MLS

Few believed Major League Soccer (MLS) would survive its fifth season, let alone its 29th, when it kicked off in cavernous American football stadiums in 1996. 

However, now we are where we are — the Americans have embraced football, massively building the so-called soccer-specific playgrounds. The sport’s popularity continues to grow, expanding from its initial ten teams to today’s 29 franchises.

For the first time since 2016, there will be no new clubs in this 2024 season, so 29 teams will be divided into two conferences – Western and Eastern. 

The regular season will last until October 19, with a break in mid-July and August for the League Cup, a joint competition between American and Mexican clubs. The playoffs begin in October, and the finals of the MLS league, the MLS Cup, are scheduled for December 7. 

Columbus Crew is defending the title, while Cincinnati was the best team in the regular season. This season in MLS is the introduction to a three-year “package” of major competitions during which the American continent will be at the center of attention of the entire soccer world. 

The Copa America is scheduled for the summer. In 2025, the USA will host the Club World Cup, and in 2026, the FIFA World Cup will be held in Mexico, Canada, and the USA.

From February, the absolute center of American football will be only one man – Lionel Messi. 

This season marks Messi’s first full campaign in an Inter Miami jersey, having joined them at the tail end of last year. With former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suarez joining him in Florida, it’s safe to say this will be Messi’s true MLS debut. 

The team that was 27th out of 29 teams in the entire league last season will now attack at least five trophies! 

The first goal is certainly the Supporters’ Shield, which is won by the team with the best regular-season performance. The final one is certainly the MLS mentioned above Cup or the title of MLS League champion. The third competition in which Inter Miami will have big ambitions is the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the regional equivalent of the UEFA Champions League or the South American Copa Libertadores.

The first goal is certainly the Supporters’ Shield, which is won by the team with the best regular-season performance. The final one is certainly the MLS mentioned above Cup or the title of MLS League champion.

The third competition in which Inter Miami will have big ambitions is the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the regional equivalent of the UEFA Champions League or the South American Copa Libertadores.

The arrival of Lionel Messi is probably the best marketing move in MLS history. 

Possibly better than the arrival of David Beckham, who put MLS on the world football map with his transfer to the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007. Since the Argentine became a member of Inter, all MLS clubs have seen significant growth in ticket sales.

The league’s top ten clubs have quadrupled ticket sales compared to the start of the 2023 season. 

The new season has attracted buyers from as many as 44 countries, in contrast to only nine last year. 

After the Americans, the tickets for MLS matches are bought the most, logically, by the Argentinians.

Messi is number one, but the MLS league has well-known faces from the strongest European leagues. 

We’ll start with the coach: Phil Neville left Inter Miami before Messi’s arrival and took over Portland Timbers; Gerardo Tata Martino became Inter’s coach after Messi’s arrival; and Dean Smith, former manager of Aston Villa, leads FC Charlotte. 

Of course, the names of football players are much more interesting. 

And apart from Inter’s superstars, there are some other very well-known faces like Hugo Lloris, the legendary goalkeeper of France and Tottenham; Lorenzo Insigne is the striker of Toronto; Shaqiri is the main asset of Chicago Fire; Christian Benteke leads the attack of DC United; Pukki is the first name of Minnesota United; and Carlos Vela is the captain of Los Angeles.

They are all so-called “designated players” that each team can pay more without affecting the “celery-cap” that exists here as in every other American professional sport.

LA Galaxy is the most successful team in this competition, with 5 MLS Cups and 4 Supporters’ Shields, followed by DC United with 4 MLS Cups and 4 Supporters’ Shields and Columbus Crew with 3 MLS Cups and 3 Supporters’ Shields.

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