‘Messi’s playing in a FARMER’S LEAGUE’ Is Messi exposing lack of quality in North America? | ESPN FC

ESPN FC’s Herculez Gomez and Mauricio Pedroza discuss how Lionel Messi’s impact on Inter Miami could be exposing the lack of football quality in the US and Mexico.
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[@grinchoi1]

Just think about this. 9 months ago Messi made Gvardiol now considered the most valuable defender in the world look stupid. With one pass Messi took apart the entire Netherlands back line. Messi was 35 years old. This is JUST WHAT HE DOES!

[@hazacarrobinson6673]

exactly,i won’t fall for the oh it’s just MLS stuff,he did this for years with Barca and he recently did this on the biggest stage at the WC like u stated,Messi is just great he is football

[@fcukrealmadrid]

exactly Messi scores more goals against top4 EPL teams than cr7 Messi never plays in EPL

[@basedboys17]

Facts that’s what mess does

[@rtds2024]

just stop it lol

[@afscoutofficial.263]

Messi has been brilliant but what he is doing in MLS at that age ...would never happen in Europe...not even in PSG where he came from

[@ezgaming3231]

come on guys. He's not exposing anything we didn't already know. The general football fan knows the level of quality based on regions.

[@comic_food_guy]

Yes

[@SPH86]

This guy scored 91 goles in laliga in a single year against clubs like atletico madrid,bilbao,villareal,sevilla,valencia ,madrid.scoring 9 goles in 6 games is just office work for him

[@rakelmuleya878]

Good point but and a correction, he scored 91 goals in a calendar year in all competitions. people with very little to no knowledge of football will say the msl is a farmers league. Last time I checked, gvardiol is world class and got humiliated at wc. As the famous morrinho said “ there isn’t a plan to stop Messi”

[@superstrongr]

And CL not just la liga.

[@KLHK1981]

Do you learn English ? The subject doesn’t said messi lack of quality but messi exposing the lack of quality in mls

[@FlamencoOz]

At his peak... he couldn't do it now. He is playing in a Primary School league now. Absolute amateurs.

[@DKhalil]

@@KLHK1981doesn’t matter. He did that for more than 15 years in Europe. What he does is expected from him every time he is on the pitch . Like He scored 50 goals in 37 games in Laliga ( most in history of all the top 5 leagues ), scored 14 goals in 11 games in the UCL tournament . Scored 91 goals ( most in history ) in one year. This is nothing new from him, it’s just what it does.

[@ragingtomato04]

Messi already achieved everything in football, I couldn't care less on wherever it is that he wants to play. And MLS, just be happy that messi played for you, he is giving you a lot of money.

[@junioradult6219]

I think he prefers the area compared to say saudia arabia

[@KLHK1981]

Seriously money is not an issue for messi, and his concern is lift style. America or arab. America is miles better as messi can happily shopping there

[@mzaf2247]

​@@KLHK1981Saudi Arabia for the rich is way better than America.

[@KLHK1981]

@@mzaf2247 hi genius messi prefer to live in. A much fascinated county usa instead of a boring arab town which basically ban all entertainment. Ya all the men just count the money at home . Hope u get this. And ban all Ladies from enter the stadium.

[@The-Heart-Will-Testify]

​@@KLHK1981Dubai is 100 years ahead of Miami in everything, from infrastructure, technology and wealth lol....Miami looks cheaper than the cheap side of Dubai...so don't compare...1 thing Miami has is drugs, prostitutes and gang violence, something Dubai can't match up to haha

[@JG-ib7xk]

It's a no-win situation in some ways for MLS. If Messi comes and destroys the league then everyone says it's a farmer's league. If Messi comes and doesn't do well then it's because he's just chilling and is there to collect the paycheck. The main point is more people than ever before are watching MLS and highlights of MLS games right now. If it's a farmer's league, it's the most watched farmer's league in the world.

[@fcukrealmadrid]

Messi scores more goals against top4 EPL teams than cr7 Messi never plays in EPL

[@loonazone8177]

Exactly

[@Weavileiscool]

Bundesliga has something to say about that

[@camilomendez9704]

I agree, but seeing certain aspects of the games. He is definitely exposing some of the weaker aspects of the league. Yesterday Phily was so preoccupied with denying him the ball, they left big channels open to Martinez first goal and Alba third goal. These things can happen but it was noticeable how easy that was. Against Atlanta, they were exposed by leaving Busquets free and trying to deny Messi to receive, he turned and got a relatively easy goal. The league will need to improve and that means other teams will need to spend. I don't think we have seen the level Inter-Miami will achieve yet. They still make many mistakes that cost them. I suspect guys like Kamal Miller will lose their spot, to quicker defenders that are better on the ball. Some players are improving with Messi (and Busquets and Alba) like Taylor and Cremaschi and others will be left behind. If that happens it is a good thing. We need 4-5 teams to at least try to compete with Inter-Miami in terms of spending to improve the league. The next challenge will be finding spots in creative positions to US players in order to develop that style of play here. Today most no. 10 are not from the US, if we spend more to bring more talent in, those spots will be even harder to compete for US players.

