Will Lionel Messi finally make the U.S. a soccer nation?

Lionel Messi celebrates the game-winning goal after defeating Cruz Azul on Friday.

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

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After a move to Inter Miami, the world’s biggest soccer star has more than a new team to take on — he’s being counted on to popularize Major League Soccer too.

Who is he? Some say he’s the GOAT, others the greatest soccer player of his generation. Perhaps most notoriously, he’s a recent World Cup champion.

• Lionel Messi is the 36-year-old Argentine soccer star that recently chose to leave the European leagues and join the American Major League Soccer team, Inter Miami.
• The move drew global attention for several reasons, including his decline of a reportedly monstrous $1.6 billion contract from Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, as well as his shift from the prestigious European leagues.

What’s the big deal? Well, Americans love their sports, and more importantly, they love being good at them. But is the nation ready to embrace soccer into the fold of national pastimes like baseball, basketball and the NFL?

• The MLS represents soccer at the highest level in the United States, and is only just about to celebrate its 30th anniversary. While the MLS has covered plenty of ground in those decades and grown in popularity, it still trails behind the major European leagues in terms of fans and clout. By a lot.
• And as history has shown, the presence of a major superstar can revitalize interest. David Beckham’s stint for L.A. Galaxy in the mid 2000s injected plenty of life into the league, and more importantly, attendance to stadiums.
• So, as the MLS grows and Messi starts his era in the U.S.,…