Value for money? MLS warned off Neymar’s planned ‘MSN’ reunion with Lionel Messi & Luis Suarez at Inter Miami as ‘Father Time’ catches up with Brazilian superstar

Neymar’s contract at boyhood club Santos will expire before the end of the calendar year. At 34 years of age, he has some big decisions to make on what happens next. Injuries have been an issue in more recent times.

Questions have also been asked of whether a man that remains the most expensive player of all time - courtesy of his €222 million (£188m/$249m) transfer to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 - still boasts the creative spark which once made him so watchable and dangerous.

The 2026 World Cup did not play out as planned for Neymar, after seeing his selection for that competition generate plenty of headlines. With his game time being limited by Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer stumbled into international retirement.

His passion for the game has never waned, and the trickery that has seen him win a legion of fans across the globe will not completely desert him, and that means another new challenge and fresh start may yet be sought.

Argentine GOAT Messi is tied to terms in Miami through 2028. He has made a habit of welcoming familiar faces to the United States. The marketing appeal of Neymar in MLS is obvious to Sir David Beckham and Co.

Should a deal be done? Not everybody is convinced. The domestic game in North America continues to grow, so should greater emphasis be placed on finding stars of tomorrow rather than indulging fading icons of yesteryear?

Asked to explain his stance when it comes to another marquee signing for Inter Miami, ex-FC Dallas goalkeeper Hislop - who was speaking in association with Canadian casinos online - told GOAL: “I'm not sold on Neymar to MLS.

“Listen, incredible talent around MSN. Incredible history to who the three of them were, for Barcelona particularly. But Neymar's suffered some horrific injuries. I don't think he's anywhere near the player that he once was.

“And given how much it may very well cost MLS, I'm not sure it's value for money, other than the spectacle of having the three of those together again. That being said, Luis Suarez as well is slowing down. Still an incredible finisher, but I don't know if he has the legs to have the impact in MLS or anywhere else that he once did. And that is no disrespect to one of the finest finishers that this game has seen in generations.

“Similarly around Neymar. Father Time catches up with us all, even if [Cristiano] Ronaldo and Messi continue to prove differently. So just from a business standpoint, from a financial standpoint, if I were in charge of MLS, I'm not sure I see the value in that.”

Neymar is yet to reveal, at least in public, what his plans are for the immediate future. It may be that he embraces the opportunity to work with close friend Messi again - having also shared a pitch with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner at PSG.

The ‘MSN’ reunion that has captured the imagination of a worldwide audience may not take place regardless of what the Brazilian idol decides to do, with Suarez’s contract in Miami running down at 39 years of age.