Will Major League Soccer develop a league to rival Europe’s best?

From bizarre beginnings to a globally recognized American soccer league

Back in 1996, the MLS began its inaugural season beginning with 10 teams and was won by D.C. United. U.S. soccer’s 1994 World Cup bid prompted a large investment into the sport and particularly the creation of a new league, which the country had been lacking ever since the collapse of the NASL in 1984. In true American fashion, they tried to replicate the sports structure model used across all American sports and they even added their own twist on the rules, most famously their penalty shootouts. What started out in an obscure manner, has slowly but surely been tweaked and seen incredible development led by commissioner Don Garber.

The MLS’s reputation has grown both in the U.S. and on the global stage and the league has now grown to 27 teams with 29 teams to play by 2023 (Sacramento Republic were supposed to make up the 30th spot but this has since been stalled since the investors pulled the plug).

Can the MLS really rival Europe’s top leagues?

Last season, the league’s penultimate match for the MLS Cup was sealed by Columbus Crew in a comfortable 3–0 victory over the Seattle Sounders. This time around, there are many candidates for America’s top prize in soccer, and you can bet on them with the help of OLBG, who have compiled a list of sports betting sites that offer great odds and solid advice. Being tipped as the favorites include the defending champs, Columbus Crew, along with LAFC, Seattle Sounders, and Toronto FC.

One of the significant factors for the growth of MLS has been its ability to attract some huge names, which inevitably draws attention to the league. Over the years, MLS has welcomed the likes of Steven Gerrard, Kaka, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo, Didier Drogba, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and Thierry Henry. All of which have at some point been considered one of the greatest players of their generation. Fans of the MLS are yet to see a player of American descent regarded as the best, with the majority of the star players being imports. Maximiliano Moralez is widely regarded by many as the best players in the league, he helped NYC FC to a fifth place finish last season, and those betting on the team in nearby New Jersey will be hoping for an equally impressive season from him this time.

David Beckham was the pioneer when it comes to stars moving Stateside, and his influence was not only in terms of marketing, his move also triggered a new rule — the Designated Player rule. This allowed teams to operate outside the salary cap and sign 3 players not constrained by wage rules. This opened the door for all of these legends to enter the MLS.

The U.S. has always been an attractive market for players. It started out as a place for some of Europe’s top players to play out their final years, but since then, it has been able to attract a number of quality young players, particularly from South America. While examples of players like Gonzalo Higuain and Blaise Matuidi may represent the former, the likes of Diego Rossi, Josef Martinez, and Ezequiel Barco are evidence of the latter. It shows that there’s more to the league than just a retirement home for former stars of Europe’s top leagues and that the narrative around the MLS is changing.

The United States itself and the world, in general, have high expectations and ambitions for what the MLS could be. But does it really have the potential to rival some of Europe’s top leagues one day? As things stand, looking at the quality on the pitch, many argue that the MLS is at a similar level to the English League 1, and in terms of world league rankings, it sits in 20th position. This is perhaps not where they’d hope to be, especially when looking at it as a market, the U.S. has the potential to be the most attractive in the world considering the cities, commercial opportunities, stadiums, and sports facilities that are here.

The growth of soccer in the U.S. has been astronomical and there is genuine hype around the sport, with attendances rising and even breaking records thanks to the fans of Atlanta United. But it appears that there is still something holding them back. While the number of native soccer fans is increasing, they’re still looking for the excitement of the big leagues as shown by the Liga MX and Premier League gaining more viewership than MLS. Similarly, the MLS is arguably still struggling to attract fans from outside the States.

What changes could be made?

The reasons could be due to the uniqueness of the league in terms of rules and league structure. While many enjoy this format, the rest of the football world is driven by promotion/relegation and is essentially more of a free market when it comes to transfers. MLS concentrates importance on the play-offs and regards the winner of MLS Cup (play-offs) as the victor rather than looking at the overall points winner (Supporters Shield), something which many find frustrating. With no relegation, it also leaves a lot of matches with nothing to play for especially as the season comes to a close.

If the MLS really wants to compete with Europe, it has to make some big changes. It doesn’t necessarily mean opening the door to other leagues, but one possible way could be to expand further and split the league into 2. Like Germany, they could squeeze in a pro/rel playoff match and put more emphasis on the US Open Cup to keep the play-off fever alive. The MLS’s franchise system and DP rule serve as a way to protect clubs from poor financial management. This could perhaps still serve a purpose, but the huge buy-ins intimidate further expansion which could be needed for a pro/rel system, and the salary caps and DP rules could be loosened to allow a greater influx of investment and transfers. Either way, the future is exciting for U.S. soccer and the MLS, especially with the World Cup 2026 getting ever so near. Perhaps just like the last time, it’s what will bring about positive changes?