Major League Soccer will celebrate 30 years of history and over three decades it has managed to achieve significant growth and establish itself in the taste of fans in the United States, but former Italian soccer player Andrea Pirlo believes that the time has come to take the next step.
In the MLS business model, there is a salary cap and the rules allow teams to have three franchise players who exceed the barrier, which has allowed the arrival of international soccer stars. The latest big name and reference to give it a boost is Lionel Messi, who with his arrival at Inter Miami attracted Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez.
In an interview with the New York Post, Andrea Pirlo recommended that MLS eliminate the salary cap in order to be able to challenge the top European leagues, such as the Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A.
“They need to change some rules, like the salary cap, and align with the European leagues if they want to be able to compete,” Pirlo told the Post in an exclusive interview, adding: “If they want MLS to grow at the same level as the other championships, then they have to abolish those rules and give clubs more freedom to spend money as they see fit.”
Andrea Pirlo was the highest paid player during his time in MLS
Pirlo played for New York City FC from 2015 until his retirement in 2017 and when he arrived in MLS he was the highest paid player with a salary of around $8 million per season. His time in United States soccer allowed him to see firsthand what the league needs to do to consolidate itself at the top of the world and compete with Europe.
The MLS could not only compete with the European powerhouses, it also has internal competition to establish itself in the taste of fans who have options such as the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL, and the arrival of more stars along with the organization of its second World Cup in 2026, would be the boost they need to take the next step.
During the “We Are Juventus” event at the Soccer Post store in Astoria prior to NYCFC’s 2-1 win over Orlando, Pirlo also took time to highlight Timothy Weah, Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Gio Reyna as the most talented players in the United States national team, ahead of their hosting of the next World Cup.
Read the full article here
