International Stars Who Shone in America Before Messi: A Trip Down Memory Lane

The American Football League witnessed an important step after the political authorities decided to push it forward, and the clubs to develop the famous game had nothing but to invest in the inclusion of international stars, even if they were at the end of their football career.

International player deals have finally increased, although they started early, as playing or retiring in the American League became a habit for players, the last of whom was Argentine legend Lionel Messi, who preferred to move to the ranks of Inter Miami.

pellet

The legend of the late Brazil national team, Pele, was among the most famous and first players to move to play in America, as he wore the New York Cosmos shirt between 1975 and 1977, and crowned him with a single title, the North American Cup.

Franz Beckenbauer

The Pele era ended in 1977, and the same club rushed to compensate for his departure by including a new star, and this time it came to German Franz Beckenbauer, who played with New York Cosmos until 1983 in two periods, and won the North America Cup with him on 3 occasions and other titles.

Carlos Valderrama

The famous Colombian star, Carlos Valderrama, decided to go through many experiences in the American League, starting with the 1996/97 season, when he joined the ranks of Tampa United, with whom he lived his best days, scored 7 goals with him, and made 14 assists to register his name as the best player in the league.

David Beckham

English football legend, David Beckham, joined the ranks of the Los Angeles Galaxy club in 2007 and stayed with him until 2012, carrying a record full of successes, as he scored 98 goals and led his team to crown the league champions on two occasions, as well as was a key to joining dozens of other stars.

Thierry Henry

The French “Ghazal” Thierry Henry chose to move to New York Red Bulls in 2010 in a 4-year trial, and the “Roosters” legend did not delay in confirming his talent by scoring goals, after he scored 51 times.

Andrea Pirlo

Pirlo went through a final experience in the American League in 2015, and chose to represent New York City for 3 full years, and during his experience he scored 60 goals, before the Italian star announced his retirement.

Didier Drogba

The distinguished Ivorian striker, Didier Drogba, played with two teams in America, where he moved to the ranks of Impact Montreal in 2015 through an experience that spanned two seasons in which he scored 23 goals, the second in the colors of Phoenix Rising and scored 12 goals with them.

Wayne Rooney

The experience of the Englishman, Wayne Rooney, began in America in 2014, when he joined the ranks of DC United and made a strong addition to him thanks to 25 goals he scored in 52 matches, and he was captain of the team from the first match until his return to play in his country, England.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Perhaps the Swede, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is the player who left the most legacy in the American League, as he scored 53 goals in 58 games he played for the Los Angeles Galaxy, including in a way that only he could master.

David Villa

The Spanish striker, David Villa, soon showed his tremendous goal-scoring skill when he joined the ranks of New York City FC in 2015, as he managed to score 80 goals in 126 matches, and he scored the first goal in the history of the club that was founded a few months before he joined.