MLS Is Becoming Football’s Retirement Home
It’s not just Lionel Messi and his old friends preparing for retirement in America. The MLS has become a landing spot for Son Heung-min, Thomas Müller, Marco Reus, Hirving Lozano, and many others who once shone in Europe’s top leagues — a new kind of playground where global stars chase one last thrill, much like players exploring the excitement of platforms such as Winbox off the pitch.
Inter Miami: Messi, Alba, Busquets, Suárez, De Paul
No team represents this new trend better than Inter Miami. Messi’s move in 2023 triggered a domino effect: Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suárez, Rodrigo De Paul, and even Javier Mascherano (as head coach) soon followed.
Together, the six of them total 221 years of age and dozens of European trophies. Since Messi’s arrival, the team has won the Leagues Cup (the MLS-Liga MX equivalent of the Champions League) and topped the regular season standings.
This year, “the Herons” sit third in the Eastern Conference and are already guaranteed a playoff spot. Messi leads not only his team but the entire league with 24 goals and 14 assists in 26 games — not bad for a 38-year-old. Suárez has added 9 goals and 10 assists.
De Paul joined on loan this season, with Inter holding a €15 million purchase option. His decision shocked many — only a few months ago, he was facing Real Madrid in the Champions League. So far, he’s recorded four assists in 10 MLS matches.
Busquets and Alba continue to perform at a high level in sunny Miami, though Busquets plans to retire after this season and pursue a coaching license.
Los Angeles FC: Son Heung-min and Hugo Lloris
Los Angeles has two MLS clubs — LA Galaxy and LAFC — but the spotlight this season belongs to Son Heung-min.
The four-time Asian Footballer of the Year instantly clicked in California, scoring 8 goals and 3 assists in eight matches (including seven goals in his last four). Counting national team games, he’s scored in six straight appearances.
Alongside him is his former Tottenham teammate Hugo Lloris, who joined LAFC last year. The French goalkeeper helped the team reach the MLS quarterfinals, the Leagues Cup final, and win the U.S. Open Cup. This season, with 10 clean sheets, Lloris was rewarded with the captain’s armband.
LA Galaxy: Reus and Riqui Puig
Once the premier MLS destination for global stars like Ibrahimović, Gerrard, Keane, Beckham, and Donovan, LA Galaxy are quieter these days — but still have names worth watching.
Riqui Puig joined from Barcelona in 2022. After two modest seasons (10 goals and 6 assists in 39 matches), he exploded in 2024 with 26 assists. Unfortunately, a serious injury in February 2025 halted his progress.
Taking over midfield duties is Marco Reus, the former Borussia Dortmund captain and German Footballer of the Year. Despite recurring injuries, Reus remains Galaxy’s top playmaker. Since September, he’s also juggling football with his role as president of Legacy Ballers, a semi-pro team in Lukas Podolski’s Media League.
San Diego: Hirving Lozano
MLS newcomer San Diego FC boasts Mexican star Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, once Napoli’s record signing at €50 million. Moving under the league’s “Beckham Rule” (which exempts him from salary caps), Lozano has 9 goals and 8 assists in 27 matches — including one on his debut.
Interestingly, his teammate Anders Dreyer, formerly of Rubin Kazan, has surpassed him with 17 goals and 16 assists, ranking sixth among MLS scorers.
Vancouver Whitecaps: Thomas Müller
MLS isn’t just an American league — Canadian clubs are part of the mix too. This summer, Vancouver Whitecaps pulled off a major coup by signing Thomas Müller, the Bayern Munich legend.
They beat LAFC to his signature — ironic, considering LAFC is Bayern’s partner club.
Müller immediately became team captain and scored on his second appearance. Though limited to a few matches so far, he’s contributed 3 goals and 2 assists, helped the team win the Canadian Championship, and celebrated his 300th career goal with a custom cake.
With 35 trophies, Müller is now Germany’s most decorated footballer — and he might add another, as Vancouver head to the MLS playoffs.
Orlando City: Luis Muriel
Former Atalanta and Sampdoria striker Luis Muriel has found a home in Florida.
In his second season at Orlando City, the Colombian forward is the club’s third-best scorer with 9 goals and 5 assists.
Charlotte FC: Wilfried Zaha
In North Carolina, Wilfried Zaha — the Manchester United academy graduate known for his Crystal Palace and Galatasaray days — is thriving.
He joined Charlotte FC this year and instantly became one of Messi’s biggest rivals. The club sits fourth in the Eastern Conference, just three points behind Inter Miami.
New York City FC: Wolf and Morales
New York has multiple MLS teams, and NYCFC remains one of its most competitive.
Austrian midfielder Hannes Wolf, a UEFA Youth League winner, has reinvented himself as a right winger and ranks as the team’s second-best scorer with 11 goals.
Veteran Maxi Morales — once of Atalanta and FC Moscow — still leads the assist chart at age 38.
New York Red Bulls: Forsberg and Choupo-Moting
The other New York team, Red Bulls, features a strong Bundesliga connection: Alexander Hack (ex-Mainz), Emil Forsberg (ex-RB Leipzig), and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (ex-Bayern Munich).
Despite their experience, the club has struggled to reach the playoffs this season.
Forsberg, now in his second year, averages around 10 goals a season and wears the captain’s armband.
Newcomer Choupo-Moting has been far more productive — 17 goals so far, placing him among the league’s top 10 scorers.
What It All Means
From Messi to Müller, from Son to Zaha — MLS has become football’s ultimate destination for legends seeking one last adventure. The league is stronger, richer, and more competitive than ever, but it’s also starting to look like the world’s most glamorous retirement home.
Published by Patrick Jane
10.10.2025