Is Neymar coming to MLS? Transfer reporters have indicated that the Chicago Fire are among the suitors as the 32-year-old Brazilian winger looks to write his next chapter, moving on from Saudi club Al Hilal.

According to ESPN, two other MLS teams also have inquired about bringing Neymar in—and that isn’t including Inter Miami. While a reunion of the MSN trident that wooed so many fans during their time at Barcelona is enticing, new Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano admitted it would be difficult to bring him in and still comply with MLS’ roster regulations.

A romantic return to boyhood club Santos FC has the most likely odds, but a move to MLS isn’t out of the question. But, would it be good? B/R Football examines the pros and cons of bringing Neymar to North America.

Pro: It'd Be a Media Boost for a League That Could Always Use One

It seems everyone has an opinion on Neymar, and whatever that opinion is, people do tune in to see him. At his best, he was a player who demanded that attention, creating moments of brilliance with a small flick or an audacious trick that left defenders baffled.

MLS has made a habit of rolling out the red carpet for the game’s biggest stars.
Messi’s arrival in 2023 may mark a before and after point, but the league has had something for everyone from El Tri diehards (Chicharito, Cuauhtémoc and Gio dos Santos) to hardcore fans of calcio (Giovinco and the other Italians showing up in Toronto) and even Brazilian royalty with Kaka ending his career with Orlando City. The star names sell tickets, and in MLS’ new media landscape, they sell Apple TV subscriptions.

Neymar doesn’t have the same status as Messi, who arrived in the league off the back of a World Cup championship and a Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain rather than injury-plagued seasons in Saudi. But the Brazilian definitely put more eyes on the league, always a plus for a league competing with so many other leagues for those viewers.

Con: …But Is It the Type of Boost MLS Is Looking For?

Since David Beckham’s arrival in 2007, MLS has pushed against the narrative that it is a "retirement league," a place for washed-up stars to try to recapture their former glory before hanging up their boots for good. After he cashed out by going to Saudi Arabia, it feels unlikely that Neymar will be able to return to the heights he hit with Barcelona at his best.

Were he to join MLS, he’d be a big draw in the local market and fans would turn up to see away matches, but that has happened for players who have not been successes on the field. Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Andra Pirlo and most recently Lorenzo Insigne have struggled even as fans turn out to remember the good ol’ days.

Fair or not, Neymar has a reputation as a player who prefers dancing samba at Rio’s Carnival to dancing in celebration after a goal. Would having him lining up in MLS really add to the league’s legitimacy?

Or would it simply give more ammunition to its detractors who already feel the level is low and the players who go there simply for the paycheck rather than to chase silverware?

Pro: Neymar Could Still Do It On the Field and Provide a Rival to Messi

A recent report from the MLS Players Association indicates that Messi, Suarez and standout goalkeeper Maarten Paes, who now suits up for the national team of soccer-crazed Indonesia, had the most social media engagements of any player last season. The top 10 also includes MLS Cup champions Riqui Puig and Marco Reus, but there isn’t a player in the Eastern Conference who stands as Messi’s big rival.

Sure, Atlanta United games will have extra spice after the Five Stripes bounced Miami from the playoffs and ended their hopes of seeing Messi lift MLS Cup. But, at the moment, there isn’t that one player on Atlanta who rises above the rest.

Neymar would be an instant foil for Messi if he signed, with their showdowns the types of matches that hardcore supporters would grudgingly admit they’re tuning into and casual fans would circle on the calendar.

Con: But Can He Even Stay on the Field?

As of writing, Neymar has played in three league matches for Al Hilal, registering 206 minutes since his September 2023 debut. He also played in four Asian Champions League matches.

While the ACL tear he suffered has cleared, a subsequent hamstring injury means he's not fully fit at the moment. It's more than fair to have questions about the São Paulo native's durability.

MLS is not an easy league to play in, either. Too many veterans of European soccer have come to North America only to find the league much more demanding than expected. Some of the shortest trips in MLS are considered long trips in La Liga or Ligue 1, and players spend long hours on planes.

There are teams that use artificial turf surfaces, something a player with Neymar's injury history would almost certainly have to avoid except for the most important of matches. And the climate in the U.S. in the summer can reach high temperatures that drain players used to cooler conditions—though perhaps Neymar can reach back to his days as a young man in Brazil and cope with some humidity.

Even if Neymar is able to log 2,000 minutes of MLS action in 2025, would he be good? We haven't seen him play sustained soccer for years. It's easy to bring to mind Neymar dazzling in the yellow Brazil jersey or wearing the Blaugrana of Barcelona, but to do so in the next jersey he puts on he needs his legs to hold up. They haven't in a long time.

Pro: Neymar Would Arrive Motivated Ahead of the 2026 World Cup

Then again, Neymar does have one big reason beyond his personal legacy for putting in the type of effort needed to come close to his peak performance: The 2026 World Cup.

The Brazil national team is in a strange time. They sit fifth in the 10-team table in CONMEBOL World Cup qualification, good enough to make it but clearly behind leaders Argentina when it comes to both points (Argentina has 25, Brazil 18) and quality.

Brazil lost a World Cup qualification match at home for the first time ever in this cycle. And at the Copa América in the summer, they bowed out to Uruguay in the quarterfinals after a scoreless draw, clearly lacking the pop of Brazil teams of yore.

So, if Neymar is able to show anything close to what he did before his move to the Middle East at his new club, his phone will show the caller ID of Brazil manager Dorival Junior. In the fall, Dorival Junior said he hoped Neymar would be able to play for Brazil in March.

But even a desperate manager won't call in a player just to call him in. Neymar is going to have to earn it. Goals or assists in the same league where Messi currently plays would only strengthen his case.

Con: Motivation May Not Be Enough to Justify the Investment

While playing in the nation that will host the World Cup may help him acclimate to the climate and travel players will endure in the summer of 2026, it’s not clear if that would light enough of a fire under Neymar to truly justify any MLS team spending the amount of money he’ll command.

And it is a significant amount of money. Neymar reportedly makes around $100 million a year on his current Al Hilal deal. That’s $80 million more than Messi makes in total compensation according to numbers released by the MLS Players Association—though the Argentine superstar has other agreements tied to his presence in MLS that also yield a fair amount more.

The lingering questions about Neymar’s fitness, his competitive fire and, crucially, his football mean any MLS team opting to bring him in is taking a huge risk, one that would have to go just right to bring commiserate reward.