LOS ANGELES – Fifa president Gianni Infantino said on May 6 that Major League Soccer (MLS) needs to sign more top players in order to boost the profile of football in the United States, where the sport is not the most popular.

His comments were an obvious reflection of the impact Lionel Messi has made – both in terms of the economics and fanfare – on the league since he joined David Beckham’s Inter Miami last summer.