Ronaldo would have had a bigger impact on MLS than Messi — Ex-Inter Miami star questions Argentine’s star power

Lionel Messi’s move to Major League Soccer has reshaped the league’s global profile, but questions remain over whether his influence off the pitch matches his impact on it.

Former Inter Miami star Brek Shea believes Cristiano Ronaldo would have left an even bigger cultural imprint on American soccer.

Messi arrived at Inter Miami in 2023 and immediately boosted MLS, with attendances rising by around 20 percent and global streaming figures doubling.

Inter Miami’s brand exploded, with fans from all over the world adopting the club, while celebrity figures regularly attended matches.

Despite that growth, Shea feels Messi’s reserved nature has limited his off-field reach in the United States. “No disrespect to Messi, but Messi seems like a homebody. He’s very quiet. He doesn’t speak the language quite well yet,” Shea said.

He added that cultural visibility matters in America, explaining: “I just think Ronaldo seems more outgoing, does more things in the public eye.”

Shea said Ronaldo’s personality would have aligned more with US sports culture and media demands. “So I think just on that, speaking the language, doing interviews, I think would have just automatically had a bigger impact. I’m strictly speaking off-field stuff… a bigger impact? Yes, he would have.”

However, statistics complicate Shea’s claim. Messi recently topped rankings as America’s favourite professional athlete, surpassing LeBron James and Patrick Mahomes.

His arrival has reportedly brought over 10 million new fans to MLS and generated hundreds of millions in revenue.

MLS commissioner Don Garber acknowledged the cultural gap, saying: “The international football community just thinks about their relationship with the media very differently than the North American media does.” Even amid debate, Messi’s influence on MLS remains profound.