[@sidleerling6206]

@@Weavileiscool i knew someone would make this comment 😂😂😂

[@osvie0168]

For Messi it is a farmers league. I've been a fan of MLS since I was a kid and I knew that Messi coming in would expose the quality of the league even more, but I also know that it will benefit the league because now the players have to step it up. Things are going to have to change now, training, quality of play, etc.

[@deborahluck539]

MLS should learn something from this! Work on your defense! It’s not Messi’s fault that they need to work on their teams! He can knock out any team in the world.😅

[@loganleroy8622]

It’s because of the salary cap and designated players rule that there’s poor defending in the MLS. They pay the largest amount of money for the attacking players and that gives them much less money to use for defenders, so the relative skill between the two positions is very high. That’s why there’s loads of scoring in MLS matches

[@Good100]

​@@loganleroy8622Maybe MLS should allow for extra DP slots to be used exclusively for defenders.

[@The-Heart-Will-Testify]

He knock out any team? Hahahah I remember 8-2 vs bayern and Messi didn't even score hahaha...also Messi and PSG were beaten easily last year too...knock teams out haha

[@richabrams6240]

Take Messi out of the equation and consider all the other top players who came to the MLS. Think about Beckham, Rooney and others who came, played and did well, but none of them dominated as they should have in a "farm league". In fact, none of them were even considered the best player in the MLS at that time. This is Messi we are talking about. In his prime he made La Liga look like a "farm league". He was never happy in Paris and it showed. Now he is having fun again. Just enjoy it people.

[@ambientsounds1416]

Because they came towards the end of their career, Messi luckily is not injury prone and physically seems well. Of course he gonna be better than them, Zlatan did dominate tho.

[@richabrams6240]

Zlatan did dominate, yet took second to Vela in scoring and just ahead of Martinez@@ambientsounds1416

[@Silinio1]

players go to the MLS when they are at the end of their careers and are not performing at the level of a top competition. Thats why most players who played in European leagues go to the MLS on their mid-thirties and not their 20s. If you ask a top player on their 20s to choose between MLS and any european leagues there is no doubt that vast majority of them would choose a european league.They go to MLS for money not because it is a top league by any means. Perhaps in the future might be one but definitely not right now. Messi even if he was the center of a european team he would not be playing at the level he is playing for Inter.

[@onegoalkeeper]

Thank God he is at Inter Miami David set this up he knew what would happen I am so happy to have him and his family in the USA Now for all the talking heads This is the next the leap that has been needed to build US FOOTBALL (Soccer) Set back and enjoy the show Mark my word he is a true Journeyman A True Legend And one of if not the best to play the game Set back and take notes gentlemen CLASS IS IN SESSION

[@tanvirahmed4543]

Didn’t he do it for more than a decade in Europe? Didn’t he just do it last year against the world? What is the relation between scoring outstanding free kicks and subpar mls? These guys keep trying to discredit his ability no matter how incredible he plays. The truth is Messi is in his own league. P.s and for PSG era, compare his stat with top 10 performers of last 2 seasons.

[@Frank-bg7yd]

Messi has all the skills and vision. He is No. 9, 10, 8, 7……5…. This man is different from other stars who may be good at one or two things. Messi can score, he can organize, he can pass, he can ‘keep’ the ball and he see everything in the field. He is unique

[@mrhulk7042]

Messi did it in Europe with 90+ goals what make you think he can’t do it in North America

[@caseydouglas412]

Because he’s old but at the same time the league is bad 😂

[@mrhulk7042]

@@caseydouglas412 he just won a World Cup few month ago the biggest tournament and he’s the MVP he smashed MLS just like how we expected so it pointless talking about Messi make MLS look bad

[@caseydouglas412]

@@mrhulk7042 it’s not pointless but based on his age and his form for psg some people had their doubts. I believed Messi would score 20 plus,that’s my sentiment. Messi is great and agree with you.And this league is no where near la liga which Messi played all his life at the highest level in football.

[@caseydouglas412]

Also being a world champion, a lot questioned his desires to still play to his highest ability because he pretty much has nothing left to prove. Which isnt unusual,a lot of greats after they hit 30 they decline,some more gracefully than others. But this is Messi we are talking about and I don’t think people especially Americans know how great this man has been and still is.

[@masimbongezulu]

Messi has been doing this in Europe against the best teams for years, so I can assure you that he’s not making any region look bad. It’s simply Messi doing what he does best.

[@ntah98]

most relevant comment i'd seen here

[@jorgewesby1]

Messi Struggled in PSG. True. He was forced to assist Mbappe who erred a lot of incredible opportunities. He did not shoot the penalties. He was continually booed and insulted by the PSG fans. His kids were bullied at the school. And still, being 35 and struggling in the team, he was the player who contributed the most goals in the world last season (Goals + assists). He also is one of the top players in key passes. So what did you expect going to the MLS, being happy and surrounded by fans who loved him would do to his game?

