of ten pioneering teams, playing in borrowed stadiums, begins its 31st season with thirty franchises and billions of dollars invested in top-level fields and facilities.
Considered the fastest growing league in North America, more than 11 million spectators attended Messi’s Inter’s consecration campaign last year.
The Argentine star, who in 2023 found the team in the well of the competition, will debut the championship star on Saturday in a setting overflowing with glamor and history, the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles.
Host of a third Olympic inauguration in 2028, after those of 1932 and 1984, this venue for 70,000 fans will host the first face-to-face in North America between Messi and South Korean star Son Heung-min, at the head of Los Angeles FC.
“Moving a game of such magnitude to such an emblematic venue reflects the moment we are living in,” said MLS commissioner Don Garber. “We expect it to be the largest opening weekend in league history.”
New faces in a World Cup year
The last time Messi visited LAFC in the domestic tournament, the stands were full of celebrities such as Leonardo Di Caprio, Liam Gallagher, LeBron James and Prince Enrique.
“He’s clearly on another level than the rest,” Son said of La Pulga on Friday.
On the grass, the MLS will also welcome new stars in the first of the 34 days of the regular phase.
Almost at the last minute, the veteran Colombian captain James Rodríguez joined, with Minnesota United as an unexpected destination and a fleeting filming contract for the World Cup.
The MLS, which wants to banish the image of a retirement tournament, is more proud of the attraction of figures under 30 years of age, such as German striker Timo Werner, a surprising signing from the modest San Jose Earthquakes.
The season calendar will be impacted by the World Cup organized jointly by the United States, Canada, also part of the MLS with three franchises, and Mexico.
The competition will stop for seven weeks, between May 25 and July 16, in which seven of its stadiums will host World Cup matches and large teams will gather at its facilities.
The first World Cup with 48 teams is the culmination of the succession of events assigned to the United States, such as the 2024 Copa América and the 2025 Club World Cup, in the greatest effort to popularize “soccer” in the ultra-competitive North American market.
MLS, which achieved its own milestone by seducing Messi, also wants to capitalize on its presence at the “center of the soccer universe,” in the words of commissioner Garber.
All against Miami
Once the World Cup is over, the MLS will face a busy second half of the year that includes the Leagues Cup, the joint tournament with the Mexican league, and the playoffs, which run between November and December.
With the unmatched asset of Messi, current MVP (Most Valuable Player) and top scorer, Inter is the main contender to retain the trophy, which no one has achieved since the LA Galaxy in 2012.
Javier Mascherano will no longer have Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba under his command, but the board represented by David Beckham has made numerous moves to strengthen and rejuvenate the squad, especially its defensive line.
For the attack, Inter paid around 15 million dollars for the Argentine-Mexican Germán Berterame, who will probably assume the role of veteran Luis Suárez.
“Germán’s partnership with Leo is going to happen over time,” said Mascherano when consulted by AFP. “Good players understand each other with a glance and it doesn’t take that much time to generate that connection.”
Among the candidates, LAFC stands out with the devastating offensive duo that makes up Son and the Gabonese Denis Bouanga.
The Vancouver Whitecaps of German Thomas Müller intends to earn another opportunity, after the defeat in the last final, and San Diego FC wants to climb the last step after a dream debut season.
