With Major League Soccer’s 27th season now underway, the league continues its crusade for credibility. There has been tremendous growth on and off the field since the league’s inaugural season in 1996, and yet MLS still can’t seem to shake the “retirement league” label in certain quarters.
The natural question to ask is: should MLS care about this tired trope?
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Players like Carlos Valderrama, Thierry Henry, David Beckham and, most recently, Zlatan Ibrahimović, came to MLS at the tail end of their careers and helped raise its profile. And while MLS has worked hard to distance themselves from over-age players, they still have their place in America’s top flight, as they do in every top league around the world.
But MLS clubs are now building robust and already fruitful academy systems, and the league aims to position itself as a showcase for young professionals under the age of 22, with more and more young MLS players garnering interest from abroad. This was always going to be an important element to the league’s continued growth.
Meanwhile, established European stars like Italy international Lorenzo Insigne and Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri (both 30 years old) have signed for Toronto FC and Chicago Fire FC, respectively, this offseason. Mexican stars Carlos Vela, 32, and Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, 33, both call Los Angeles home, and another Mexico international, team captain Héctor Herrera, 31, will join the Houston Dynamo later this year. The Beckham rule, officially named the designated player rule, allowed MLS teams to sign up to three players beyond the league’s salary cap, and while there have been some misses over the years, it’s still been a game-changer for both the league and American soccer.
For MLS to truly make deep inroads into the general consciousness of American sports fans (and beyond), star players are still necessary, regardless of what those players’ motivations are for joining the league.
During MLS commissioner Don Garber’s call with reporters before the new MLS season began, I asked him about the likes of Neymar, Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo publicly stating their desire to eventually end their careers in MLS.
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“We want our story to be about young players who are coming here at the earliest stages in their career, or in the prime of their careers, and making our league their league of choice,” Garber said. “And you’ve seen a dramatic shift from where we were to where we are today.”
Garber applauded the arrival of Shaqiri, who was signed by Chicago from French side Lyon for a club record fee of $7.5 million. The commissioner added that he was proud that MLS can attract talents of that specific age, along with younger prospects. Shaqiri and Insigne, who will join Toronto FC from Serie A leaders Napoli later this summer on a four-year $60 million contract, are two of the league’s marquee signings in 2022.
“You’ve got players that are coming at 30. Personally, I don’t think 30 is old when you’re a Major League Soccer player,” Garber said.
However, Garber’s tone changed when he addressed aging players who look to MLS as an unserious retirement destination.
“As it relates to when they get older, if (signing them) makes sense, that’s great,” Garber said. “If they’re not here to come and play, and be a great contributor to their club and to our league and to respect the league and its fans, then we don’t want them in Major League Soccer. So, we don’t need to bring in a big name player at the end of their career because they’ve decided they’d like to retire in MLS.”
As Garber continued, it became clear that the “retirement league” moniker is a source of frustration for the executive, who has led MLS since 1999.
“Interestingly, when Zlatan (Ibrahimović) left Major League Soccer nobody said that he went to go retire in Italy,” Garber said. “And frankly, I was insulted by that. Because if Zlatan came to us at the same age (37) that he went back to Milan, it would have been a retirement move on his part. And he worked his tail off in MLS and he’s working his tail off in Serie A. So I’m not quite sure why we’re viewed differently, but that is what it is.”
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It was a surprising declaration from Garber. The retirement league jab usually only comes from online trolls who have no interest in the realities of MLS. For Garber to seem so insulted by that label speaks volumes about the league’s desire to actively distance itself from that narrative. MLS haters are among the most difficult to convert, but they’re not a lost case. The prospect of seeing Messi, Neymar and/or Cristiano Ronaldo in MLS would shine a light on the league so bright that it would be impossible to ignore. One that would also bring all the league’s exciting young players into the spotlight, as well.
But a 30-and-over star expressing mild interest in MLS shouldn’t be a viral revelation at this point. It’s been normalized. There’s less pressure for footballers in the U.S., and North America offers new marketing and business opportunities, as well as a more relaxed lifestyle. Those continue to be motivating factors. The now automatic response from any player asked if they’ve considered playing in MLS is “sure, why not?” (even if that thought is often followed by the phrase “later in my career”). Last summer, before Messi signed with PSG, the 34-year-old megastar talked about eventually playing in MLS.
“I’ve always had a dream of being able to enjoy and experience life in the United States,” he said. “To experience (MLS), to experience what it’s like to live there.”