[@Dinozor3]

and also was the best rated player in top 5 leagues, imagine what he could have done in normal club with normal fans

[@pumpumgetdickie]

Wrong again He was 5th, 20 goals + 20 assists Vinicius Junior was 4th, 23 goals + 21 assists Mohammed Salah was 3rd, 30 goals + 15 assists Kylian Mbappe was 2nd, 40 goals + 9 assists Erling Haaland was 1st, 52 goals + 9 assists

[@UnbiasedDonut]

So everything has to be picture perfect for Messi to perform well? Stop making excuses. Nobody else gets a pass for not performing. Neither does Messi. You’re full of bias. The fact is he couldn’t handle the physicality of the French league.

[@jaredzavala1732]

@@UnbiasedDonut common man he literally won everything why would he give it his all in a place that didn't respect him, made me even happier that he beat france in wc

[@tempawangdi5952]

@@UnbiasedDonut Physicality in French League. For football's sake, please! I didn't even know about PSG or French League until Messi went there. Watch football before commenting, when it comes to physicality there's none above English Premier League and I'm not English commenting here. I watch football and that's my fact-checked opinion.

[@davidday2373]

Every player who comes to MLS and excels is actually elevating the league.

[@MandipDosanjh]

Messi in his prime has made many top defenders and even entire leagues look foolish/ineffective. Also keep in mind that Messi is new to MLS and teams are encountering him for the very first time. As they face him more in regular MLS matches, they'll come up with better ways to get "better" results (I don't anticipate Inter Miami sustaining this scoring rate in the future). I also believe that the influence and changes that Messi brings, as well as will bring, to MLS will be crucial for the league's expansion, and in the end benefiting the participating teams.

[@RB-gj5to]

You have to remember that the team is brand new, also. They will get better and better the more they practice together and they got a couple new ballers that haven’t played yet either. The team as a whole will get stronger and they are going to demolish every bottom to mid-tier team in North America.

[@MandipDosanjh]

@@spbusei1029 so you mean to say that he won the World Cup PAST his prime? Holy friggin *%&$ ... that's even more amazing. How many ppl can say that after all?🤯 I love it that so many ppl are concerned about the status of MLS. That's good for the league at least.

[@kenpeacock69]

🤣😂🤣tell that to the psg fans🤷🏽‍♂️🤣😂🤣

[@DKhalil]

@@spbusei1029 have you watch Messi at PSG ? He wasn’t playing at the same position and he made them look like fool too, but he didn’t scored too much because ; last season before the WC Messi was great with PSG, he even ended being the best in assists in the whole Europe with Kevin De Bruyne at Man City at the end. The fact that he won the WC bring the question of his willingness to continue to play like he did at the first part of the season and PSG fans where way to much excessive with their disrespect towards him. That cause him to go away because he didn’t feel appreciated, plus he already got everything so he didn’t care to continue with them. You think because he’s not in his prime he shouldn’t be that good. Let me remover you that a couple a months ago this same man dominate the World Cup with all the best teams and defenders in the world. What is transpired at PSG was a bad environment for him and he didn’t like it, didn’t feel supported. Now he played like he does with Barcelona and his national team, with joy. It’s expected that he gonna dominate everytime he ‘s on the filed even at 36.

[@olympic-ass-eater]

Nashville did a great job for first time

[@imranarshad2961]

You have to remember Messi was not happy at PSG, even for Argentina at times like in 2018 he was not happy and it showed in his performances. Here he clearly is happy and playing without pressure, this is what you get Messi at his best. Like one of the comments said only 9 months since he made Gvardiol look silly no shame in defenders in MLS getting roasted bt him. Some of the goals have been ridiculously good, two last-minute free kicks, no one was saving those. The most interesting thing is the whole team has been lifted and his teammates performing way better than they were. Clearly, Messi is still good enough to have played in a major league in Europe but that's our loss and MLS gain.

[@alejandrabazanzarate3132]

Leo Messi siempre esta comprometido en cualquier equipo que juegue, aún teniendo en contra a la prensa, los aficcionados, algunos supuestos compañeros etc., como el caso PSG, aún así hizo su trabajo con responsabilidad, compromiso, perseverancia, eficacia, humildad. Hoy Leo Messi sigue haciendo el mismo trabajo y es feliz y millones, millones estamos felices por él.

[@waitingforapril]

I think it is, watching his first game it was shocking how clearly he was several levels above the rest. They are catching up since, but the league needs serious improvement. I think they can do it, they have the money and the public. They can invest to beat France in terms of player quality, and grow the intercontinental cup to be more competitive (or merge with Copa Libertadores for a longer format). Either would be good.

