Brad Friedel Exclusive: MLS Ambitions, U.S. World Cup Hopes, and Premier League Reflections

In an exclusive interview, former Premier League and U.S. Men’s National Team goalkeeper Brad Friedel shared his views on the evolution of Major League Soccer, the direction of Mauricio Pochettino’s U.S. project, and the current state of Liverpool and Aston Villa, two of his former clubs.

Friedel discussed the commercial and sporting risks of big-name signings like Neymar, the impact of Lionel Messi in MLS, and the league’s challenges with TV revenue. He also provided valuable insight into the U.S. national team’s development under Pochettino, the ongoing battle for the No.1 goalkeeper spot, and what would define a successful 2026 World Cup.

Finally, Friedel reflected on Liverpool’s struggles without Alisson, Giorgi Mamardashvili’s potential, Emiliano Martínez’s mindset, and why Aston Villa holds a special place in his heart.

Neymar to Inter Miami: A Commercial Dream, a Sporting Risk

Friedel views Neymar’s potential move to Inter Miami as a significant commercial boost, but a risky sporting decision due to his age and injury history. However, with a carefully structured contract, the risks could be mitigated, and his presence could further elevate MLS, following Messi’s example. Still, MLS needs improved TV deals to truly capitalize on these high-profile signings.

Would Neymar be a smart signing for Inter Miami or a risky one, given his recent injury record?

“I think it would be a risk on anyone’s behalf. I think it just depends on how you would structure the contract. You also have to weigh the pros and cons, when you sign legends of the game like Neymar, you also have to take into account the commercial opportunities that go with it, and it coincides nearly every time with the salary and wage packet that you are going to give.

You are going to make a substantial amount of money off the field when you bring someone like that in. I think there is probably more of a sporting risk than a commercial risk, or equally so if he does get injured. But if he doesn’t get injured, the risk becomes his age and the injuries he has had, and whether he can be that player [they need].

The plus side is, it is a league that is a step down from where he is playing. Lionel Messi is the greatest of all time, but he can play many more years in MLS. It is a league that will allow players to do that, so I think Inter Miami need to weigh the pros and cons of what they can earn off the field and try to get it correct.

If they can structure the contract correctly, then it limits the risk. Having Neymar alongside Messi again, I am not sure. We will wait and see, but the league needs to do something commercially.

The TV contract needs to be bigger within the MLS to make sure the league can be profitable, because the way it is set up, it is not. Bringing in the likes of Thomas Müller at Vancouver, look at what it has done for them. Again, I don’t know if it has impacted them commercially in a positive way, but the MLS has to do something, and Neymar would be another step in the right direction.”

Will Luis Suárez agree to play for another year if ‘MSN’ can be reformed?

“I am not in or around his group to know, but I have played against him many times, and when you watch him run, I don’t know if it is his ankles or his knees, but it is getting to the end for him, so I don’t know if he can do another year even if he wants to. I would not be surprised when he does say that he will be retiring.”

Messi’s Legacy and MLS’s Next Steps

Friedel connects Neymar’s potential move to the broader challenge MLS faces in leveraging star power for long-term success. While Messi has brought increased visibility to the league and soccer in the United States, he emphasizes that MLS must improve its TV contracts to stay competitive with other U.S. sports. Like Messi, Neymar could raise the league’s profile, but MLS needs stronger revenue streams to make it sustainable.

You talked about Messi and his influence, now that more than two years have passed, what should be the next steps to maximize his presence in MLS?

“The big thing is the TV contract. It has been well noted that there are some struggles with the subscription base and the viewership within the Apple TV contract. There are so many competitors when it comes to watching football in the US. People around the world only think of the other major sports, but you also have sports like NASCAR, which has huge viewing figures.

It’s not as cut and dried as just signing the name, but when Messi was signed, I was in the Miami area a lot, and before he signed, you would not have known there was a club there. Now you do, you see his name and the shirts all over the place. That’s only a small pocket of the United States. I know Messi is global, but I am talking about the other communities, cities and teams. What makes the Premier League better and better is the television revenue.

The MLS simply doesn’t have the TV revenue to cover the costs. I don’t have the answer, but what Messi needs to do is the same as what he always does, and that is to play the games he is picked for. You can tell he has a good relationship with his teammates; he tries to make the players around him better. If Inter Miami were to lose him, then I think that would be devastating for the league and for Inter Miami. If he stays, then he just needs to keep doing the same.”

Do you think Inter Miami’s project with Messi needs to win the MLS Cup to be considered successful?

“That’s a little bit different from the American mentality. In the other sports, there are many seasons that are write-off seasons, the American fans are used to that. There are legends of the game who don’t win trophies. I think everyone in the United States thinks Lionel Messi is the greatest, or joint greatest, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. I don’t think that matters as much, everyone thinks he is the greatest.

