Neymar playing with Messi and Suárez in Miami is a fascinating idea. But is it a good one?
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The former Barcelona teammates getting together for one last hurrah in MLS would draw in the fans. But injuries have taken their toll on the Brazilian. 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.
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?.
