Lionel Messi has been credited a lot for putting Major League Soccer (MLS) on the map. The league has gained significant prominence since the Argentine legend signed for Inter Miami in July 2023. Some MLS executives acknowledged Messi’s influence on American soccer in a recent anonymous survey with The Athletic. One of them admitted, “I think going after the world’s best player and bringing them here shows that it’s pretty damn important and a pretty big statement.” Despite the unimaginable growth in the last few years, the officials remain concerned about the future of MLS in the post-Messi era. Putting focus on the World Cup winner’s inevitable retirement, another MLS executive argued, “I think that clearly Messi’s been a monster. And the real question now is what is this going to lead to after he goes?” In the survey, the officials addressed some other important topics including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled to be hosted in the USA, Canada and Mexico. They reckon MLS should opt for a fall-spring calendar while also aligning the timeline of player acquisition and transfers with the rest of the world. “We can’t keep playing where our season ends in October and then all of a sudden you play a round of playoff games and then you have an international break, then you play another couple rounds of playoff games, and you’re in a thick of it, and then you have another international break,” one executive suggested. “I mean, you lose all momentum as a team. It’s terrible for our game, fans, and everybody. I just don’t see how it works. And then the other thing is we’re not aligned with the rest of the world on the acquisition and transferring of players. And I think all those things are incredibly important to take the MLS to another level,” he explained further. The official feels the teams playing in the MLS find it difficult to compete with the major clubs in the secondary transfer market. As most of the footballers want to feature in the Champions League or the Europa League, they demand higher salaries from American outfits.