Football (or “Soccer”) is undeniably the biggest sport in the world, with an estimated 5 billion fans globally.
The FIFA World Cup is the most watched sporting event on the planet, with the FIFA World Cup Final in 2022 reportedly reaching 1.42 billion people, with an average viewership across all matches of 175 million.
Yet while football is deeply embedded in the culture of many nations, particularly those in Europe, Latin America, and Africa, its position in the United States has historically been more complicated.
Despite being the third most populous country in the world, the USA recorded only 25.78 million viewers for the 2022 World Cup Final.
When placed alongside US sporting traditions, the contrast becomes even clearer – the Superbowl Final in the same year drew in 113.1m viewers.
Soccer currently sits as the third most popular sport in the USA . Whilst this ranking, in many respects, shows the growth of the game since the beginning of MLS in 1996, the sport still trails behind American Football and Basketball in mainstream cultural impact.
With the FIFA World being hosted across the USA, Canada and Mexico this year, a key question emerges for marketers, sponsors, and the sport itself:
Could this tournament finally push soccer into the American sporting mainstream?
And more specifically, could it translate into greater viewership, deeper fandom, and long-term growth for Major League Soccer?
Soccer in the USA – The history of MLS
To understand the World Cup’s potential to supercharge the viewership, and subsequent value, of soccer in the USA, we need to first think about where the game stands today.
In the US, professional soccer engagement largely revolves around Major League Soccer (MLS). MLS was founded in 1993 as part of the United States’ successful bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
In its early years, MLS struggled with declining attendance and heavy financial losses - reportedly losing about $250 million in its first five years. An early exist from the 1998 World Cup cast further doubt over the viability and quality of US Soccer, but the league survived largely because of continued support and financial persistence from its organisers and investors.
The structure of MLS differed in some key ways from the existing European football leagues. One example of this came in the form of the salary cap in MLS, which limits how much each club can spend on player wages. This system was introduced when the league began in 1996 to ensure financial stability and competitive balance between teams, preventing wealthier clubs from dominating through higher spending.
This model is consistent across other major sporting leagues in the USA (such as NBA, NFL, and MLB).
Whilst one could argue there is some merit to this system, the salary cap also limited MLS clubs’ ability to attract internationally recognized players who commanded much higher wages than the league allowed. To address this issue, MLS introduced the Designated Player Rule in 2007, allowing each club to sign a small number of players whose salaries exceed the salary cap. While these players can earn significantly more than other members of the squad, only a portion of their salary counts toward the team’s salary budget. This rule provided teams with flexibility to pursue star talent while maintaining the league’s overall financial controls.
The rule is commonly known as the “Beckham Rule” because it was introduced shortly before English superstar David Beckham signed with the LA Galaxy in 2007. Beckham became the first player to join MLS under this rule, earning a multimillion-dollar contract that would have exceeded the salary cap without the new exception. His arrival dramatically increased global media attention, helped attract additional international stars, and marked a turning point in the league’s growth and international profile.
During the same period, MLS clubs also began building soccer-specific stadiums, rather than playing in large American football venues. These stadiums improved the matchday atmosphere and allowed teams to generate greater revenue through ticket sales, concessions, and events.
Combined with new roster rules like the Designated Player system, these developments helped stabilize the league financially and supported its expansion during the late 2000s and 2010s.
Expansion of the league through the additional of new teams also aided the sports growth, with the league now comprising of thirty clubs, including expansion teams such as Atlanta United, LAFC, and Inter Miami.
During this period, the league also invested heavily in youth development and academy systems to cultivate domestic talent.
At the same time, MLS strengthened its commercial position through major media agreements, including a ten-year global streaming partnership with Apple TV that broadcasts every league match.
MLS Viewership today
As MLS enters its 31st season, the leagues growth can be seen across viewership, attendance, and digital engagement.
The 2025 MLS regular season drew broader viewership across every screen than previous years.
- MLS averaged 3.7 million gross live match viewers per week across streaming and linear platforms – a 29% increase over 2024.
In 2025, ticketing revenue reached an all-time high, reflecting MLS’ strong market demand.
- The 2025 regular season ranked second highest in total attendance in MLS history, with 11.2 million fans and average crowds of 21,988 per match.
- In 2025, MLS had more clubs average over 20,000 fans per match than any other soccer league in the world with 19.
- For the second consecutive year, MLS attracted more than 11 million fans. Across the past three seasons, MLS has averaged 11.2 million fans per year and 22,443 per match — reflecting the league’s consistent live attendance strength and sustained fan demand.
- Total MLS attendance has increased 12% since 2022.
- The 2025 MLS regular season delivered the highest total impressions on record across League and Club social accounts, surpassing 13.7 billion impressions, a 17% increase year-over-year.
