A lot of European football players played in MLS. Many legends ended their careers here. Let’s list the top 10 players from Europe who played for MLS clubs.
10. Robbie Keene (LA Galaxy)
Keane remains the best Irishman ever to play for an MLS team.
After signing with Galaxy in 2011, Keane scored 104 goals in six seasons, and in 2014 he became the most valuable player of the championship and was part of the symbolic team for four seasons. Keane has won the MLS Cup three times.
9. Bastian Schweinsteiger (Chicago Fire)
The German player chose the Chicago Fire in 2017 as the last stop in his illustrious career.
In three seasons with the MLS team, he scored eight goals in 85 games, but he did a lot off the field.
Schweinsteiger had a positive influence on young players by passing on his experience to them.
8. Frank Lampard (New York City)
During his time in the Premier League, Lampard became known as one of the top-scoring midfielders in history, and he hoped to build on that scoring when he joined the New York-based club.
In 2014, he signed with the team but then went on loan to Manchester City. Lampard ended up making 29 American League appearances, scoring 15 goals and 3 assists.
7. David Villa (New York City)
Villa shocked the world when he moved to New York in 2015. In 130 appearances for the club, Villa scored 82 goals and became the most valuable player in the league in 2016.
Villa eventually left New York in 2018 and moved to the Japanese League.
6 Steven Gerrard (LA Galaxy)
The former Premier League star left Liverpool to join MLS team Galaxy in 2015.
In total, Gerrard has made 36 MLS appearances, scoring 5 goals and 12 assists.
Although the player left Los Angeles in 2016, he remains one of the club’s most famous faces.
5. Andrea Pirlo (New York City)
The Italian star joined the New York club in 2015 after parting ways with Juventus.
Pirlo played in 60 matches in three seasons, exceeding the wildest expectations.
Together with Lampard and Villa, Pirlo raised the status of a team that gained international recognition.
4. Wayne Rooney (DC United)
Rooney joined the club from Washington in 2018.
The nation’s capital rallied around the former Premier League player who quickly became team and league favourites.
The famous goal he scored from his half of the field will never be forgotten by MLS fans and not only.
3. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (LA Galaxy)
Unforgettable is also the participation of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the MLS, both on and off the field. In addition to phenomenal goals, Zlatan also often gave interviews and participated in various American shows.
He joined Galaxy in 2018 and has scored a staggering 53 goals in 58 games.
Zlatan remains one of the best players to ever play in MLS. Of course, he claims to be the best player in this league in history.
2. Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls)
One of Europe’s greatest players Thierry Henry joined MLS in 2010 from Barcelona.
During his time in the league, Henry scored 52 goals in five seasons. He eventually retired in 2014 but returned to MLS as a coach with the Montreal Impact.
1. David Beckham (LA Galaxy)
Beckham is arguably the most famous European player to grace the MLS pitches.
In 2007, he made a shocking move from Real Madrid to Galaxy, a decision no one understood at the time.
In addition to 18 goals in 115 matches, Beckham gave a strong impetus to the development of football in the United States.
After his departure from the club, Beckham decided to continue working in the MLS, becoming one of the owners of the Inter Miami club, which, by the way, now plays the famous football players Matuidi and Higuain.
