MLS commissioner Don Garber: “Lionel Messi can be the greatest athlete in US sporting history”

Despite the fact that it looks as if any potential move to MLS for Lionel Messi has been put on the back-burner due to the Paris Saint-Germain star’s apparent preference to keep playing at the highest level in Europe, the league’s commissioner Don Garber is among those who haven’t yet given up hope of convincing the Argentina captain to cross the pond.

In an interview with AP Sports, Garber stressed his desire to bring Messi to MLS and claimed that the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner would become the greatest athlete ever to compete in any sports in US history, ahead of legendary names such as Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Michael Phelps and more.

Messi “bigger than any athlete of any sport”

“I think of him as someone who crosses so many barriers that he can be bigger than any athlete of any sport that has ever played here in the United States”, explained the MLS commissioner.

For Garber, the signing of the ex-Barcelona playmaker would represent a huge coup, which any league in the world would love to be able to pull off.

“I can tell you that we would love him in Major League Soccer. There isn’t a league that wouldn’t like to have Lionel Messi in their league”, Garber responded to a question from CBS Sports.

David Beckham’s Inter Miami dreaming of Messi

Garber addressed Inter Miami’s interest in recruiting the PSG attacker, explaining the MLS was working alongside the club owned by David Beckham in an attempt to make the move possible. And he highlighted the creative ways the league’s franchises had been able to attract big-name stars in the past.

“We will work very hard with Miami, who is the team that is hoping to be able to sign him. We have been pretty effective at coming up with clever ways to sign players for our clubs in the right market”, Garber concluded.