[@nathanmcguckin9518]

Farmers league yet he’s playing for the worst team in the league and of course he’s going to be a level above the rest 🤣🤣🤣 the guy won a World Cup not long ago and could easily be playing in Europe still of course he’s obviously going to be on a different level to anybody else

[@Lee-fc3yf]

He's been doing that his entire career. When i first saw him and Iniesta I was sure Messi would be top 3...Iniesta also a top top10-20....sublime.

[@waitingforapril]

@@nathanmcguckin9518 obviously. I’m Argentinian (as well as Korean and American) and watched him since 2006, no doubt he is way above. I’m just saying it was shocking to see it so clearly, I had never watched an MLS team before and honestly-I feel bad saying it-in the first game, MIami barely looked like a pro team. I also saw the drop in quality when he went to the French league but this was ridiculous. I also think it is impressive how much the team has been improving game to game, you can see him in the game gesturing, saying where to position themselves, when to accompany, etc. just like Argentina, you can see they want to win for him. But there will be a ceiling and I think other teams in the league should buy better quality players too to really give MLs a boost.

[@waitingforapril]

@@nathanmcguckin9518 Also: MLS fans need to stop leaving before the game is over 😡. They wouldn’t leave before a movie was over, I don’t care how much traffic-it is disrespectful to the players and the game.

[@waitingforapril]

@@Lee-fc3yf Messi, Xavi and Iniesta were a treat for sure. First time I paid for a subscription just to watch the beautiful game. And the clásicos.

[@globalizacionliquida]

As a football fan forever... and being Latin American... Because of Messi I've seen some MLS matches... and yes... they're a long way off compared to the rest of the world

[@darrylwallace2428]

People forget Inter Miami before Messi got there they were on an 11 game loosing streak and some of the guys contemplated retirement to persue other careers. It’s not fair to discredit Messi or criticize the teams he’s faced.

[@esorkinc4011]

@@HisKingdomGrows😅😅 some of the best farmers play football

[@GSmith10]

I wouldn't fault him for PSG. The club's management and structure was just not right.

[@thejuicerr]

Neither was Miami

[@ralkrey9526]

PSG is like Ferrari, embarrassing upper management

[@sidleerling6206]

excuses as always

[@AbdullahAlSayeed]

@@thejuicerr PSG is not a club, it's a corporation built around MBappe. No one else can perform in that team.

[@ngaoshonimikrii75]

Yes, that's true

[@jeanluciano304]

So far the MLS is better than the German's League for me! Germany is two times knocked out back to back in the world cup in the very first leg with all the German's Stars in the League. While USA made it twice to the 2nd Round with his MLS players.

[@sidleerling6206]

thats the most stupid comment I have ever seen 😂😂. Bayern, Dortmund, Leipzig, Union, Leverkusen will thrash MLS teams all day. Even gladbach will. There is a reason why German national team has 4 world cups and USMNT has 0

[@fwblok836]

Croatia league must be a top league by your reasoning. Ligue 1 bigger than premier league if wc results would be important.

[@ledddaiuuuuuuuuuuuuu]

even Germany's B League would give those Teams in MLS a tough time...

[@sidleerling6206]

@@ledddaiuuuuuuuuuuuuu yeah Schalke or Heidenheim will destroy them

[@ce7768]

Imagine comparing Wayne Rooney to Messi like ARE YALL DAFT. It's funny how they call it Farmer's league but MLS is still better than Camel's league in Saudi where players are going over there for money & not for the passion. Messi also destroyed defenders in Europe. MESSI is the GREATEST ATHLETE OF ALL TIME & guess what - maybe Messi needs to send more Budweisers to all the goalie's he's scored against in his career since age 16.

[@sidleerling6206]

yeah there is so much passion in MLS that before Messi, hardly anyone used to watch this stupid league

[@anthonyuchello2031]

Philadelphia shouldn't have changed their formation. Now their coach is second-guessing himself, and the players may start to question him too.

[@HungNguyen-qr7bt]

It seems the term “farmer’s league” is a pejorative in the soccer world. Not so much so in America, we would call it a farm league because that’s what it is and that’s what it wants to be and there’s no sign it would do otherwise. MLS has grown to be a selling league, sorta like Liga Portugal, acting as a bridge for players in high-quality leagues in North and South America to play in equally high-quality leagues in Europe where the requirements of play may be different. One of those high-quality leagues is ofc the MLS, and we have seen astounding successes in Europe that were homegrown products in America and Canada. To take a baseball analogy (for anyone who understands), the MLS is the Triple-A farm system to the Major Leagues in Europe, so I don’t see what’s wrong with being called a “farmer’s league”. Maybe for English-illiterate ppl there’s sth wrong but for me I would just call it a “farm league” and rightly so, it is sth to be proud of.

[@markjohnson3196]

It's more like retirement league

[@HungNguyen-qr7bt]

@@markjohnson3196 yeah more like u have no idea what ur talking about and u have no interest in knowing more

[@incakola3529]

Messi's presence highlights the challenges MLS faces. Historically, MLS hasn't reached top-tier quality. Without nurturing young talent instead of losing them to Europe, it might remain a second-tier league. Currently, MLS tends to attract players in the twilight of their careers like Pele and now Messi, possibly prioritizing ticket sales over player quality.

