Top European Soccer Players Who Joined the MLS

8 European Soccer Players Who Joined the MLS

Major League Soccer has 29 teams, 26 in the United States and three in Canada, including Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. Many beloved MLS soccer players are from America and Canada, but some standout players have come from Europe to play for MLS teams. These are a few of the top European players to make the switch in their careers. 

1. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi has been a major player on the global stage since he got his start with Barcelona. While he is from Argentina — and led the Argentina National Team to a FIFA World Cup victory in 2022 — he is well-known for his career in Spain. 

Messi won 34 club records for Barcelona, 10 La Liga titles, back-to-back Ligue 1 wins in PSG, and four Union of European Football Associations championships. He holds records for many different titles and award wins in Europe, including the highest number of goals and hat tricks in La Liga and over 800 goals through the course of his impressive career.

Messi recently announced the decision to move to Inter Miami CF, which is based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Club was established in 2018 and began playing in the MLS Eastern Conference in 2020. 

2. David Beckham

David Beckham might be the most famous name in soccer, above even Christiano Ronaldo and Messi himself. While Beckham’s hung up his cleats for good, his long and exciting career as a midfielder took him around the world. Beckham hails from England but played for several top teams both in Europe and the United States, including Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Paris St. Germain. He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame and Premier League Hall of Fame and named one of FIFA’s 100 greatest living players.

Beckham made the move to MLS in 2007 when he joined Los Angeles Galaxy, an MLS team founded in 1996. Beckham stayed with LA until 2012 when he was loaned out to the Italian team AC Milan. 

After playing with Paris St. Germain for a year, he retired from the field and made the transition to ownership, when he helped to found and invest in Inter Miami CF. Beckham’s helped bring big names to his state-side club, like Messi and Steven Gerrard — a testament to his ongoing legacy. 

3. Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney is another English player that made an appearance on American fields. He’s considered one of the greatest players of his generation and for good reason. He holds the record for the highest number of goals scored with Manchester United and held the record for the highest number of goals scored for the English national team from 2015 to 2023. 

In addition to his time with Manchester United, Rooney played for Everton and Derby County. He moved to the United States in 2018, where he played for D.C. United and helped his team make it to the MLS Cup Playoffs. 

After returning to England to play for and manage Derby County, he came back to the United States to Manage D.C. United.

4. Lorenzo Insigne

Lorenzo Insigne began his youth career with Olimpia Sant’Arpino before moving to Napoli. He stayed with Napoli as a senior player from 2010 to 2022, during which time he was loaned out to Cavese, Foggia, and Pescara. 

Insigne represented Italy on the global stage in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and helped Italy to win the UEFA Euro 2020. He also played 12 seasons for Serie A side Napoli before he joined the MLS. He made the transition to Toronto FC in 2011, and he scored his first goal against Nashville SC in the summer of that year. 

5. Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard is an English soccer player who has represented top teams over the course of his career, including West Ham United, Chelsea, and Manchester City. He became the top scorer of all time for Chelsea and was voted into the Premier League Hall of Fame. Lampard played in three FIFA World Cups for England.

Lampard moved to the United States in 2015, when he joined New York City FC (NYCFC) and was named to the 2015 MLS All-Star Roster. He stayed in the States until 2016 with a record of 30 overall appearances, five goals, and 12 assists before returning to England to coach. 

6. David Villa

David Villa comes from Spain, and he played for several top Spanish teams, including Real Zaragoza, Valencia, and Barcelona. He also represented Spain in the 2010 World Cup, where he scored the highest number of goals for his team.

Like Lampard, Villa made his MLS move to NYCFC and was named the first captain of the team. He played for New York from 2014 to 2018, and not long after, he announced the decision to invest in Queensboro FC in Queens, New York, a team in the USL Championship League. 

7. Thierry Henry

French player Thierry Henry has played for and managed a range of teams across Europe and the world. As a player, he represented Monaco FC, Arsenal, Juventus, and Barcelona, and he became the record goal scorer for France in 2007.

Henry joined the MLS as a member of the New York Red Bulls in 2010 and was the highest-paid player in the MLS in 2012. He retired from the team at the end of 2014. 

8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Swedish Zlatan Ibrahimovic stands out as one of the top strikers in soccer history. Throughout the course of his career, he has scored over 570 goals. Ibrahimovic has also represented the Swedish national team over 100 times, one of just a few players to do so. He played in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and holds the title of top scorer for Sweden, with 62 goals.

In addition to playing for his country, Ibrahimovic has played for many top clubs around the world, including Inter Milan, Ajax, Barcelona, AC Milan, and Manchester United. He made the move to Major League Soccer in 2018 when he joined LA Galaxy. During his time with the team, he scored the 500th goal of his career. 

Ibrahimovic was selected for the MLS All-Star Game and awarded both the MLS Newcomer of the Year Award and MLS Goal of the Year Award for a play against LAFC. He stayed with LA Galaxy until 2019 when he returned to Europe to play for AC Milan for the third time. 

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