Lionel Messi is moving to the United States – just like those stars before him

There is tremendous euphoria in the United States: a new star is coming to a country that is certainly not star-poor. Argentine star Lionel Messi, the world champion, said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper “Sport” that the world champion will join Inter Miami. One of the greatest soccer players of all time will soon be playing for a previously inconspicuous team in MLS – Miami currently sits last in the Eastern Conference. At the age of 35, Messi, who arrived from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, is breaking new ground once again.

This phenomenon is not new – on the contrary: soccer stars have been moving to the United States since the 1970s. Although the United States is not exactly known as a soccer nation, sports such as basketball, soccer, ice hockey, and baseball are more popular with fans there. In our photo series we feature a selection of football stars who have traveled abroad at the end of their careers.

The 2026 World Cup will be held in the United States of America

It started with some of the greatest sports legends of all time. In the late 1970s, Major League Soccer launched its first major offensive to make soccer more popular in the United States. In this context, legends such as Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff, Gerd Müller and Pele were attracted to the league. They loaned their names and glamor to the American League, while the American League in turn offered high salaries and new experience at the end of their sporting careers.

In the decades that followed, footballers liked to spend a few more years in the United States after successful careers – including some Germans like Lothar Matthäus and Bastian Schweinsteiger. However, stars rarely make a real difference athletically. Maybe this is what it looks like in Messi's case: after 42 titles, there are now two more years of adventure – and that's how long Messi's contract is supposed to last – in Florida. However, for the United States, his move is a major coup: before the 2026 World Cup in his country, the international star is supposed to join soccer Creating another qualitative shift in the United States.