Neymar 'Certain' Lionel Messi Will 'Change' MLS in USA; 'Sad and Happy' About Move

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar believes former teammate Lionel Messi will leave a lasting impact on MLS once his move to Inter Miami officially goes through.

"I'm certain that Leo is going to change the league in the United States," the Brazilian said, per ESPN's Adriana Garcia. "I believe the league will become a lot more popular. So everyone has to take advantage and enjoy watching him play because unfortunately nothing lasts forever."

Neymar added he's "sad and happy at the same time" because he wanted to continue playing alongside Messi but knows the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner will relish his new life in Miami.

The obvious parallels are being drawn between Messi's eventual signing and David Beckham's MLS arrival in 2007. Beckham's tenure with the Los Angeles Galaxy wasn't an overwhelming success, but there's no question he helped the league grow in popularity, both domestically and abroad.

While MLS is in a much different place than it was in 2007, moving heaven and earth to lure in Messi is obviously intended to have a similar impact.

There's only so much MLS can do to bridge the gap to the top European leagues when those competitions have been around in some form for decades or even a century or more.

But the way MLS is perceived could shift a lot over the next few years if Messi, like Beckham before him, can be a magnet for other top stars while helping to improve the league's bottom line.