Colombian star James Rodríguez, 30, who’s currently playing in Qatar after a brief stint in the Premier League with Everton, told his Twitch followers last month that MLS is on his radar, as well. “Physically I’m fine, why not go back to Europe? I have the quality for that, I’m finding my rhythm,” said Rodríguez. “A good option would be the United States (MLS), which I like a lot, but that’s still a long way off.”
In February, shortly before Garber spoke, Neymar was a guest on the Fenomenos Podcast, which is hosted on Twitch by Brazilian gamer Gaules and former Brazil national team and world soccer legend Ronaldo Nazario. Toward the end of the interview, Neymar was asked by Ronaldo if he’d like to retire in Brazil after leaving Europe.
“Dude, I don’t know. I have some doubts about that,” Neymar responded. “I don’t know if I’ll play in Brazil again. I’d love to play in the U.S., actually. I’d love to play there for at least one season.”
Neymar, 30, then joked that his desire to play in MLS was because “their season is shorter so I’d get three months of vacation” before bursting out in laughter. Ronaldo replied, “You could play 10 more years!”
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Perhaps it was Neymar’s vacation jab that rankled Garber. Or the laughter and insinuation from the Brazilian that playing in MLS would be like a vacation. Memories of former world-class midfielders Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Andrea Pirlo struggling to make a consistent impact on an MLS weekend still linger on the collective consciousness of American soccer supporters. No one wants to see a global superstar struggle physically in MLS. The league is far more competitive today than it once was. The pace of play can expose players who aren’t willing to do the running that MLS’ style demands.
But regardless of their motivations, big stars draw wider interest and more advertising dollars. When Messi signed with PSG, the club’s first four videos on Instagram featuring the Argentine No. 10 earned more than 80 million views. The video that confirmed Messi’s signing on Aug. 10, 2021 has been watched more than 24 million times. PSG gained 5.6 million Instagram followers from Aug. 4-11, per a Newsweek report.
It’s not just Messi, though. Even with MLS’ current focus on developing younger talent, it’s still the league’s older stars who fans connect with the most. Seven of MLS’ top 10 selling jerseys last year were those of players over 30 years old, with 35-year-old Nani and now retired 39-year-old Chris Wondolowski just missing the cut. Ibrahimović topped that list both years he was in the league.
Ibrahimović, now 40, represents both what Garber wants to move on from and what MLS needs: more star power. MLS boasts impressive attendance numbers, but television viewership continues to lag behind other, more established leagues in the U.S., as well as Mexico’s Liga MX, which is easily the most-watched soccer competition in North America.
Becoming the league of choice is an aspirational objective. MLS is still in the early stages of producing players who appeal to a mass audience. But again, that shouldn’t be the sole focus. A healthy mix for any league is one of established stars and young prospects. That formula, along with the occasional home-run signing of a player who can engage U.S. television viewers who have little inherent interest in MLS, could catapult the league into the greater standing that the league desperately desires.
“As the world continues to shift from a media perspective, we’re talking to anybody that is in this business, whether it’s a streamer, whether it’s a more traditional media company,” said Garber when asked about the league’s next media rights deal. “I’m encouraged by the interest and hope to be able to finalize something soon.”
It should be noted that Garber didn’t shut the door on Neymar or Messi — his primary gripe seems to be with perceptions, not the stars themselves. The Athletic reported last summer that, during the Gold Cup final weekend in Las Vegas, Garber met with Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, and Las Vegas mayor Carolyn Goodman, among other representatives. Las Vegas is expected to become MLS’ 30th club with a still undetermined launch date. Messi’s contract with PSG runs through 2023 with an option for an additional year.
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“Anybody could sign Messi today and pay him what they want to pay him as a designated player, should Lionel decide that he wants to play in Major League Soccer,” said Garber. “And that’s the same for Neymar, or for any other player.”
MLS doesn’t have to become a league of high-priced stars and follow the fateful path of the defunct NASL. Establishing MLS as a next step before moving to Europe is a reasonable sporting strategy, although it’s still unproven in the long-term. And even then, having older stars may help attract young talents who dreamed of playing alongside their heroes.
But MLS is certainly not a retirement league, whatever that means. There are aging players in top leagues across the globe, and MLS is no different. Players get older and some continue well past what is a generally accepted age for a professional player. Serie A’s leading goalscorer in 2019 was Sampdoria’s 36-year-old striker Fabio Quagliarella (who is still playing at the top level at age 39). His longevity is celebrated, not ridiculed. In 2020-21, it was a 36-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo.
But, like Garber said, MLS is viewed differently. He shouldn’t really care, though. The more the league is viewed at all, the more chance it has to change perceptions.
(Photo: FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
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