Major League Soccer faces challenges that mean it is unlikely to ever rival the European leagues for international interest, according to AS Roma’s American owner James Pallotta.

Speaking at the Sports Decision Makers Summit in Miami today, the Roma president and chairman said there were “limitations” on the league and that he would “probably be dead” before MLS emerged as a major global player.

While praising the work of Don Garber, Pallotta described MLS as a “nice local league”, whose fans prefer watching Premier League and Serie A matches during the day – and as such, he noted the threat of a possible European Super League to MLS’s growth.

“If we end up with a super league – and there are clearly discussions going on – a lot of those games will be played on weekends and I think that will make it difficult for MLS.”