[@olympic-ass-eater]

P,us MLS teams spend a lot of money for strikers and barely any for defender positions.

[@jackied962]

Josef Martinez best season in Serie A was 3 goals. He then came to MLS and scored 77 goals over 3 years. That says a lot more about the league than Messi.

[@charlief7785]

Messi arrives at the MLS as the best player in the fucking World Cup, having destroyed defenders before, whether he scored goals or not. The Gvardiol dribbling is just one example, he also done it against Poland, Australia, Netherlands and France, it's not like he was a benchwarmer in Europe. Another element of Messi when comparing him to the likes of Pirlo and Ronaldinho is that, unlike many geniuses, he has been remarkably consistent throughout the years, the only reasons he doesn't have even more trophies is because his teams have fluctuated in level, but not Messi. As one argentinian journalist said of him(Varsky), Messi makes the extraordinary a routine(la rutina de lo extraordinario). Comparing him to anything that the MLS had before is almost an insult. He is on a different level to anyone else, even at 36.

[@JosePerez-ur2li]

Messi is a world class player his the best of the best for a reason numbers of goals and trophies speak for it's self. His 36 an still the best . Just enjoy the goat 🐐

[@stevenygabbyperez695]

This is part of the plan. Messi was going to measure this league to see how much it needs to improve. It turns out it needs to improve a lot to handle Messi.

[@trevg9450]

He's exposing MLS as a farmer's league because of all the goals he's scored. He's scored 9 in 6. He did score 96 one year in all comps while in La Liga. He scored 50 in 37 games, 46 in 32 games and 43 in 37.....all in that Farmer's League, La Liga.

[@Jesusisyhvh1]

Never compare the two ligues

[@cMaslow]

he was half the age then. He’s geriatric now and still owning MLS, indicating that it’s a farmers league. There are significant levels to the leagues, MLS is far behind the European leagues.

[@trevg9450]

@@cMaslow Okay, it's a farmer's league and it's got the best football or his generation and he's loving life. You okay with that?

[@trevg9450]

@@Jesusisyhvh1 And how did you extract it was a league comparison. You disputing he dominated in both league?

[@markjohnson3196]

@@trevg9450 mls is a league for retirement

[@joshuaguevara1309]

Messi just had over 65 g/a in all comps he would do the same in pretty much every league under the right conditions

[@Irisishunter]

The right conditions would be laughable defenders?

[@joshuaguevara1309]

@@Irisishunter in the epl he would easily do the same under pep. any other team he would still finish the season 10 + g 10 + a in league alone. To suggest otherwise is ignorance and bias. Continue with your agenda though

[@m.d.4231]

yea, also every league has those odd teams grinding results here and there where a player of Messi's quality should be scoring against, MLS is just more of those odd teams. This is somewhat of an outlier of course since Messi is just a different breed of players compared to the rest

[@Irisishunter]

@@joshuaguevara1309 will do and you with yours

[@joshuaguevara1309]

@@Irisishunter 😂

[@EP591]

Messi is not a good point of relevance to rate a league because of how good he is even at 36. Of course is not Eurppe but there has been countless of legendary stars that have come to the MLS after playing in Europe and this conversation was never debated because they werent doing what Messi is doing. The guy just won the WC less than a year ago, what do you expect was going to happen.

[@deoprosper556]

He was doing the same thing in La liga stop under estimate MLS

[@dianering4708]

Messi is the top in the team, but remember that word, as there are others in that team that also went there, that help that team to win.

[@superstrongr]

He just ridiculed the best defender in the world a few months ago. At some point its not about the defenders...its about Messi, hes just that good.

[@firthm2]

Messi is rescuing a team from bottom to top, improving the players around him, and raising the profile of a whole league and continent. And he does it with enthusiasm, joy, friendliness, and humility. He does not let his stratospheric legacy get the better of his ego, and he does not care about critics dismissing his "step-down". If anything, moving from top European teams to Inter Miami is the sign of a someone who is confident in himself, adventurous, and embraces a new challenge. At any age, he continues to evolve and make an impact in different ways. What can we say? Total all-around GOAT.

[@Etatdesiege1979]

The guy was doing the same in Spain, for years. He just came out of probably one of the best performances for a player in a World Cup. No one called La Liga a “farmer’s league” then. This whole conversation is just clickbait and a traffic generator.

[@pn5487]

There is nothing wrong with MLS because Messi is even above European soccer players. Wherever Messi plays there will be the same because he is a world class playmaker for decades.

