MLS eyes World Cup boost to take US football global

MLS commissioner Don Garber says MLS eyes World Cup boost to take US football global

Major League Soccer plans major marketing push to capitalize on World Cup momentum and attract international fans. MLS aims to leverage World Cup excitement to grow attract top talent with improved facilities.

MLS aims to leverage World Cup excitement to grow its fanbase and attract top talent with improved facilities...

Major League Soccer clubs need to draw in overseas fans to cash in on the growing popularity of US football, officials said, ahead of the US co-hosting the World Cup. The MLS was founded in the 1990s as a condition of hosting the 1994 World Cup, when global football officials wanted to break into the huge US market.

Soccer's popularity has skyrocketed in the US, with some metrics showing it's now more popular than traditional sports like baseball.

Last year, Major League Soccer attracted 12 million fans to games, putting it second only to England's Premier League globally. The league's profile has been boosted by top signings like Lionel Messi, Son Heung-min, and Antoine Griezmann, who joined MLS clubs with their own cutting-edge stadiums.

Major League Soccer (MLS) is gearing up to capitalize on the 2026 World Cup, with Commissioner Don Garber emphasizing the league's focus on global growth, particularly in overseas markets. The league is investing heavily in marketing, with a significant eight-figure investment and each club contributing $500,000 to $1 million. This effort aims to attract new fans and convert them into regular viewers, leveraging the World Cup's momentum.

The league is also aligning its schedule with the European season to facilitate transfers and attract top talent. With the World Cup just months away, MLS is poised to take advantage of the increased attention and interest in soccer.

MLS commissioner Don Garber told AFP that the league's future “is going to be to grow our fan base and our business outside the United States and Canada.”

MLS is aiming to take on European giants by growing its global fanbase. Victor Montagliani, head of CONCACAF, emphasized this goal, saying, “I want Atlanta United fans in London, in Germany.”

MLS plans a major marketing campaign to attract international fans, especially during the World Cup.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber sees global growth as key to the league's future, stating, “We are playing the global game, and we have been primarily a domestic league until now.” The league is aligning its schedule with the European season and investing in digital marketing to reach a broader audience.

The Herculean Task of Emulating European Giants

Major League Soccer (MLS) faces a significant challenge in trying to match the global popularity and financial muscle of European powerhouses like Real Madrid and Manchester United. These clubs have centuries of history, with loyal fanbases spanning generations and continents.

To put it into perspective, Real Madrid and Manchester United have decades of tradition, with fandom passed down from generation to generation, and spread around the world. They also have no salary caps, allowing them to attract the world's top talents with lucrative contract

The MLS has a unique approach to attracting top talent, using a designated player rule that allows clubs to bypass salary caps for certain star players. This has helped bring in global superstars like David Beckham and Lionel Messi, transforming the league's profile almost overnight. However, most squad members are still on restricted wages, making it challenging for MLS clubs to compete with European giants like Real Madrid and Manchester United, which have no salary caps.

The league is hoping to capitalize on the upcoming World Cup to grow its global popularity, with a major marketing campaign and improved facilities. MLS Commissioner Don Garber believes the league's future lies in expanding its fanbase and business outside the US and Canada.

MLS is shifting gears, folks. Commissioner Don Garber indicated that the days of offering extravagant deals to lure top players are over. This comes after David Beckham was offered a chance to buy an MLS team at a discounted price in 2007, and Lionel Messi received exceptional revenue-sharing agreements with league partners like Apple in 2023. Garber dismissed suggestions that Mo Salah, who recently announced his departure from Liverpool, could receive similar deals.

🗣️ Don Garber tells me he'd like to see Mo Salah join the league, but adds MLS are unlikely to provide financial support to help facilitate a move as they did with Lionel Messi.

"There is only one Messi... I am not sure the league needs to get involved in those kinds of deals… pic.twitter.com/duo7Sb7fyc

— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) March 25, 2026

The league is focusing on sustainable growth, and Garber emphasized that MLS wants players who genuinely want to be part of the league, not just chasing massive paychecks. With Mo Salah's contract expiring in 2027, Liverpool is exploring options, including selling him this summer for around €30m (£26m).

“I'm not sure the league needs to get involved in those kinds of deals going forward,” said Garber, who added that he would still “love to see” the Egyptian forward playing in the MLS.

“There was a time we had to convince players to come, and now it really isn't about that,” he told reporters.

MLS is shaking things up to attract top international talent.

The league is switching to a summer-through-spring schedule next year, aligning with the European calendar. This move lets US clubs scoop up global stars during the summer break, avoiding conflicts with international fixtures.

MLS Preps for World Cup Windfall

The World Cup, co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico this summer, is a key part of MLS's growth plan. The league is launching a major marketing campaign to tempt World Cup fans into following the domestic league.

Officials are confident that visiting World Cup players will be w impressed by MLS teams' state-of-the-art facilities. This, combined with the league's growing profile, could make MLS an attractive option for top talent.

“It's one piece of the puzzle,” said Garber.

“If we want to be a major player on the global stage, we've got to play the same game the rest of the world is playing, even if it's a little harder for us,” he told reporters.