Lionel Messi’s Florida sanctuary for former Barcelona players could soon have another resident. Comments made by Neymar on Tuesday hinted at a possible reunion with his former Barça teammates, Messi and Luis Suárez, at Inter Miami seven years after the trio formed arguably the most formidable forward line in soccer history. The prospect of the ‘MSN’ reunited in MLS is tantalising.
But just because the signing of Neymar is a compelling idea, that doesn’t make it a good one. Neymar is a shadow of the player who scored 105 goals in 186 games for Barça. Injuries have taken their toll on the 32-year-old, sidelining him for much of the last year. He has only played seven games for Al-Hilal since joining the Saudi Arabian club in August 2023. There may not be much soccer left in him.
Yet similar things were said about Suárez and his knee issues before he joined Inter Miami and the Uruguayan striker scored 20 league goals last term. Messi himself has suffered an increasing number of injuries in recent years, but still won MLS’s MVP award in 2024, playing over 1,500 minutes for a team that ran away with the Supporters’ Shield. Inter Miami’s restorative powers – and the fact that MLS isn’t exactly La Liga – could work for Neymar too.
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While MLS Cup glory has so far evaded the Herons, Neymar is surely envious of the fun his former Barcelona teammates are having. “They are my friends, we still speak to each other,” he told CNN. Pictures of Messi and Suárez enjoying themselves in South Beach and Miami’s nightclubs have probably been sent in the group chat. Is Neymar having the same experience in the rather more sedate surroundings of Riyadh?
Al-Hilal’s signing of Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain for a reported fee of €90m in 2023 was meant to be a landmark moment for the Saudi Pro League. After Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, the Brazilian was the highest-profile player to make the move to Saudi Arabia at a time when the kingdom appeared destined to become a destination for the sport’s biggest stars.
Since then, though, the league’s development has stalled. The big money transfers have stopped. Al-Hilal wanted to sign Kylian Mbappé – he joined Real Madrid instead. Mohamed Salah was a target for Al-Ittihad – he stayed at Liverpool. The best players in the world still play in Europe and, with Neymar’s contract ending in June, Al-Hilal haven’t got much for their investment.
MLS’s roster restrictions and salary cap would prevent Inter Miami from even coming close to the €150m annual salary Neymar is reportedly paid in Saudi Arabia, but the sales pitch to the forward could be the same one that worked on Suárez and Jordi Alba, neither of whom are Designated Players. Everyone wants to play with Messi even if it means taking a pay cut.
Inter Miami don’t really need another forward. Leo Campana’s trade to the New England Revolution saw them lose an excellent attacking depth option, but the Herons require greater defensive strength and depth if they are to go the distance in the playoffs this year. An elite centre-back should be at the top of their shopping list. Nicolás Otamendi has been mentioned. A new defensive midfielder would help too.
If, however, Inter Miami are truly committed to being the most exciting attacking team in MLS, they should gamble on Neymar. A late career renaissance in Florida would remind us all why he captivated so many fans in the first place all those years ago. He was Brazil’s next Pelé. And Barcelona’s next Messi. The talent is still there.
A series of bad career choices, along with a lot of injury misfortune, have got Neymar to this point. He never should have left Barça, especially not for PSG who never had a plan beyond splurging on superstars and hoping for the best. The move to Al-Hilal hasn’t worked out either. Neymar’s career will always be viewed as wasted potential even as a Champions League winner and Brazil’s all-time top scorer.
“If there is ever a chance to bring the calibre of a player like Neymar, we will not hesitate,” Inter Miami owner Jorge Mas told GiveMeSport earlier this week, opening the door to a move. Mas also said his club has “an unlimited budget” while recognising the complexity of tiptoeing around MLS’s roster rules. It’s not as simple as just writing a check. It never is in MLS.
2025 will be a big year for Inter Miami. It could be the final year of Messi’s contract at the club. The Herons will also play in the expanded Club World Cup in the USA this summer, with Miami hosting the opening game at Hard Rock Stadium. If a few things line up, Neymar could be there in pink. Getting the band back together has worked so far for Inter Miami. Why not issue one more invitation?