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Alexi Lalas Lionel Messi 2024Getty/GOAL
Chris Burton

Fans call for Alexi Lalas to be 'banned from speaking about soccer' after ex-USMNT star boldly states where MLS' best team would finish in Premier League - with Lionel Messi's Inter Miami sitting top of Eastern Conference table

Fans have called for Alexi Lalas to be “banned from speaking about soccer” after predicting how the best MLS team would fare in the Premier League.

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  • Plenty of household names in the States
  • Level of competition is improving
  • Standard in England considered to be much higher

  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Former USMNT star Lalas is never afraid to share a bold opinion on social media, and he has been doing that again when interacting with followers on X.

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    He was asked “where do you think the best MLS team finishes in the prem table?” and responded by saying: “Mid-table.”

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  • WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

    Said comment has drawn a puzzled response from some, with @MASONTDYKMAN claiming that Lalas “should be banned from speaking about soccer”. A similar stance was taken by @Craig_1998, who added: “This is why Americans shouldn't talk about football. Every single MLS team would struggle in the Championship let alone the Premier League”. The Championship line became a popular theme, with @yagizszmen stating that the cream of the MLS crop are “not even mid-table in Championship”.

    Elsewhere, questions were asked of whether a side from the States could avoid the drop in England. @RomoSpur11 said “any MLS team that played a season in the Premier League would be relegated. Crazy to think otherwise”, while @JimFrigginLahey added: “I think in some one off games? We’d maybe hold our own… But a whole season? No, MLS gets relegated everytime.”

  • Lionel Messi Luis Suarez Jordi Alba Inter Miami 2024Getty Images

    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    There is plenty of quality to be found in MLS, with Inter Miami currently leading the way in the Eastern Conference. They have the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba on their books, but the former Barcelona quartet are all well into their 30s and may struggle to compete at a Premier League level over the course of a gruelling 38-game campaign.

  • WHAT NEXT FOR MLS?

    The debate Lalas has sparked is not one that MLS will be concerning themselves with, though, as the only target for all of those connected to the game in the United States is ensuring that the quality and profile of the division continues to rise on the back of Messi’s arrival and with the promise of more superstar signings to come.