Lizzy Becherano
Apr 17, 2025, 10:37 PM ET
Inter Miami CF star Lionel Messi said he's seen the level of Major League Soccer continue to rise as clubs sign young, foreign players, and said this season has been his most competitive yet since arriving to the South Florida team in the summer of 2023.
"It's a very physical league, with many young players that are addressing weaknesses with physical attributes," Messi said in an interview with Simplemente Futbol. "It may not seem like it, but teams run a lot. There are many back-and-forth matches, especially in the final minutes with open spaces. I think it's a league where teams are getting better.
"This season, the teams got stronger adding many foreign players."
Inter Miami made several signings ahead of the 2025 campaign, bringing in young talent from South America to bolster the star-studded roster that already included Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Messi.
Teams across MLS also added quality players to their rosters, with San Diego FC signing Hirving Lozano, Wilfried Zaha joining Charlotte FC, and Emmanuel Latte Lath and Miguel Almirón coming to Atlanta United FC.
But Messi added that some of the league's roster restrictions have been a minor barrier to growth.
"I think if the league allowed more players to be brought in, because there are many restrictions, they would grow much more," said Messi.
MLS employs a roster system that permits up to three designated players and a strict salary cap that adds restraints to the way sporting directors and general managers approach a transfer window. MLS also does not follow the traditional European-based rules when creating squads, ultimately limiting the arrival of more foreign players and the league's growth.
Former Inter Miami head coach Gerardo Martino made a similar point when his team was eliminated by Monterrey in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals.
"As long as the MLS does not relax the rules a little to allow us to have bigger rosters squads to cover for injuries and suspensions, Mexican teams will obviously still have an advantage," said Martino last year.
Still, Messi and Inter Miami have found a way to continuously compete in MLS and the Concacaf Champions Cup. The Herons currently sit in fourth place of the Eastern Conference table and made club history by qualifying to the semifinals of the Champions Cup by defeating LAFC 3-2 on aggregate in the last round.
Messi said he is enjoying time in the United States as the league's level rises and the Herons conquer different aspects of American soccer.
"The truth is, I like being here. There's a lot of traveling, though...But it's a league to enjoy," he said.
Inter Miami will prepare to face the Columbus Crew on Saturday at Huntington Bank Field in Ohio, before traveling to Canada for the first leg of the semifinal series against the Vancouver Whitecaps on April 24.