For Lionel, watching him on the field and seeing what occurs when Inter Miami lose, those guys aren’t happy, which is quite nice for me to see. Sometimes, and this isn’t Messi, but some of the players haven’t conducted themselves in the correct manner, though it shows they still want to win, which is great.

You don’t want players coming to the league who don’t care if they win or lose. I’m sure he wants to win and play every minute, but changing people’s minds over whether he is the greatest, I don’t think it matters if he wins or loses.”

Looking ahead to the start of next season, how much does the idea of being on the verge of a final World Cup affect a player’s performance at club level?

“It has been one of the downsides of it, but they are doing things that the league is allowing them to do, and you have to live with it. The fact of the matter is, America is still building; the better players move abroad, so they are not in MLS.

I would imagine that Lionel Messi potentially has a say in what players he wants in the team. Unfortunately, that would probably lead to there not being a lot of American players who are going to be the supporting cast.”

USA: Pochettino’s Project and the Path to 2026

Turning to the U.S. Men’s National Team, Friedel expresses confidence in Mauricio Pochettino’s leadership despite mixed results in friendlies. He parallels the growth of MLS with the growth of the U.S. team, noting that both need time to develop. Just as Messi’s presence has made a visible impact, Friedel believes Pochettino’s influence will shape a competitive squad by 2026, with success defined by advancing past the group stage and improving with each match.

How are you seeing Mauricio Pochettino’s project? Do you share some fans’ frustration with the poor results in friendly matches?

“I don’t share the same frustration because I know how Mauricio works and I know how talented he and his staff are. When results aren’t positive, there will be lots of people who get frustrated and voice their opinions.

I think a few of the pundits over in the US are speaking quite personally about some of the players, which I thought was a bit over the top, especially when there are no qualification games and a new manager who also has to come to terms with the true mentality of the American players.

It is normal for that to take a bit of time when a foreign manager goes into another national team, but in today’s world, especially with social media, people get their opinions out quickly, and that’s just another added element of what coaches and players have to deal with.

My stance has always been the same as the day he was hired: Mauricio is one of the best coaches out there, and he has one of the best sets of staff out there, and he will get a squad together by the time the World Cup is here that is very competitive.

Does that mean getting out of the group stages or making the quarter-finals? Who knows. You have to see what the draw is and whether there are injuries or suspensions. I believe in Mauricio and believe in his staff. If you have seen the last three games, you can start to see that the squad is coming together.

The one thing that is for sure with Mauricio is that, when the World Cup kicks off, there will be 11 players on the pitch who are fighting like hell for each other. That will happen. Mauricio just has to find the right players who will fit into his system on and off the field because, believe me, he has a different set of codes that some of the players may not be accustomed to off the field, and they have to get used to that.

I still back him wholeheartedly, no matter what has happened during the friendly matches.”

How do you see the competition among the goalkeepers?

“I would say it looks like Matt Freese is number one. I brought Matt into the national team for the youth team and gave him his debut, and I signed Chris Brady as an agent back in the day. He is in there as well.

I think long term, Chris Brady is doing incredibly well. Could he take his form after the short MLS break and become the starter? We will have to wait and see. I think Zack Steffen and Matt Turner are both excellent goalkeepers, but because they signed for Man City and Arsenal, they didn’t get a lot of playing time for multiple years. As a goalkeeper, what is important is that you play games.

Matt’s made his move back, and so has Zack, and will that be enough to get themselves back into the frame? I always thought the last camp in October was the start of Mauricio not experimenting anymore, and Freese played the games.

The next upcoming international break will be another telling sign of that. I would probably say the order is Freese at one; number two and three will depend on who is in form come the World Cup.”

Do you expect Mauricio Pochettino to stay on as coach after the World Cup?

“I never asked Mauricio about his contract or status, ever. If the US has a decent run… I don’t know what his relationships are like with the board. I can see him staying, but I can also see big clubs wanting him. You never know with that.”

Finally, from your point of view, what would a successful World Cup look like for the United States?

“You have to look at the draw. The US is not in a luxury position like England, Brazil or Argentina, where no matter who they get drawn with, they are getting out of the group. They have to take it step by step and see what the draw is and whether they can get out of the group.

Once you are out of the group, then it is down to lady luck, I’m afraid, with the draw. In the last World Cup, they had a solid side, but then you saw them against the Netherlands, and they were very much second best on the day.

It depends on what draw you get, the teams you play, and whichever goalkeeper plays, they will have to be very good in the World Cup because, as the teams hopefully advance, they are going to get better and better. They will create chances no matter what. I would say success is to get out of the group and then take it game by game.”

