“It’s Not Going to Be Easy for Him”: Wayne Rooney Speaks on Messi’s MLS Move

• Lionel Messi announced his decision to join Inter Miami on Wednesday
• Head coaches across Major League Soccer aired their opinions on the signing of the Argentine
• D.C. United head coach Wayne Rooney didn’t hold back on the addition of Messi to the MLS

Count D.C. United head coach Wayne Rooney is among the many who are excited about Lionel Messi coming to Major League Soccer.

After Messi announced on Wednesday that he would be joining Inter Miami CF following his exit from Paris Saint-Germain, Rooney is quoted according to MLS.com saying the move is a major win for MLS.

"I think it's great, to bring Messi into the league,

"We've all seen, over the years, the impact of David Beckham coming in, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic coming in.”

"Different players from overseas. To get Messi in the league, arguably the greatest player of all time, and still – he’s a little bit older – but not long ago he won the World Cup almost single-handed.

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"It's going to be great for the league, for Miami."

Messi, 35, is expected to make his MLS debut sometime in July, and D.C. hosts Inter Miami on July 8.

"It'd be nice if we were his first opponents for D.C. fans to see him up close and for us to challenge ourselves against him," Rooney said.

"One thing I will say – it’s not going to be easy for him. The league's a difficult league and I don't think he's going to come over here and absolutely tear it up immediately.

"He'll have to adapt because it's a bit different, it won't be an easy ride for him."

Messi dragged Argentina to their first World Cup success since 1986 in Qatar last year, and the Barcelona great has won the Ballon d'Or trophy a record seven times.

"He's the best. Simple as that," Rooney said. "In my view, he's the best player to ever play the game. That's how he's different.

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"The fanbase around him will be huge, commercially, for the league I'm sure it'll be huge as well. It's massive for MLS.

With Messi coming here – I know MLS has always brought players in – but I think it'll do that again, and it shows MLS can compete."

"It shows it’s a league where people want to come and want to play and it's a huge first step."

The era-defining Lionel Messi

'The Messi effect', as Houston Dynamo FC’s Ben Olsen outlined speaking to MLSsoccer.com, would be profound on casuals and diehards alike.

“I'm lucky enough to be involved in the league for some time, since '98,” began Olsen. “There are all these moments that are important and whether it's David Beckham coming to the league,

Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimović and some of these world-class players, the new stadiums along the way, the expansion over the last 30 years, there's just all these moments that when you're a fan of the league,

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deep down you feel a real small part of growing the sport in this country, and it's wonderful to see all of them. This one is a whole other level of that.

He believes the signing of Messi would help indeed, and potentially transform Major League Soccer."

MLS to reunite Messi, Ronaldo

Earlier Sports Brief reported that an MLS club is looking to explore the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, potentially reuniting him with rival Lionel Messi.

Reports from El Nacional and Mundo Deportivo claimed Ronaldo is already fed up with life in Saudi Arabia after struggling to adapt to the local culture.

These reports have further fanned the embers of a potential move to the MLS for the Portuguese forward.