Lionel Messi to face former Barcelona teammate in MLS as Columbus Crew announce signing of Portuguese star
Official action for the 2026 Major League Soccer season kicks off this Saturday with the matchup between Los Angeles FC and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami. However, some clubs are still making moves in the transfer market to complete their rosters. Columbus Crew are among them, finalizing the signing of a former Barcelona player.
“The Columbus Crew have acquired free agent midfielder André Gomes, who most recently played for Ligue 1 side LOSC Lille and has competed with SL Benfica, Valencia CF, FC Barcelona, Everton, plus Portugal’s national team,” the MLS club announced in a statement on their official website.
“Gomes is signed through June 2027 with a club option for the 2027-2028 MLS season,” the Crew added, before clarifying: “He will occupy an international roster spot pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 Visa.”
André Gomes aims to relaunch his career in MLS
The last stop in André Gomes’ professional career was in Ligue 1 with Lille. He initially joined the club on loan from Everton for the 2022-23 season, then returned to the Premier League for a year before moving back to France permanently, where he played the last two seasons.
However, the Portuguese midfielder has struggled recently, seeing almost no action this season. Gomes played just seven minutes for Lille across two Ligue 1 matches. In five other games, he was on the bench but did not enter, and in the remaining 25 matches, he was not even called up.
Given this situation, his departure as a free agent from France was expected, as he looked for new opportunities. Joining Columbus Crew will give him a chance to relaunch his career and play an important role again, even if the competitive level of MLS is far below what he experienced in Europe.
From teammates to rivals: Gomes and Messi
Andre Gomes joins a growing list of players leaving Europe to try their luck in MLS. Lionel Messi is obviously part of that group, having arrived in the summer of 2023 from Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi and Gomes were teammates for two seasons at Barcelona. The Portuguese midfielder joined the Catalan side from Valencia in 2016 in a deal worth around $65 million, including add-ons. During that time, Andre played 78 matches and scored 3 goals alongside Leo, winning La Liga 2017-18, Copa del Rey 2016-17 and 2017-18, and the Spanish Super Cup 2016.
Now in MLS, Andre Gomes will face Lionel Messi again — this time as rivals in the Eastern Conference. The first matchup of the season between Inter Miami and Columbus Crew is set for August 1 at Miami Freedom Park.