Liverpool & Aston Villa: Life Between the Posts

Friedel concludes by discussing his former clubs, Liverpool and Aston Villa, both of which face challenges in their own right. Liverpool’s struggles without Alisson show the importance of a strong backbone, much like how star players like Messi (and possibly Neymar) anchor their teams in MLS. Meanwhile, Aston Villa’s growing confidence mirrors the rise of other clubs like Inter Miami, with Friedel’s positive reflections on the club’s culture and fan support linking back to the importance of strong foundations, both on and off the pitch.

How much have Liverpool missed Alisson? Has his absence been overlooked amid all the talk about their poor form?

“Enormously. Alisson is one of the greats at the club, but I also think they will be missing him off the field when things aren’t going well, to help situations and to make sure players stay in line. He is so good in one v ones; you can play high lines and know he is there. Giorgi Mamardashvili is a very good goalkeeper, but he is very new when it comes to playing in the Premier League. He needs to learn the Premier League, which is normal.

He has a big frame and looks very good, but at this moment in time he is not Alisson. That is fine; it doesn’t mean he is not a good goalkeeper. It is a little bit unfortunate that at the time Alisson is out, Kelleher has gone, and he would’ve been used to playing at Anfield and used to playing with the Liverpool squad. They miss him immensely. They could be missing him more than any other player.”

What have you made of Giorgi Mamardashvili? Some question marks have been raised about him. Has he shown he can be the long-term successor to Alisson?

“It is too early to tell for me. I think it is really difficult for goalkeepers to come in right away and be incredible. Some do, of course, but the Premier League is different. I remember when Hugo Lloris first came to Tottenham, he was at Lyon, a Champions League club, and he was an important layer for France, winning games.

But when he came to the Premier League, he found that he had so much to do all the time, whereas when he was playing at Lyon, he didn’t have as much to do. You have to get used to that as a goalkeeper; you have to get mentally prepared that if you are playing bottom of the league, you might have to do more. You just never know, because it is the Premier League.

I think before people can really jump on to how he is, they need to let him have a run of games, to be settled in the country and at the club for a little while. Then we can have our opinions on whether he can be the successor.

But I don’t think he is one you can jump on the back of right now. Everyone knows Alisson is number one, let him learn his trade. He has many years ahead of him, so let’s see how he develops.”

On to your other former club, Aston Villa. Emiliano Martínez appeared to suffer a dip in form after all the Man Utd speculation in the summer. Do you think that affected him?

“I think it impacted him. I have met Emi Martínez, and he is a super guy, a top-class professional. I was a little bit surprised when I saw him at the end of the season; it did seem like a farewell, so when you are like that, naturally I thought he had a move [to another club].

Mentally, looking from the outside in, I think he was prepared for that move and not mentally prepared to stay. That’s what it looked like to me from the outside. Now, in meeting him and knowing him a little bit now that he has stayed, I think he loves Aston Villa and will work incredibly hard.

I just think he thought that he was done, and that is what it looked like to me. Is he still one of the world’s best? Yes. Can we get his form back? Absolutely, without a doubt. I think we are judging him. If he has a little dip in form, and his form has been so high for so long, then a little dip isn’t so bad.”

Many regard him as the best goalie in the world. Do you feel he’s the best still?

“I still think he is a top-five goalkeeper in the world, top five or top seven. When you are him, there are only a handful of clubs that you would consider moving to from a club like Aston Villa. I didn’t know whether it was Barcelona, Man United or whoever, but if it was Man United, then you could argue that Aston Villa is in a better place than Man United.

If it is Barcelona and you come from South America, I can understand that move. For Aston Villa, I am delighted he has stayed because it is hard to get a keeper so good.”

Who will come out on top in the battle of your former clubs at Anfield on Saturday?

“Normally, I would say Liverpool, but I can’t put my finger on what has happened to them. They have leaked quite a few goals, but with Mo Salah’s reaction in the Champions League, they may have one or two other issues to sort out off the field.

I would have to predict a draw, and this is probably the most likely result. Liverpool will come out of their slump; they have too much firepower going on. They still have outstanding players defensively. I really don’t see Liverpool losing this game, but Aston Villa will be full of confidence too.”

How do you reflect on your time at Villa?

“They are an incredible club. I played many years against Aston Villa and had some friends along the way who had played at the club, but you obviously don’t really know the club until you are there.

I thought the whole training ground set-up was superb, the stadium, the fans, and I really liked the fans because they pressure the players enough but don’t go overboard. As a player, you knew they would back you even if they had a go at you, so I really liked that. They are very similar to Liverpool fans in that manner.

They would applaud good football, even from the opposition, if it warranted it. You could tell it was a very educated footballing crowd. Martin O’Neill is a very intelligent man, and we had a very good thing going at the club.

You never know as a player what is going on behind the scenes, but the manager and Randy Lerner had a falling-out, which is a shame, as it stopped a bit of the progression. But I really enjoyed my time at Aston Villa.”