MLS has seen many major transfers in recent years, with Inter Miami potentially lining up another huge one next year for Brazilian star Neymar.
Inter Miami have been linked with Neymar in recent days with the Al-Hilal winger potentially heading to MLS in 2025 after a miserable 18 months at Al-Hilal, with the forward recently buying a $26m property in Florida.
With Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets already on Inter Miami’s payroll, Neymar would be reuniting with former teammates with the Herons in a transfer that would be one of the biggest MLS has ever seen.
And here are our ten biggest MLS transfers in the league’s history.
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10. Ezequiel Barco – Independiente to Atlanta United
Ezequiel Barco might not have become the MLS legend many expected the former Argentine wonderkid to become, but the fact Atlanta United, of all clubs, were able to sign the winger ahead of major clubs in Europe back in 2018 was nothing short of huge.
The Georgia franchise set the benchmark for who MLS clubs should be targeting in the transfer market, with Atlanta pioneering the change from aging superstars in Europe to exciting prospects from South America.
And at the time in 2018, Barco was considered one of the best talents in South America, with Atlanta winning the race for the winger and showing the world that MLS can be a lucrative destination for players looking to hone their talents before moving to Europe.
9. Carlos Vela – Real Sociedad to Los Angeles FC
A new MLS franchise will always want a superstar face to go along with their brand ahead of an inaugural season, and Los Angeles FC knocked it out of the park with the signing of Mexico international Carlos Vela from Real Sociedad.
A 2022 MLS Cup champion and the holder for the most goal contributions in a single MLS season, Vela’s impact at LAFC was nothing short of outstanding, with the forward’s 2019 campaign arguably the greatest individual year from a single player in league history.
With LAFC going on to sign Gareth Bale, Hugo Lloris and now Olivier Giroud, Vela’s initial signing and the success the forward brought to the Black and Gold has been key in the California franchise becoming as good as they have since their inaugural year.
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8. Thierry Henry – FC Barcelona to New York Red Bulls
As previously mentioned, MLS used to be a league where aging superstars were all the rage, yet even back in 2010, Thierry Henry joining the New York Red Bulls from FC Barcelona was nothing short of huge for soccer in America.
The European soccer legend is rightfully considered one of the greatest attackers the game has ever seen, and Henry spent the final years of his illustrious career running rings around MLS defenders and establishing the Red Bulls as a force in the early 2010s.
Alongside Tim Cahill and Bradley Wright-Phillips, Henry inspired the Red Bulls to the 2013 Supporters’ Shield and once again brought a much-needed spotlight on MLS that had been lacking, with the league really taking off once the French legend hung up his boots in 2014.
7. Sebastian Giovinco – Juventus to Toronto FC
MLS franchises have mastered the art of identifying fringe players from top European clubs and transforming them into superstars, and no example is better for this analogy than Sebastian Giovinco’s four-year spell at Toronto FC.
The former Juventus attacker went from a backup option for the Italian giants to the poster child of MLS at Toronto, with Giovinco’s incredible performances for Greg Vanney’s side putting the Canadian side on the soccer map as the forward led the Reds to the 2017 Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup.
Winning a spot in Italy’s national team as a result of his performances with Toronto, Giovinco opened the door for European players looking for game time to consider MLS as a legitimate option, a factor that has led to the overall quality of the league growing tenfold.
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6. Thiago Almada – Velez Sarsfield to Atlanta United
Just like Barco, Thiago Almada moved to Atlanta United having become something of a wonderkid phenom in Argentina with Velez Sarsfield, with the attacking midfielder considered a superstar in the making in South America.
Yet unlike Barco, Almada took to MLS like a duck to water, quickly becoming one of the most feared playmakers in the league and winning a spot in Argentina’s national team, with the Five Stripes star becoming the first active MLS player to win a FIFA World Cup in 2022.
Now a Botafogo player, Almada’s MLS legacy will inspire many South American youngsters to consider a move to America before making the journey to Europe, with the former Atlanta maestro showing what can happen when joining the right team.
5. Carlos Valderrama – Atletico Junior to Tampa Bay Mutiny
The original superstar signing in MLS, Carlos Valderrama joined the Tampa Bay Mutiny after earning an international reputation with Colombia, with the superstar playmaker regarded in the early 1990s as one of the best in the world despite an underwhelming career in Europe.
Nevertheless, Valderrama made the move to MLS for the inaugural 1996 season, where the 111-cap Colombia legend became a cult hero in the United States, playing seven years in America for the likes of Tampa, the Miami Fusion and the Colorado Rapids.
MLS’s first MVP recipient and the only player to register 20+ assists in a single season, Valderrama’s legacy in America was key to the league becoming what it is today, with the Colombian the first superstar the United States saw.
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4. Miguel Almiron – Lanus to Atlanta United
MLS exports have become key to the league’s business model in recent years, and a good argument can be made that Miguel Almiron has been the most successful one of all after leaving Atlanta United for Newcastle United.
Yet before the Paraguay international became a Premier League star, Almiron joined MLS from Lanus ahead of Atlanta’s inaugural season, becoming one of the league’s most exciting players after arriving with a great reputation from Argentina.
And the hype surrounding Almiron was more than warranted, with Atlanta becoming MLS Cup champions in just their second year as the winger, alongside Josef Martinez, played an influential role in the Five Stripes’ iconic 2018 campaign.
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3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Manchester United to LA Galaxy
‘Dear Los Angeles, you’re welcome.’ Only a player with an ego as big as Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s could announce their arrival in MLS with such a message, but the legendary Swedish striker lived up to expectations in the City of Angels.
The former Manchester United, PSG and AC Milan attacker only spent two seasons in MLS with the LA Galaxy, but Ibrahimovic’s time in California will never be forgotten, with the forward enjoying arugbaly the greatest debut in league history after two goals from the bench to win El Trafico against Los Angeles FC.
Indeed, Ibrahimovic’s time with the Galaxy was bombastic, explosive and entertaining, and even with the striker not winning any silverware for the MLS giants, the iconic attacker left an impact that few could make in soccer.
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2. Lionel Messi – PSG to Inter Miami
Lionel Messi is without question the greatest soccer player of all time, which is why the former FC Barcelona superstar moving to Inter Miami after leaving PSG in 2023 shook up MLS unlike anything that has come before.
Although injuries have hampered Messi’s time with the Herons, the 37-year-old attacker has shown in the last 12 months why he is still one of the best players in the world, with the Argentine leading Inter Miami to a Supporters’ Shield and the MLS play-offs.
With Messi still active, there’s no telling how far the South American legend could take Inter Miami, and the veteran forward will be key in future superstar players making the move to MLS having now made the switch himself.
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1. David Beckham – Real Madrid to LA Galaxy
It would be something of an understatement to say that MLS would not be where it is now had it not been for David Beckham, who stunned the world in 2007 by swapping Real Madrid and the heights of European soccer for MLS and the LA Galaxy.
Changing MLS forever with the introduction of the Designated Player rule, the Galaxy signing Beckham laid the seed for all that was to come in the league from the formation of Inter Miami and Messi to numerous top players making the move to America as a legitimate career choice.
Simply put, Beckham changed soccer in America and MLS, and the former England international could go down as the most influential figure in the sport the United States has ever seen or will ever see.