Hollywood star Owen Wilson has now claimed that Inter Miami star Lionel Messi has had a bigger impact in American soccer than Pele.
Pele, one of the other all-time greats of the game, joined the New York Cosmos in 1975 as the only player in history to ever win three World Cups.
He scored 66 times in 107 games for the club before retiring, and whilst his impact was huge, it has now been claimed that Messi’s is even bigger.
Wilson, 54, has claimed that whilst Pele coming to the USA was a huge deal, Messi has had an even larger impact on MLS since joining Inter Miami this summer.
“I remember as a kid it was such a huge deal when Pelé played for the Cosmos, and it feels like that again with Messi except maybe even bigger,” Wilson stated.
“I think it’s already doing it for the MLS. You can see the excitement.”
Two great impacts
Pele and Messi are two of the game’s biggest legends, and Pele’s signing was such a big deal that the New York Cosmos had to move to a bigger stadium.
Whilst it is tough to compare eras, Messi is arguably the greatest of all time, and his signing for a relatively new club in Inter Miami has caused massive shockwaves both on and off the pitch.
Inter Miami and MLS as a whole have seen huge rises in online followings, whilst ticket prices for Inter Miami games have soared.
Messi, who joined alongside Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, have taken a side that was winless in 11 games and bottom of the league to Leagues Cup glory, and are now the form side of the division.
His impact on the pitch for Miami cannot be understated, whilst his impact off the pitch may even lead to more superstars joining, and MLS rules changing to accommodate them.