[@dahliarose2421]

Miami should buy Serginio Dest who is not wanted at Barca, then both wings will be attacking and make team formidable

[@camilomendez9704]

A bigger issue is Kamal Miller, in my view. The style of play they want (like Barca) had excellent passers and ball handlers throughout the pitch. Remember they moved Mascherano to center-back to improve the build up play. There are still many passes his teammates are missing or don't see fast enough. Teams like Bayern and Liverpool were able to counter this style with excellent pressing (in the right moment) and athleticism, but the MLS teams don't look good enough tactically to employ affectively today.

[@Jeremy-rx2mb]

​@@camilomendez9704Kamal Miller is a liability. His ball retention is horrible, charges forward with the ball, forces a wrong pass and then is always out of position😊

[@nerychristian]

Tim Ream would also be a good signing. Maybe even players like Soto or Mendez.

[@abelruiz9616]

Right, Messi also won 2 Champions leagues agains one farmer English league team called Manchester United exposing the lack of quality of the premier haha

[@dana8282]

Messi at psg mostly being ignore on the pitch. He's a type player that must touch the ball so often to get involve and connect to the game (xavi and dani alves said about this). But he try his best to play deep to get the ball himself. His skills not being used properly (probably afraid to offend their star mbappe) and teammates dont trust and seems under estimate him (besides verratti and neymar). He often looks confuse, he doesn't seems to know what role he is in the team. PSG bring him in but refuse/hesitant to make him shine (since psg already has their one and only star that matter)

[@geams]

That Phillie goalie would have been benched for good in any league except the MLS.

[@allydr90]

Bro he actually looked happy when Miami scores.

[@whyme007]

Didn't Rooney say Messi shouldn't expect it to be a walk in the park? That's some one who's played there

[@NationalistAF]

not only is MLS a a joke , a farmer's League but a retirement league as well. it will always be. glad messi is having fun and enjoying his retirement.

[@mrefis9705]

“Farmer’s League”? It’s not so polite to say, but it’s true. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Messi scored a lot throughout his career, but it cannot be said that every goal made in “Champion’s League” or in “La Liga” (or in “World Cup”) has the same level of difficulty as these made for Inter Miami. Let’s be honest: some defenders Lio has faced in the States look like quite amateurs. These guys don’t even know how to tackle, how to guard a man in penalty area, they don’t know how to move together as a unit, they ignore how to put opponents in offside… I’ve seen players looking just the ball (🙀!!!) while they were defending against an attack in their box, totally missing the striker who will receive the pass and score (examples: Messi’s goal vs Charlotte; Messi’s brace vs Orlando, Messi’s 2º goal vs Atlanta). American players need better coaching, not excuses.

[@rakelmuleya878]

Let’s put this pandit saying he didn’t perform at psg. Well psg had Neymar, mbappe who is praised ( he’s the next big thing blah) without a doubt mbappe is good but take out Messi’s assists and goals from last seasons psg, I’m sure they would be struggling to keep the title. He struggled in his first season but the second season put him in top 5 assists and goal scorer in Europe last season. That psg team is built around mbappe and the team has would class players who have no chemistry of whatever. In football if you work as a team and good chemistry then trophies will come just like Argentina. The Argentina team has been building on team effort and chemistry. They treat each other as family not just players chasing papers. If Messi had scored 40 plus more goals in psg I’m sure the narrative would be because he has mbappe and Neymar 😂. Just appreciate that mls has Messi and will enjoy Messi so long as he’s playing

[@josephpeter5875]

Zlatan was a Beast in MlS at almost 40.. no Big deal

[@joelkupa5572]

He terrorised Europe for years...be honest, he just is a God of football

[@OfficialOwnerOFCertainFanbase]

I never saw this kind of domination from ronaldo, let it be on the pitch or las Vegas 2009.

[@user-yg6zs1pp3t]

that's because Ronaldo would never play is the worst league on planet earth.

[@OfficialOwnerOFCertainFanbase]

​@@user-yg6zs1pp3the did once in 2009

[@ra-kq8mz]

@@user-yg6zs1pp3tcheck out CR7 Las Vegas for more info

[@Jeremy-rx2mb]

​@@user-yg6zs1pp3tHe forced a goal and in the wrong hole, and has dodged US tours since

[@sakinomura9482]

Tf? Where is this farmer's league stuff when Haaland exposed the lack of quality in EPL?

[@chuffa1130]

He's only going to make these players around him even better even the ones that are offensively playing against them they're just going to rise to the occasion

[@nias2631]

It"s not important what the league looks like now. It's about how aggressively the league takes advantage of this moment to up it's level. There is always opportunity to improve somehow.

[@Ghost-tx4ft]

he didnt make france look like a farmers league, he made ligue 1 look like the UCL

[@tyanewilson217]

The man is the best player in the world how can he exposed he’s doing what everyone expects of him this man made Spanish league look bad and makes all the English clubs looks bad when he plays against them so come on bro

[@vincelegs4870]

He never played in EPL. He would have struggled in England a lot more than in La Liga.

