Tom Brady tells USMNT & MLS they need a ‘young phenom’ like Lionel Messi & Lamine Yamal - with NFL legend now working in soccer with Birmingham City

Seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady has dipped his toe into the world of soccer by becoming a minority stakeholder at St Andrew’s. He has experienced a rollercoaster of emotions there, including gut wrenching relegation and record-breaking promotion.

He has worked with Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney, with questions being asked of the ex-England captain’s commitment to management, and figures prominently on the new Amazon Prime Video documentary ‘Built in Birmingham: Brady & the Blues’ - which is intended to rival Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s ‘Welcome to Wrexham’.

Brady is still relatively new to a different form of football than the one which made him a sporting GOAT, but he claims to have seen enough to know what is required in order for the U.S. game to truly thrive.

Brady told the Men In Blazers podcast: “I think the reality for most athletes in America is these other sports just become very dominant because of culturally what’s on television all the time. And what’s being talked about in the schoolyard ends up often being talked about American football, basketball, baseball, hockey.

“And it’s an amazing sport. It’s a global sport. It’s the biggest sport in the world. We all love it. And the reality is, you think about boxing, when there’s an American heavyweight, everyone in America is all in on it.

“And we need the youth in America in soccer. We need a young phenom like a Lamine Yamal, a young Lionel Messi, to take over. And I believe that there will be the most amazing kind of cultural revolution for soccer here in America.

“We love rooting for winners. We love rooting for the best of the best. The World Cup is coming to America in 2026. You can’t imagine the fanfare when that happens. Every stadium will be sold out. The American audience loves it.”

Argentine superstar Messi is currently turning out in MLS, with it being claimed that a contract extension through to 2028 could soon be signed at Inter Miami. The USMNT, with Mauricio Pochettino at the helm, are counting down the days to a home World Cup in the summer of 2026.