A sense of stagnation is setting in around Major League Soccer. The league needs a World Cup bump to reinvigorate its growth and relevance.
The Legacy of the 1994 World Cup
The 1994 World Cup transformed the domestic game in the United States, leading to the creation of MLS. Now, with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, the league hopes for a similar jolt. However, mega-events often leave behind white elephant stadiums rather than lasting positive change. The 1994 tournament was an exception, but it remains to be seen what the upcoming World Cup will leave for MLS.
MLS's Current State
Since its inception in 1996, MLS has grown to 30 teams with dedicated fanbases and soccer-specific stadiums. Clubs have developed productive youth academies and integrated into the global transfer market. Yet, the league has hit a ceiling, with budgets still far behind the world's top leagues. A feeling of stagnation persists, and MLS seems stuck as the league of tomorrow.
For years, the 2026 World Cup has been seen as a turning point. However, unlike in 1994, the tournament's proceeds are not earmarked for MLS. How the league will benefit remains unclear, resembling the South Park gnome meme with a question mark before "Profit."
Challenges Ahead
MLS must provoke a significant bump from this World Cup. Yet, the league's footprint on the USMNT is small, and its internal media apparatus has been gutted. If MLS cannot turn this World Cup into an accelerant, it is hard to see where the next leap forward will come from.
Soccer has entered the American mainstream, with packed bars for Premier League matches, ubiquitous jerseys, and high youth participation. However, this has not translated to MLS. TV ratings are hard to gauge due to the Apple TV paywall, but a gap exists between MLS and Europe's legacy leagues or Mexico's Liga MX.
The Vancouver Whitecaps' struggles illustrate the league's failure to ascend. Despite a historic soccer city, a strong market, and a good on-field product, the team faces challenges. If MLS were on the brink of hitting the big time, it would have outgrown these problems.
How to Benefit from the World Cup
The cleanest way to benefit is to create more ties between MLS and the World Cup. Recently, the league has imported veteran stars like Son Heung-min, James Rodriguez, Marco Reus, and Thomas Muller. Antoine Griezmann's move to Orlando City is agreed, and links to Robert Lewandowski, Casemiro, Mohamed Salah, and Bernardo Silva persist. Pursuing these players, even if they don't play in the World Cup, could create continuity between the tournament and MLS's resumption.
Critics may label MLS a "retirement league," but this is a misdirection. Many leagues happily take ageing stars. In the attention economy, relevance is key. An injection of star power, despite criticism, can only help. MLS hopes some World Cup attention will stick around to promote the league.
Leander Schaerlaeckens is the author of The Long Game: U.S. Men's Soccer and Its Savage, Four-Decade Journey to the Top, or Thereabouts, available now. He teaches at Marist University.
