Could Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi finish their careers in Major League Soccer?
- The generational superstars will soon face the one opponent they can’t beat – Father Time
- The question now: will they stay in Europe to ride out their playing days, or follow in the footsteps of other players looking for on-field rejuvenation?
David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Andrea Pirlo, Robbie Keane, David Villa, Kaka, Steven Gerrard, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Italian Sebastian Giovinco also made waves by heading to the MLS while still in the prime of his career before leaving for Saudi Arabia, and Mexico’s Carlos Vela, 30, has a new lease of life and leads the league in goals.
As football’s current duo of generational superstars, 34-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo and 31-year-old Lionel Messi enter the denouement of their careers, it may not be a stretch to think in a few seasons one of them playing in the USA. Of course, for Ronaldo, legal issues could still scupper that potential move.
The MLS turned a few heads this year when expansion team Atlanta United FC, currently third in the Eastern Conference 15 games into the season, shattered average attendance records. This wasn’t just in the MLS, Atlanta beat every other North American sports team (52,409) outside of the NFL, a league dealing with declining attendance and viewers.
In August, Juventus went over sans Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain to play an MLS all-star team, which did not have Ibrahimovic or Rooney, and more than 70,000 people packed into Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium to watch the exhibition match.
The rise of the MLS is well documented as the North American sports market looks to target its two biggest demographics heading into the future – millennials and immigrants.
Atlanta are a pitch perfect example of what’s going on in North America right now.
A Gallup Poll taken last year found “soccer” ranks second to only American Football when it comes to the coveted 18-34 demographic. Football is popular among young liberals in the States and Canada, a game blossoming in cities like Atlanta where the area’s tech and culture scene are thriving.
Portland is expanding its stadium, LAFC have sold out every match in its expansion season and Beckham’s Inter Miami FC will take Florida and a once American Football crazy state by storm when they debut in 2020. There’s already been a piece in the Miami Herald claiming Luis Suarez, who will be 33 in March of next year, may sign a four-year deal with the club.
By that time next year there will be 26 MLS franchises and Adidas recently signed a new six-year, US$700 million contract to drape the league in its three stripes. A recent study also noted the average MLS team is now making about US$32 million a year, just behind Japan’s J-League and pundits are speculating increases as the expansion money starts to roll in from outfits such as Nashville and Austin, Texas.
One should assume both Messi and Ronaldo will stay in Europe and take one more kick at the only trophy that eludes them both – the World Cup. When Qatar 2022 rolls around, Messi will be 35 and Ronaldo will be 37. Neither will be spring chickens and the way the game is trending towards youth ahead of experience, it may turn out to be a pipe dream.
So, without the prospect of one last dance on the grandest of stages, where do these two icons end up?
Both Messi and Ronaldo appear to be beating back Father Time, having excellent years in La Liga and Serie A respectively, but how much longer can they sustain their prowess at this level?
It’s tough to think of either as anything more than a centrepiece on the field, but as the years roll by, it will invariably become a question pundits and fans start asking.
Can you imagine a planet where either Messi or Ronaldo comes off the bench? Or one where they are not playing for big market teams that regularly snatch domestic and international trophies?
Unless they discover the fountain of youth, this will happen in Europe as younger, hungrier, fitter players look to do what they always do: steal spots from veterans.
Could a career resurgence be in store? Heading to the MLS for Messi or Ronaldo would give them another three or four years at least of playing time with the chance of more silverware. Spain striker Villa, 37, is the perfect example of this as he notched four productive campaigns with New York FC before heading to Japan this season to play with buddy and fellow countryman Andres Iniesta.
However, the window is quickly closing. As the MLS continues to rise in terms of fans, revenue and exposure, it will ultimately bring the level of play up as home-grown talent in North America blossoms.
What seems like blasphemy at the moment will soon become a legitimate talking point across the football world: where do generational superstars go when it’s time to be put out to pasture?
The answer for Messi and Ronaldo may not lie at home, but on the other side of the world.