[@Jorge-oo2ih]

Mauricio is really good at his job. He sees both sides of the story. Messi is doing well, but genuinely look at the quality. It’s poor. Herc also said that he didn’t want to talk about Messi too much to not make it to obvious, so at least they know people know they dedicated this channel to him. And on paper Messi had good stats for PSG, but he didn’t do well there we gotta be real.

[@krispeekornflex]

1st time I watched a video where the volume level of the panelist are very different..... soundman need to equalize....

[@pog519]

MLS is not a bad league. They are not on the same level as La Liga, Ligue 1 or the Bundesliga, but they aren't a farmer's league either. It's just that they are not used to facing Messi's football... It's good that he's there, it's highly likely that him just being there will make the US produce world class footballers in the coming years.

[@cMaslow]

It is an absolute farmers league. Dont kid yourself.

[@pog519]

@@cMaslow The definition of this term "farmers league" is supposed to mean that a team or 2 win the league every year, because they are that much better than the rest of the teams. This is not true for the MLS. An actual farmers league is the scotish one, they have the same 2 teams winning it for like 40 years :D. For MLS doesn't contain the same world class football teams as some European leagues, but they are somewhat decently matched. And that is why Messi with his amazing skill as both a forward and a captain, can and will prompt teams there to get better overall. The one thing about Americans is that there is a lot of them that do not watch, yet alone understand football, but a famous name like Messi, will popularize the sport there, leading to more potential talent to arise and it will widen the audience of the sport. And that is why Messi going there was a brilliant idea.

[@tyrellpechey1095]

He does that in every league!! Including world cup that his the Goat

[@fcukrealmadrid]

exactly Messi hattrick against real Madrid at 19, defense in MLS not bad barca beat real madrid 5:0,4:0,3:0😂

[@Dougie-]

Every league? This is his 3rd, and he didn't do that in the 2nd.

[@sidleerling6206]

bro literally played in a single league, in a single team all his career and then ghosted at PSG and now statpadding in a low level league like MLS.

[@sidleerling6206]

@@Dougie- yeah, spent the entire time playing with players that suited his style of play and in the same system. and when moved to a different system, he started malfunctioning only winning PSG a league title they have been winning for years and knocking PSG out of the CL in the round of 16 ever since he came in. before him, they made it to the semis and a final

[@fcukrealmadrid]

Messi scores more goals against top4 EPL teams than cr7 @@sidleerling6206

[@samuelarellano2315]

7:07 i completely agree with the commentary here

[@xman3514]

Guys..messi is not just goat.he is also trainer.he helped his team and teammates to another level

[@alieupabbi720]

Is just that Leo is happy , we all know that when Messi is happy what he can do

[@thejuicerr]

No MLS team would be considered professional in Europe. The top MLS team would be semi-professional at best.

[@Frank-ii2ug]

Youre an idiot if you think that. It's the equivalent of the Championship in England. If scouts think like you do, then why do teams in the Bundesliga, Premiership, etc sign players from MLS every year? Explain to us.

[@MrK.A]

He's not 'exposing' anything. No one in their right mind thinks the MLS is a competitive league. It might be one day. But it isn't now.

[@kylephaneufmusic]

Yes. The answer is yes.

[@watchkev]

Messi had always done this in the heights of UEFA and World Cup ... I'm not surprised he's doing this

[@MyEasyasabc]

No he is not, not everyplayer comes and does what he has done ...

[@naresharyal3234]

Messi the 🐐❤️

[@ericnana4976]

It is absurd for someone to suggest MLS is a farmer's league simply because Leo Messi is enjoying himself. This man has been playing in the highest league and does the same thing he is doing over here in USA 🇺🇸 so for anyone to suggest he is exposing the league is an insult to Leo Messi. What he's doing over here is the definition of his geniuses and nothing else. He's the genius goat 🐐 🙌 👏

[@carmeloerodriguez7570]

Was the World Cup played six months ago a farmer league? Messi did the same at the World Cup.

[@mentarilulur2251]

Every leauge is farmer leauge for messi😅😅

[@donkirkham1894]

When one, or in this case three world class players join any team they elevate the rest of the squad. The reason they are at the top of their games is that they are committed to training, practice, their eating habits and overall health. These rub off on the other players, they in turn work harder, practice harder and become better players. Lets face it, with ten outfield players on a team, three players are almost a third of the players on the field, with one third absolute world class, the others follow and learn.

[@MrZen08]

Actually, Zlatan did the opposite. He wasn't a team player and he disparaged his teammates (and the league). So while he scored many amazing goals here, his team missed the playoffs his first year, and though they made the second, they were bounced out in the first round. Messi, on the other hand, is embracing the team, the league, and the whole experience.

[@ericbrown1101]

Before Messi had even signed his contract, he showed up for an 8 am team practice at 7:20. He was the first one there. He's been fully committed to the club and the project from day 1 and it's been incredible to see.

[@messsatsu4118]

MLS is on the same difficulty as U18 Premier League. A good way to keep fit whilst making money.

