Young athletes honed their passing and dribbling skills at a St. Paul Blackhawks Soccer Club practice on Wednesday. As they worked through drills, they also talked about a huge development in world soccer.

Lionel Messi announced he plans to join Major League Soccer and play for Inter Miami. He leaves Paris Saint-Germain after two seasons.

“There’s a lot of people talking about it,” said 10-year-old Taye Lang, who added he hopes he now has a chance of getting Messi’s autograph. “It would be super cool.”

Teammate Rowan Buege described Messi as the GOAT, “greatest of all time.”

“I was happy because I would finally be able to see him play,” said Buege, who is also 10 years old.

Minnesota United and Miami are in different conferences. They don’t play each other this year, but Messi is expected to come to Allianz Field in the future.

“Ultimately, we do think he’ll be here in this stadium in the next year or two,” said Manny Lagos, the chief soccer officer for the Minnesota United.

Lagos, who played in the MLS and for the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team, called Messi’s decision “monumental” for the league.

“In some ways, I’m not surprised, but in a lot of ways, I get chills because it is unbelievable,” said Lagos. “He’s the greatest player in the history of soccer, and the fact that he decided to play in this country says a lot about the league and says a lot about where soccer is in the country right now.”

In the time since its inaugural season in 1996, the number of teams in the league has grown three-fold. State-of-the-art stadiums, including Allianz Field, have been built in cities across the country. 

“The timing is perfect,” said Lagos.

Messi also offers inspiration for young athletes hoping to compete professionally in the future.

“My opinion is he’s the best Argentinian player; he has a lot of talent and skill,” said Rayjan Bass, a St. Paul Blackhawks soccer club player. “I just think it would be a very fun experience watching him play.”

His teammate Rex Hackett McCoy added, “I’m really happy right now because I’m going to see a lot of players with more skill, and Messi is coming from the top tier. […] He has a really good legacy.”