"Was just like Messi" - Ex-coach claims former USMNT star's impact on MLS is comparable to Lionel Messi's influence since joining Inter Miami

Former DC United and USA U-20 coach Thomas Rongen has said that Freddy Adu's impact on the MLS was similar to Lionel Messi since the Argentinian joined Inter Miami last summer.

Messi, 36, has taken the American league by storm since arriving on a free transfer after nearly two decades in European football. He scored in his first seven games - all in the Leagues Cup - as the Herons won their first silverware in their five-year history.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup winner didn't have the same impact on the MLS, though, scoring just once in five games, as Miami briefly flirted with postseason qualification before falling well short.

Nevertheless, Messi mania gripped the United States, with many top players across sports and celebrities from the entertainment world flocking to stadiums to catch a glimpse of the Argentine.

Likening his impact to that of Adu, who debuted in the MLS at the age of 14 two decades ago, Rongen told the Guardian (via GOAL):

"In the first year in MLS, DC United, contractually, had to play him at least a few minutes every game, particularly on the road. Freddy Adu was just like Messi or (David) Beckham – on the road there were 40,000 people chanting ‘Freddy, Freddy, Freddy’.

"He had the same stature as Messi, a great dribbler. He was very unpredictable, and for an American player we’d never seen anything like that. He manhandled players and teams in his own age group when he was 14, 15, domestically and on the international level. He could assist and score with ease."

Unfortunately, Adu never reached the heights he was expected to. The journeyman also ventured into Europe, but his career never got going. He last played for Swedish side Osterlen in 2021.

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What's next for Inter Miami's Lionel Messi?

Inter Miami attacker Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi has had an underwhelming pre-season with Inter Miami by his staggering standards. His only goal in five games came in the 4-3 defeat to Al-Hilal in Riyadh on January 29.

The Herons conclude their pre-season with a home game against Messi's boyhood club Newell's Old Boys on Thursday (February 15), where the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is expected to play.

The new MLS season kicks off six days later, with Tata Martino's side welcoming Real Salt Lake to their DRV PNK Stadium. Having finished 14th in the East last season, the Herons would look to fare better.