[@giamamillionaire]

It is the combination of Alba, Pusket that enable Messi to succeed they understand him they all hold the Barcelona philosophy of tica taka

[@armanabelino7517]

What are you talking about Messi has incredible talent and extraordinary life achievements way before he came to Miami you should know about this and you shouldn’t insult the MLS standard. If you think those playing in MLS below average go and get those who’s playing at top league I promise you nothing can change Messi performance cause Messi is the greatest of all time 👑🐐🔥💖💯

[@ianxander7298]

MLS is like restaurant workers league. The restaurant workers started their own clubs to play against other restaurants

[@just8822]

Are those free kicks easy to score? If Messi was in Arsenal FC or Manchester city FC, he would still score 15 goals and assists now. The MLS is good but Messi is just GOAT in the world. At PSG he was not happy.

[@jlmart1993]

People dont understand that the team must be built around messi in order for messi to do his thing. Mbappe was the main guy at psg, and also team management is trash there with politics being an issue. Even when messi was unhappy at barcelona you could see it in his games. At miami the team plays around him and he also mentally happy.

[@giohi8635]

Love football ⚽ love Messi❤the GOAT indeed all I watch its Messi no matter what team he might played in. I watched from Denmark awake to 4 am. PSG Messi did play well the problem is Messi and The Argentinian team are the world champions so PSG hates him.

[@ItsWillYumm]

Thankful for Herc being straight up about MLS. To raise the standards of MLS people don't need to be sugarcoating MLS or pampering them. Saudi Arabia is embarrassing them.

[@horaciokanashiro-hv2zn]

Subj: " ( region, league,..) look bad " phrase. IMHO The Messi Phenomena can't be a better time for MLS. In few words, its his attitude, that drags crowd , a true popular idol. A super team, like any other team, goes out to win, but not to hurt anybody in or out the field. Having a Leo & David B. working together is sort of a silver bullet for the MLS to shoot from cadet to Space Level overnight with minimun pain, enjoy the ride 👍!.

[@mkt3982]

He made Ramos looks stupid entire Ramos career 😂😂😂

[@dombukun]

Keep on analyse but that’s what messi had been doing in Laliga , in UCL and in international as well .

[@inonothing09]

What he's doing for the Hispanic and South American community is the greatest gift ... Inspiring youth, and the entire country ...

[@praiseenterprise8605]

He has not even started the hat-tricks

[@MaximusJulie]

It's nice to hear or see New heater comming up... Old one becomes Messi fans ... Including las one Ishoweed after batting in free-kick... 😂😂😂

[@simondhar7776]

what nonsense title!!!!!!... messi makes every league a farmer league....we have seen it doing this for 15 years.... He is the GOAT.....

[@fitriredzuan9247]

He fulfill peoples dream 🙌

[@MOTIFKEEM]

Messi did not struggle at psg lol what he still dominated that French league

[@luckyme213]

MLS for sure lacks quality but that’s not what Messi is banging goals. MLS needs to re-enforce every team with top players rather than spend all the money on one player even if it’s Messi. Bcoz the down side is When messi leaves it will go back to default and views go away. Just like when Beckham left. Messi is special but the league is not.

[@nerychristian]

Hopefully now, the league will consider raising the salary cap, so teams can afford to buy better defenders.

[@dakevmadisa9810]

Is it against Inter Miami and Messi or just against Inter Miami?

[@ngaoshonimikrii75]

In PSG they don't give important to messi but give more important and focus on mbappe that's why he is not as good as in Argentina, barca and inter Miami.

[@Germany12235]

did you only realise about the MLS when everybody else was talking about it for ages?

[@simsvmusic]

Messi can't compete with the current best players at the top anymore and that why he left europe. Good to see he is doing well in america.

[@noahnasr5511]

It's ab to you MLS that use this grate opportunity. He is not Steven or Beckham or Pele. He is the Goat 🐐

[@augusto2006-amg]

Bro MLS defenders were always trash. I noticed it back when Zlatan joined. They never press the strikers, rather they just stand there and shuffle to seem like they do something

[@Slo-ryde]

Ibra scored 53 goals in 58 matches I believe…. He is one of the few Euros who actually put some numbers up besides Messi

[@augusto2006-amg]

@@Slo-ryde Yeah I've been watching MLS since 2019 as a Nashville fan. I noticed how bad the defenders really are. It explains why most of the youngsters sold from MLS teams are either strikers or goalies

[@Slo-ryde]

@@augusto2006-amg talking about US defenders…. You might not recall, but the only US defender to play in Europe was Alexi Lalas ( who now does commentary), and of all places he played in the Italian serie A for a couple of years…. If you can believe it 😀

[@nerychristian]

@@Slo-ryde That's bullshit. The USMNT has other defenders that play in Europe. Tim Ream, Chris Richards, Cameron Carter Vickers, Scally, etc.

[@harrymorris6074]

Hes exposed every league he's been in. Hes the goat 🐐

[@banteilangryngkhang446]

He is still playing like a 25 player.❤him.