The possibility of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo playing on the same side recently floated around with the Barcelona superstar joining his rival at Juventus. However, the blockbuster tandem becoming real could happen not in Europe but in the United States and David Beckham will be happy to set things up.
It may sound unrealistic for now but the suggestion came from former Everton star Adrian Heath. Now team manager for the Minnesota United, Heath said Messi and Ronaldo can put an end to their football days jumping to the Major League Soccer in the U.S.
"For Ronaldo and Messi, the two obvious destinations if they came to the MLS would be Los Angeles and Miami," the former Premier League star told The Daily Mirror.
It could be unlikely but the pair opting to retire by showcasing their football talents before the U.S. crowd will not be the first. The MLS has seen European superstars in the past joining up with clubs in the league.
David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic signed up of the LA Galaxy and the league also saw the likes of Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, and Frank Lampard. The point is, according to Heath, the crossing over by Messi and Ronaldo was not without precedent.
Heath added he is convinced Beckham can make things happen as the former Manchester United superstar is a close friend of Ronaldo. For the two, there is nothing to left to prove in Europe so trying out the pitch in the U.S. could prove a challenge, said the Minnesota boss.
Heath further explained that the switch will not come as a downgrade for the two football living legends, who have dominated the Ballon d'Or award in the past decade. He said the MLS is fast shaping up as one of the top football leagues in the world.
"In the past it's been a place for top stars to wind down their careers, but I think that will change. The arrival of Beckham and Miami will help accelerate that switch in mentality," GiveMeSport.com reported Heath as saying.
Per the same report, Beckham luring Ronaldo out of Europe should be the easier part of the deal as the Portuguese is now 35 and is surely looking to the last phase of his playing days in the Old Continent. It's not impossible that Ronaldo will see the wisdom of changing his world and give a year or two to MLS before enjoying retirement.
The same, however, is hard to imagine for Messi who is only 33. Wearing a new jersey for the Argentine seems unthinkable as he started in Barcelona and will likely remain in Camp Nou to the end.
It might be that Messi will be persuaded to leave Spain but heading to America and temporarily forget about Europe is next to impossible. As the Little Magician once declared, he still plans to see action in the Champions League in the near future and win one or two more European titles.
