Brazilian superstar Neymar is looking for a new club. His representatives, led by his father, are busy testing the market, gauging interest in the Al Hilal striker. So, naturally, reports of talks with Major League Soccer sides made headlines this week.

Now 32, Neymar’s unspectacular stint in Saudi Arabia will end this summer when his contract expires and the Chicago Fire have held discussions with his camp. For a wealthy owner in Joe Mansueto, looking to revive Chicago from the doldrums of mediocrity, a splashy signing is a go-to strategy.

In reality, the deal seems doomed from the beginning, but in this instance, one less global superstar making his way to North America is good news. Neymar, for all his fame and popularity, would be a failed signing for the league.

Now 32, Neymar, who is the Brazilian national team’s all-time leader in goals scored, has not dominated a match since the second half of the 2021 Copa America final against Argentina. On that day, Neymar was unplayable, a one-man force on the ball who displayed the incredible skills and elite determination that have marked his playing days. Argentina and captain Lionel Messi won the match, but Neymar was by far the best player on the pitch.

He showed flashes of brilliance at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, scoring two goals (one from the penalty spot) during a disappointing run for the five-time world champions. He then ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee in October of 2023 while playing for Brazil in a 2026 World Cup qualifier. At the time, his form and attitude in Brazil’s famed yellow kit was heavily criticized. He was beginning to look like a great player with dwindling superpowers. Perhaps unfairly, he took most of the blame for Brazil’s precipitous fall in South America and on the global stage.

Numbers and statistics, though, are not subjective. Since joining Al Hilal in 2023 as one of the Saudi Premier League’s most important signings ever, Neymar has made just four appearances for the club, scoring once. He earned hundreds of millions of dollars, though, and for Chicago to even corner his consideration would require an offer of a multi-pronged contract similar to the one Messi was given by Inter Miami.

Messi, according to the MLS Players’ Association salary update from 2024, earns a base salary of $12million. His total compensation is $20.4million, but Messi will pocket nearly $50million total based on various marketing agreements, including a portion of Apple TV’s $2.5billion broadcast deal. Javier Mascherano, Miami’s newly appointed head coach, told reporters recently that signing Neymar would be impossible. Now we know why.

Still, Neymar and Messi will be forever linked. They’re close friends and, along with Uruguayan Luis Suarez, Messi’s teammate in Miami, the pair were part of a prolific strikeforce at Barcelona from 2014-2017. The trio were known as “MSN” and they scored goals for fun, but Messi and Neymar are built differently. Messi is a World Cup winner whose drive and winning mentality are legendary.

When he arrived in the U.S., fans and pundits debated whether Messi’s obsessive competitive streak would continue, or if he would relax and enjoy Miami beach life after winning the sport’s top prize. After leading Miami to a Leagues Cup trophy in 2023, Messi was named MLS MVP in 2024 following Miami’s Supporters’ Shield-winning season. Messi has slowed down, but he still captains his country and clearly he has come to MLS to continue to win.

Brazilians are football’s rock stars. Their swagger and samba vibes, combined with the nation’s impeccable history as the sport’s preeminent international side, add a level of stardom that no other country can replicate. Neymar’s flair, his outlandish hairstyles and his love for Brazil’s famed Rio Carnival epitomize his nation’s mentality that sport and life should be enjoyed at a maximum.

When he played for French champions Paris Saint-Germain, Neymar’s yearly trips to Rio for his sister Rafaella’s birthday in March (which coincides with Carnival) became the stuff of legend. Dating back to 2014, Neymar was either injured or conveniently suspended when the festival rolled around. He missed Carnival in 2020 after attending for six straight years.

The MLS calendar begins in January. Preseason training kicked off last week with regular season matches slated to begin on February 22. Imagine Neymar living in Chicago during the city’s brutal winter months. Do you honestly think he’d suddenly forget about Rio’s warm-weather party atmosphere while preparing to face Sporting Kansas City?

Messi has spoken publicly about the rigors of MLS play. He quickly became aware of the different time zones teams must play in, the changing weather and the league’s challenging travel schedule, the turf fields, plus the physical nature of MLS’s playing style. Furthermore, Messi has had to lower his expectations significantly in regards to the skill level of his teammates in MLS. It is difficult to imagine Neymar would have the patience required to cope effectively with those realities of American soccer.

Santos return, Miami with Messi or staying at Al Hilal: What now for Neymar after Saudi frustration?

Neymar’s current head coach at Al Hilal, Jorge Jesus, told reporters on Thursday that the Brazilian’s recent knee injury, and his overall lack of fitness, had finally caught up with him. Al Hilal has registered Neymar for the domestic league season, but the club kept him off the side’s squads that will compete in the league cup and Asian Champions League tournament.

“No one doubts him as a player,” Jesus said. “He’s world-class, but the truth is that he has not been able to keep up with the team physically.”

And yet, Chicago held exploratory talks with Neymar knowing that he can no longer compete in a league that is arguably inferior to MLS. It’s easy to understand the marketing impact Neymar would have in MLS, but if he can’t perform at a level befitting the investment, it’s simply bad business.

In 2022, I wrote a column that argued that MLS still needs well-known over-age international players in order to raise the league’s profile.

The “retirement league” motif had come roaring back after Neymar, Messi and James Rodriguez had expressed a desire to play in America. Messi had stated his interest in experiencing U.S. culture. Rodriguez, who was playing in Qatar at the time, said he liked MLS but that it wasn’t the right time to make the move.

Neymar, while on a podcast with Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario, said, “I don’t know if I’ll play in Brazil again. I’d love to play in the U.S., actually. I’d love to play there for at least one season.” He then cackled hysterically after admitting that a shorter season in MLS would give him “a three-month vacation.”

“As it relates to when they get older, if (signing them) makes sense, that’s great,” Garber said when asked about the aforementioned comments. “If they’re not here to come and play and be a great contributor to their club and to our league and to respect the league and its fans, then we don’t want them in Major League Soccer. So, we don’t need to bring in a big-name player at the end of their career because they’ve decided they’d like to retire in MLS.”

What would Neymar’s ultimate motivation be if he were to play in MLS? Remember, there have been several international players of high quality who have flopped in MLS; Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Rafa Marquez, Andrea Pirlo and Xherdan Shaqiri, to name a few. The reasons are countless. Tactical fit, football culture in the U.S. or a lack of hunger for competition?

Neymar is a futsal-inspired skill merchant. The world has enjoyed his generational talents since his debut season with Santos in 2009. The best-case scenario for Neymar, and he knows this, would be to end his club career in Brazil. He’s adored in his home country and a triumphant return to Santos, or a wealthy club like Botafogo, would be celebrated. That’s a transfer worth applauding.