IA galaxy. The name alone calls for stars. The identity of That city followed by That team name – one that is part of soccer’s galácticos dictionary – suggests a certain kind of franchise with a star player. Usually in the twilight of their careers, the arrival of these players in Major League Soccer attracts both thorns and buzz.
Critics typically label MLS as a “retirement league,” but with 35-year-old Marco Reus becoming the latest Hollywood signing to land with the Galaxy in LA, it’s clear that big players are still an important part of American soccer.
Along with other smart and ambitious clubs, the team that signed bona fide galáctico David Beckham as the league’s first Designated Player (DP) in 2007 is entering a new era – one in which older veterans complement a roster rather than define it. Reus may be the Galaxy’s most flashy player, but he won’t necessarily be their best. He’s not even a DP, as he is signed using targeted allocation funds.
Olivier Giroud was another statement signing, brought in during the league’s mid-season break. He turns 38 before the 2024 campaign ends and joins French veteran Hugo Lloris, 37, at Los Angeles FC.
American football has long been an attractive option for players who have made a name for themselves elsewhere before retiring. Not only is there a decent amount of money to be made, but American and Canadian cities can also be attractive to players who want to end their careers in a different, potentially more glamorous environment.
“I’d like to say that the only reason Marco Reus is here is because of my skills as a sporting director, but the reality is that the city of Los Angeles sells itself,” said LA Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz. “The same goes for Miami, New York or Chicago. There are a lot of American markets that have huge, global recognition. But it’s also about the idea that you can come to a place like Los Angeles and still be recognized for your success, right?”
While the “retirement league” label is used in a disparaging way, such major signings, especially as part of a larger plan, still have a place in North American soccer. Along with the arrivals of Beckham and Lionel Messi, Pelé’s stint with NASL team the New York Cosmos in the 1970s remains one of the greatest moments in American soccer. It’s one of the reasons the Cosmos name continues to resonate today, despite the demise of the NASL and the team’s indefinite hiatus.
Whether the sport and the leagues have used these moments to further develop the sport and grow it in the region in the long term is a matter of debate. But there is no doubt that such players have the potential to provide a huge boost to the teams they join, and to football in general.
Sometimes reality doesn’t always live up to expectations. MLS can be a grueling league to play in, with lots of travel and unforgiving opponents, so the aging star must arrive with the right attitude if he wants to be recognized as a success.
“In Marco’s case, what we’re most excited about is what we know about the way he trains every day,” Kuntz added. “That constant drive to get better and always be at his best is also infectious. In some cases, players with bigger reputations have the ability to absorb or take some of the external pressure — whether that’s pressure from fans or media — and help lighten the collective load of the group. I think that’s valuable.”
LA Galaxy’s standout players in a promising 2024 season that has seen them climb to the top of the Western Conference include Riqui Puig (25 years old), Gabriel Pec (23) and Joseph Paintsil (26). These are players in their prime, operating at a level that wouldn’t be out of place in UEFA competition. It shows a varied recruitment strategy, including signing potential stars from South America as Young DPs (Pec), but also seeking out peak-age DPs from Europe (Puig and Paintsil).
“It’s something that I don’t think was common or even possible when I first came into the league about 10 years ago,” Kuntz said of such signings.
New York City FC has previously hosted Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo, but has recently moved away from signing players at the end of their careers. Is this a deliberate change in strategy, or were the right players simply not available?
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“I think there’s still a place for it,” New York City athletic director David Lee says of signing older star players. “I think the key is making sure the player is good on and off the field. We’ve seen examples in MLS where it works well and we’ve seen examples where it doesn’t work well.
“If you look at the LA Galaxy over the last few years, their DP recruitment has been focused on trying to sign players that they feel can help them on the pitch but also bring name recognition. In the [2024] This off-season they took a different direction and you can see the dramatic improvement in their performance levels.
“I do think there is a place for an older traditional style DP, but it has to be the right one, and I think it’s harder to find the right one and easier to find the wrong one. If my goal is to take as many trophies as possible, I’m going to look at every player decision through that lens. I do think that at some point that could mean a bigger name DP, but I don’t think it necessarily has to be.”
New York City didn’t join the LA clubs in signing such a player in the recent trade window, but Lee thinks they’re still valuable and expressed similar sentiments to Kuntz about thinking more broadly and openly when it comes to recruiting. Soccer fans value star quality, no matter how it manifests. One of the most highly touted New York City players of late is Taty Castellanos, who came through the City Football Group system and found success with NYC before being sold to Lazio. Pec could follow a similar path with the Galaxy.
Kuntz described Reus as having “gravitas” in addition to experience, and such qualities are still useful to American soccer. As for the fact that it’s a retirement league, every league signs such players, even those in Europe. Barcelona’s starting striker is 36-year-old Robert Lewandowski, Manchester City recently re-signed İlkay Gündoğan (33), and one of the best players in the Bundesliga last season was 30-year-old Harry Kane at Bayern Munich.
If senior key players are part of a bigger plan, and not just a gamble to land a big name, they should be embraced as part of the ongoing narrative of the American soccer universe.