USMNT legend Alexi Lalas has predicted where the best MLS team could finish in the Premier League, with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami currently leading the standings.
The Florida franchise have started the 2024 MLS season in fantastic form, with Inter Miami retaining top spot on the weekend with a convincing 3-1 win against DC United, one made better with Messi out through injury.
With the Argentine international on their books alongside the likes of Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, there’s a good thought experiment when debating how would Inter Miami do in Europe.
Alexi Lalas predicted where Inter Miami would finish in the Premier League
And taking to Twitter, Lalas predicted that the best team in MLS could finish mid-table in the Premier League, with the English division considered by many as the best league in all of soccer.
Whilst Inter Miami could give some teams in the Premier League a good run for their money, a finish as high as mid-table might seem fanciful given how intense the division is.
Moreover, Inter Miami and MLS as a whole were humbled earlier this year in Saudi Arabia by Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, where Messi and company fell to a 6-0 defeat against Cristiano Ronaldo’s side.
Indeed, MLS are making huge strides in bridging the gulf in quality between themselves and the Premier League, yet Inter Miami would still be beaten convincingly if facing off against most sides from England.
2025 FIFA Club World Cup could expose MLS’s shortcomings
As mentioned, MLS is steadily improving compared to global leagues at a good pace, with the best teams in the division more than capable of handling themselves against good opposition.
Yet next year’s 2025 FIFA Club World Cup could highlight some issues within MLS, namely how squad and salary restrictions mean the overall quality of teams isn’t as good across the board.
And such a dismal performance next year, especially if Inter Miami qualify and fail to turn up, will increase pressure on MLS officials to change rules for the better, with the division having a lot of untapped potential.