“Regardless of whether Messi came or not” - Brad Friedel makes assessment of enormous MLS impact after Lionel Messi transfer

Former goalkeeper Brad Friedel has claimed that Major League Soccer was on an upward trend of growth even before Lionel Messi's arrival.

Messi's move to Inter Miami caused an explosion of popularity in football in the US. The Argentine left Paris Saint-Germain after two seasons, joining the Herons in the summer of 2023.

The 36-year-old was impressive in his half a season with the team, bagging 11 goals and five assists in 14 games and also powering the side to a Leagues Cup triumph.

Speaking to LiveSport, Friedel felt that the MLS was on an upward trajectory regardless of the World Cup winner's arrival. He said:

"The league has been growing, regardless of whether Messi came or not. It's just about getting the television companies on board and getting the large sponsors on board to achieve long-term survival. That's why the Premier League is so great. Over here we've been struggling to get that large lucrative television contract so hopefully this can instigate more discussions."

Speaking about Messi's impact on the city of Miami and the country as a whole, Friedel explained how the Argentine superstar completely changed the dynamic of the sport in the country, saying:

"I'll put it to you this way, their stadium is up in Fort Lauderdale, they're building a new one in Miami at the moment. But generally, you wouldn't have really known there was an MLS team here because everything was out of the city in Fort Lauderdale. But the second Messi signed, his face was everywhere, pink Inter Miami shirts were everywhere and on billboards. The impact has been enormous."

The former goalkeeper added:

"The impact for Apple TV has been enormous, the impact in all the stadiums he travels to has been enormous. Just look at the pre-season tour, they're getting invited to go play in El Salvador, then they're going to Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia. MLS teams don't usually get invited to games like that. The impact is enormous, probably bigger than anyone could have imagined."

Lionel Messi and Co. will continue their pre-season tour with clashes against Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr before travelling to the Far East. Inter Miami kick off their MLS campaign on 21 February against Real Salt Lake.

Lionel Messi status update ahead of Inter Miami clash against Al-Hilal

Lionel Messi is expected to feature in Inter Miami's pre-season fixture against Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. The clash marks the first game in the Asian leg of their pre-season, where they will also face Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr.

Following the two games against the Saudi sides, they will travel to Hong Kong for a match against Hong Kong XI before a clash against Vissel Kobe, two weeks before their MLS season opener against Real Salt Lake.

The Herons have had a difficult start to their pre-season, locked into a goalless draw against El Salvador before losing 1-0 to fellow MLS side. However, manager Gerardo Martino will hope that Lionel Messi will get some valuable playing time with his teammates, including new signing and long-time Barcelona co-star Luis Suarez.