"Short term, they'll have the Messi phase" - Pundit claims MLS will return to becoming a league for 'washed up players' after Lionel Messi leaves

Chris Sutton has claimed that Major League Soccer could lose its relevance with the retirement of Lionel Messi.

On the It's All Kicking Off podcast, the former manager said that he does not see a future for the league in the long term:

"I think the MLS would like to think so, but I don't think it will long term,' Sutton told Mail Sport's It's All Kicking Off podcast.

"Short term, they'll have the Messi phase. And then when he's had enough, it will go back to what it was before. It's a league for, dare I say, washed up players. For European players who want to go to America for the lifestyle with the families at the end of their career."

He also made a comparison with Cristiano Ronaldo's move to the Saudi Pro League:

"He's washed up for him, isn't he? He's still good, but you know, he's washed up. Just as Ronaldo is washed up going to the Saudi Pro League. They're not the players which they once were, because they wouldn't go there.

"He's coming to the end of his career. He's not the player which he once was, because if he had serious ambition, he would have gone back to Barcelona. I mean, Inter Miami, it's great. Go over there and take the accolade and raise the profile for a bit. And he's still a great player and he's going to attract the crowds."

The Argentine superstar joined Inter Miami on a two-and-a-half-year deal this summer after completing a two-year stint with Paris Saint-Germain.

While he also received offers from Saudi Arabia, he headed to the US instead. He's making $60 million a year with the Florida side (per NBC Sport) and will also earn a share of the revenue from broadcasters Apple and shoe sponsors Adidas.

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Lionel Messi could face punishment after missing media duties

The Argentine did not speak to the press after his side's MLS win over New York Red Bulls.

Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi could receive a punishment from Major League Soccer after violating the league's rules on media duties. The 36-year-old did not show up to the post-match press conference after the 2-0 win over New York Red Bulls.

According to news agency AP, club spokesperson Molly Dreska informed reporters that Messi would be unavailable following the game. There's no official confirmation on the nature and duration of a possible punishment.

Messi enjoyed a fruitful MLS debut. He came off the bench at New York in the second half with his side up 1-0 and put the icing on the cake with an 89th-minute strike to hand his side all three points. That ended the Herons' 11-game winless league run and lifted them off the foot of the Eastern Conference standings.