DC United coach Wayne Rooney had a message for Lionel Messi, who will be joining Major League Soccer outfit Inter Miami next season.
The Argentine confirmed earlier this week that he will be joining the David Beckham-owned franchise when his Paris Saint-Germain contract expires at the end of the month.
Read: Inter Miami 'Want' Messi's Argentina Teammate
Rooney is hoping Messi will be available when United take on Miami next month and says his arrival will be great for the league.
"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. 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."
"I think it's great, to bring Messi into the league. We've all seen, over the years, the impact of [Inter Miami co-owner] David Beckham coming in, [former LA Galaxy striker] 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. It's going to be great for the league, for Miami."
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