Former USMNT star Alexi Lalas has given his take on the age-old question of whether Lionel Messiwould have thrived or struggled in the English Premier League.
The 2022 World Cup winner is widely considered one of the greatest – if not the greatest – players of all time and has a record eight Ballon d’Or trophies to his name.
After spending the majority of his career at Barcelona in La Liga, Messi spent two seasons with Paris Saint-Germain before moving to MLS with Inter Miami in 2023, where he remains.
Now 38, it appears as though the ship has sailed on the possibility of Messi ever turning out in England’s top division – often hailed as the strongest domestic league.
While Messi’s talent and success are beyond question, there are many who wonder whether the legendary forward might’ve had more difficulty with the physical rigour of the Premier League.
In a recent episode of hisState of the Union Podcast, former US defender Lalas didn’t think so.
“He would have no problem. He wouldn’t miss a beat. He is not just a great soccer player, but he is arguably the greatest player ever to play the game,” Lalas said, when asked if Messi would get “eaten alive” in the Premier League..
“Even though he played the vast majority of his career in one place in Barcelona, he showed that he was able to go elsewhere [Paris Saint-Germain]. And there was, you know, some curiosity. And he showed that he was able to go into a completely different culture, completely different language, completely obviously different soccer, and still be awesome.”
Lalas hails Messi’s adaptation to America
55-year-old Lalas, who made 96 appearances for the USMNT, also spoke highly of Messi’s abaility to adjust to MLS, noting the challenges of the travel and different pitch types.
“I think it’s even more impressive what he did when he came to Major League Soccer, because not only each and every game coming up against teams that are at your level, but you’ve got to travel,” Lalas said.
“And you’ve got to play on different surfaces. You have to play in all the different challenges that Messi has already lived up to.”
Lalas added that Messi’s elite skill comes with a toughness that often gets overlooked.
“For all his talent and his touch and his skill and his vision and his magic, he will cut you if he has to,” he said.
Since arriving in the US, Messi has won the Leagues Cup in 2023, the Supporters’ Shield in 2024 and MLS Cup in 2025. He was also named the league’s MVP in 2024 and 2025 – the first player in league history to win the award in back-to-back years.- as well as the Golden Boot winner in 2025.
