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Former Everton striker Landon Donovan has predicted that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will play in the Major League Soccer (MLS) in the near future.
Under its current branding, the league started off in 1996. While Beckham wasn't the first foreigner to ply his trade in MLS, he was arguably the biggest name to join the league at the time.
His transfer to LA Galaxy grabbed a lot of eyeballs in 2007 and the move arguably put MLS on the map. Since then, a lot of big names have crossed the pond to play in that league.
Didier Drogba, Andrea Pirlo, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, David Villa, and Ricardo Kaka are just some of the names to have played in the MLS. The league saw the arrival of two prominent names this summer, with Gareth Bale and Giorgio Chiellini joining Los Angeles FC.
According to Donovan, who has 146 goals and 110 assists in 340 MLS games, the league has now become an attractive destination for top players. He said, via Calciomercato:
"Beckham led the way: now our league is growing very fast and everyone wants to come here. I think one day Messi and Cristiano will play here too."
Donovan's claim might hold more weight than some would want to believe. There is every possibility that both Messi and Ronaldo will find themselves playing in the MLS in the future.
Ronaldo and Messi joining the MLS a realistic possibility?
The level of competition in that league is arguably lower when compared to some of the best leagues in European football. This is a major reason why some top players make the switch towards the end of their playing careers.
Cristiano Ronaldo is 37 years old while Lionel Messi is 33 and the duo cannot play at the very top level forever. The Portuguese striker is already finding it hard to find a new suitor as he seeks a way out of Manchester United this summer.
The Argentine superstar's performances at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), meanwhile, have been nothing to write home about. It is possible that in a few years' time, big clubs will not want to take on the financial burden of signing these two names.
In such a scenario, a move to North America would be a lucrative possibility. However, with Ronaldo and Messi still going strong in European football, it remains to be seen when, if at all, they make the switch to a team outside the continent.
