“He could be 80 and still be the best player in the MLS” - Ex-Manchester United attacker makes bold claim on Lionel Messi

Former Manchester United striker Guissipe Rossi believes Lionel Messi will be the best player in the MLS for years to come. The former United man played against La Pulga a couple of times and is intimately aware of his abilities on the pitch.

Speaking to Forbes about the Argentine's move to the MLS, Rossi said:

"The expectation of Lionel Messi coming to the MLS has nothing to do with performance on the pitch - it’s all about the league performance off the pitch. It was about how much Messi could generate from his short period at the time and I think they've done it. If you look at the TV rights and the merchandise it has skyrocketed, everything is going just as they planned it."

Rossi added:

"If you look at him on the pitch, he could be 80 years old and still be the best player on the field in the MLS. Everyone loves to see him because he is the greatest of all time.”

Messi is already living up to his billing as the best player in the MLS and has the Herons sitting on top of the Eastern Conference. The former Barcelona ace has nine goals and five assists from his nine games for Inter Miami so far this season, and looks to achieve more glory with the Miami-based side.

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Former Manchester United attacker picks MLS star Lionel Messi over Saudi Pro-League icon Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Manchester United and Villareal striker Guissipe Rossi has chosen Lionel Messi over his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. While Rossi acknowledged that the two greats are different types of footballers, he picked Messi because he is a "more cerebral player."

In an interview with Forbes, the Italian said:

"They both bring different things to the game, that’s why it’s so hard to compare them. The positioning is different, the style of play is different. The interpretation of the game is different. Ronaldo went from a winger to being the best number nine on the planet, scoring goals is all he cares about. Messi is a goalscorer but he facilitates and I appreciate that as a player who likes to come deep and get the ball."

The former Manchester United man concluded, saying:

"He's a more cerebral player, Messi, and therefore some people don't understand that part of the game. Those who do appreciate it more. So that's why I lean more towards watching Messi play. It's all about preference. I was lucky enough to have had the privilege of playing against them during that era in Spain,"