The Impact of Neymar's Potential Move to MLS with Messi and Suarez

Major League Soccer has always loved a headline name. From David Beckham’s first step onto American soil to the late-career cameos of Steven Gerrard, Kaka, Andrea Pirlo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney, the league has long leaned on star power to sell the spectacle.

Then came Lionel Messi in 2023, the ultimate marquee. The Argentine icon followed a path laid out by Beckham himself, now co-owner at Inter Miami, and instantly became the league’s travelling roadshow. Wherever Messi goes, tickets vanish. MLS knows it.

Now the rumour mill is spinning again. Neymar, fresh from a turbulent spell back at Santos, is being heavily linked with a move to South Florida. Messi, Luis Suarez… and Neymar. The old Camp Nou fantasy rebooted in pink and black.

On the commercial front, it is obvious why that idea excites executives. Neymar remains Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer and one of the most recognisable faces in world football. Even at 34, even after years of injury interruptions and dips in form, his name still moves the needle.

But is he what MLS needs?

‘A circus, not a league’

For former Real Salt Lake forward and current New York Cosmos Head of Soccer, Rossi, the answer is complicated – and mostly uncomfortable for the league.

Speaking to GOAL in association with BetBrothers, he didn’t sugarcoat his view of the strategy behind such signings.

“This is where MLS are making mistakes, and they continue to make these mistakes,” Rossi said. “It’s great marketing, it is what it is, but what kind of product are you putting on the field? Bringing Neymar back to reunite him with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, what are you trying to become as a league?”

Rossi’s criticism cuts at MLS’ biggest insecurity: its desire to be mentioned in the same breath as Europe’s elite.

“If it’s to get to the level of the big boys out in Europe like the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and those competitions, you’re moving at a snail’s pace but MLS is very thirsty for clicks and views, and they don’t really care about the standard of the football itself.”

The league has undeniably grown. Expansion fees and club valuations have soared, stadiums have filled, and the business model looks robust. Rossi recognises that, but he doesn’t believe the football has kept up.

“Yes, they have made great strides, and well done to them for that. The valuations of the clubs are high and it’s a great business model but what about the football? Is that growing and moving forward? I don’t think so, and that’s something that has to change.”

His frustration is aimed squarely at the decision-makers.

“The problem is that the people in charge don’t really care. They only care about the valuations. That’s the problem when you put these billionaires in charge of a league. They’d love to see Neymar come to MLS and play with Messi again but it’s not going to grow MLS as a football league. That’s what I think.”

The lure of Neymar… and the risk

On the pitch, there is still a compelling argument for Neymar. At his best, he remains a game-breaker. He knows Messi and Suarez inside out from their devastating spell together at Barcelona, when the ‘MSN’ trio tore Europe apart.

A move from South to North America might even jolt him back to something close to that level. New surroundings, a familiar partner in Messi, a city built for celebrity – it all sounds like fertile ground for a late-career renaissance.

Rossi doesn’t deny the footballer’s brilliance. Quite the opposite.

“If Neymar could make the move to Miami, why not? It would be great for him, and he’s still a great player. I freaking love Neymar. He’s one of the best players of his generation and I think everybody would love to see him play, and that’s great for the fans and everything else.”

The tension lies elsewhere. For Rossi, it’s about what repeated star-chasing does to the league’s identity.

“I just look at it another way because there are pros and cons to everything, and yes everybody wants to see Neymar but it does take away from the integrity of the products itself by making MLS into even more of a circus than a true football league.”

In other words: how many times can MLS sell the show before people start questioning the sport underneath?

A new era on the horizon

Timing adds another twist. Neymar’s contract at Santos runs out at the end of the year. Once that deal expires, the path to Miami clears.

If he lands in Florida, it will coincide with a significant shift in American domestic football. From the 2027-28 season, MLS plans to move to a European-style calendar, aligning more closely with the game’s traditional power centres.

Messi, despite public hints about retirement, is under contract through 2028 and is expected to be part of that transition. Suarez would need a fresh extension to stay long enough for a full ‘MSN’ reunion, but the prospect hangs tantalisingly in the air.

So MLS stands at a crossroads it knows well. One road leads to another glittering billboard, another global superstar, another wave of clicks and shirt sales. The other demands patience, investment in the less glamorous work of raising the overall level.

If Neymar does walk out in Miami pink alongside Messi again, the world will be watching. The question is whether they’ll be watching a league maturing into a genuine football force, or just another night under the circus lights.