The arrival of Lionel Messi in MLS marked a clear turning point for soccer in the United States, but not everyone agrees that he was the player who could have had the greatest overall impact on the league.
Brek Shea, a former Inter Miami player, has revived a long-running debate by claiming that Cristiano Ronaldo would have generated an even greater effect on the competition’s growth and exposure. The argument shifts the focus from results on the field to influence beyond it.
Speaking publicly, the former US defender explained that his assessment has little to do with sporting performance and far more with media reach and cultural presence. Shea argued that Cristiano Ronaldo’s personality, his command of the language and his constant visibility away from the pitch would have aligned instantly with the US market. In his view, the fit would have been immediate and natural.
The comments were amplified by Diario Olé, which highlighted how Shea’s words reignited the comparison between two figures who defined an era in world soccer. Shea stressed that the point was not to diminish Messi’s legacy, but rather to understand impact from a different angle – one tied more closely to entertainment and the US sports industry. It was a reminder that stardom can be measured in more than trophies.
“I think Cristiano Ronaldo would have had a greater impact on MLS than Lionel Messi. With no disrespect to Messi, but Messi seems like a homebody. He’s very quiet. He still doesn’t speak the language well. So I just think Ronaldo comes across as more extroverted and does more things in the public eye,” Shea said. The contrast he drew was as much about personality as popularity.
Messi, for his part, has already produced numbers and trophies that underline his influence in MLS, along with a clear commercial boost for Inter Miami and the league as a whole. Even so, Shea’s remarks reflect a recurring discussion in North American soccer about what type of superstar accelerates global visibility most quickly. Success, in this context, is not only counted in goals.
As a result, MLS once again finds itself at the center of a rivalry that stretches across continents. While Messi is already an undisputed figure in the league’s present, the comparison with Cristiano Ronaldo shows that the debate over total impact – on and off the field – remains wide open. And it is unlikely to fade anytime soon.