Major League Soccer chief hits back at PSG’s Neymar, says it’s ‘not a retirement home’ for players past their best
- Commissioner Don Garber takes exception to comments by Brazilian star
- Garber wants players in prime of their careers to play in the United States
Major League Soccer (MLS) is shedding its image as a league for players on the verge of retirement, commissioner Don Garber said after Paris St Germain and Brazil striker Neymar expressed his desire to play in the United States before his career ends.
Neymar told the Fenomenos podcast this week that he would love to play in the United States for at least a season before joking “their season is shorter, so I’d get three months’ vacation.”
The 30-year-old is under contract at PSG until June 2025 and added that he was more likely to play in America than return to his home country before hanging up his boots.
“We don’t need to bring in a big-name player at the end of their career because they’ve decided they’d like to retire in the MLS,” Garber told reporters.
Garber said he wanted the MLS story to be about young players choosing to come to the league at the earliest stages or the prime of their careers.
This year, Napoli captain Lorenzo Insigne signed a precontract to join Toronto FC on a four-year deal after his contract with the Italian club expires in June.
Switzerland international Xherdan Shaqiri, who is also 30, joined Chicago Fire this season.