- MLS and its clubs are growing digital engagement at the fastest rate among major North American leagues (+10% year-to-date) across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and X.
- MLS channels now reach over 109 million followers — a 10% year-over-year increase that underscores the league’s accelerating digital footprint.
From a marketing perspective, these numbers signal a league that is not just growing. It is building a modern, digitally engaged fan base.
Of course, contextualising this data is important to truly understand it. A national league in a country with 330+ million people and only 30 teams may naturally generate higher per-game attendance than leagues in countries with a greater number of professional clubs competing for fans.
But even with this context, the underlying trend is clear: MLS is growing, and the commercial upside remains significant.
MLS Value and Sponsorship Potential
For brands and sponsors, MLS represents an increasingly attractive commercial opportunity.
An article from Forbes outlines the value that can be found in MLS. Taking the current league champions, Inter Miami CF, Forbes estimated the team to be worth $1.35 billion, making it the MLS most valuable franchise. Much of this, of course, is attributed to the signing of Lionel Messi, a signing which skyrocketed the clubs revenue. The second most valuable team, LAFC, may also attribute its success to a big-ticket signing in Son Heung-min.
The average value of MLS’s 30 clubs is $731 million is 2026 – however, it is important to note that this is not split evenly between the teams, with the lowest valued team sitting at an estimate $440 million valuation (CF Montreal)
When it comes to MLS sponsorship, revenue in December 2024 was up 13% to $665 million. Much like the value of the teams, the value of sponsorship was also driven up by big names, with athletes like Messi having 21 active deals.
Based on these numbers, one could suggest that MLS is doing well. But with the English Premier League sponsorship value sitting at $1.68 billion, there is clearly room for further growth in the USA game – so is it on its way there?
What’s holding MLS back?
Despite the MLS’s growth since its conception in 1993, some would say it still sits somewhat outside of the mainstream in US sports. Combined with a comparatively small sponsorship revenue, there is clearly a way to go for US Soccer.
So, are there any issues with the league, and what might prevent it from growing into something as powerful as the English Premier League?
The Guardian’s Aaron Timms argued in 2025 that part of the issue with MLS is its lack of a multi-divisional system – another way in which US Soccer is differentiated from European football. He argues that the league would be able to expand and grow if a system of promotion and relegation was added to American soccer.
The greater sense of jeopardy would not only add excitement to the league, but also allow for more teams of varying sizes, without compromising on the quality of play in the matches at the top of the table.
Not only might the addition of more teams at a variety of levels help generate greater interest from fans, it would also help set professional soccer aside from the current sporting landscape in the USA
However, changes to this structure seem unlikely in the near future.
As a result, major moments - like the World Cup, the Olympics, or the introduction of world-renowned players, like Messi – often are relied on as catalysts for the sport.
Will the World Cup be the “Rocket Fuel” MLS needs?
As the 2026 World Cup approaches, we are left with the question of whether it will be the “rocket fuel” that MLS needs to fulfil it true potential within the American sporting landscape.
The competition that was foundational to the leagues beginnings in the USA is back again in 2026, and it is something that sponsors, teams and MLS can rally around.
But, whether it has the capacity to have a lasting impact on MLS is yet to be seen.
MLS Commissioner Jon Garber referenced research in an interview that suggests a world cup causes a boost in attendance and general interest in the host nation.
However, many studies have shown otherwise. Often, whatever marginal bump a nation sees cannot be directly attributed to the World Cup. In some tournaments such as the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 1984 Euros in France, it had no effect whatsoever on league attendance. Some, such as the 2012 Euros in Poland and Ukraine and the 1990 World Cup in Italy, the host nation saw a decrease in post-tournament attendance.
A potential issue is that the quality of the league is quite different to the World Cup standard – if the World Cup does increase viewership and engagement, then there is still going to be a drop off between the quality of the World Cup matches compared to their standard Wednesday night MLS fixtures.
Whilst the quality of the league is raising, and the MLS is starting to shift away from its early “retirement league” reputation, it still is a way off the longer standings leagues like the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and even the English second division.
Final Thoughts
For MLS, the World Cup in 2026 represents a chance to convert global attention into lasting domestic growth - attracting new fans, strengthening commercial partnerships, and increasing media value.
But history suggests the World Cup alone may not be enough.
To truly elevate soccer’s position in the American sporting landscape, MLS may ultimately need structural evolution, continued investment in talent, and innovative broadcasting strategies that bring the sport closer to mainstream audiences.
Even then, it may never reach the scale of the English Premier League globally, just as American football in the UK is unlikely to rival the NFL’s dominance in the United States.
Still, if the conditions are right, the 2026 World Cup could represent something hugely valuable for both the MLS and its sponsors.
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