Major League Soccer aims to boost international appeal using the World Cup

Major League Soccer was established in the mid 1990s as a requirement for the United States to host the 1994 World Cup, at a time when international football authorities were keen to launch high level domestic soccer in the largest consumer market worldwide.

Football has experienced significant expansion in the United States since then, overtaking established American sports such as baseball in certain popularity measures.

Major League Soccer attracted 12 million spectators to matches last year, ranking just behind Englands Premier League.

Prominent figures like Lionel Messi, Son Heung min and this week Antoine Griezmann have lately signed with the league, while Major League Soccer teams have developed their own advanced, football dedicated stadiums.

Although local support has increased dramatically, executives are now targeting the fanbases of leading European teams by fostering international audiences.

I want Atlanta United supporters in London, in Germany, stated Victor Montagliani, leader of CONCACAF, the continental body for football in North and Central America plus the Caribbean.

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber informed AFP that the leagues prospects lie in expanding our supporters and operations beyond the United States and Canada.

We are competing in the international arena, yet until recently we have operated mainly as a local league, he commented, during the Business of Soccer event in Atlanta.

Salary restrictions hurdle

Matching giants like Real Madrid and Manchester United presents a nearly impossible challenge.

These teams boast long standing histories, with loyalties inherited across generations and extending globally.

European competitions also lack salary limits, enabling them to attract elite players from around the world.

Major League Soccer permits each team to exceed these caps for specific designated star signings, though the majority of players receive capped earnings.

The competition has occasionally intervened further to secure worldwide icons such as David Beckham and seven time Ballon dOr recipient Messi.

In 2007, Beckham received an opportunity to purchase a Major League Soccer franchise at a reduced price, and in 2023 Messi was granted special profit sharing deals with partners including Apple.

However, Garber indicated this week that such arrangements are ending, rejecting the idea that Mohamed Salah who has announced his departure from Liverpool might receive comparable incentives.

I doubt the league will engage in those types of arrangements henceforth, Garber remarked, while expressing he would still enjoy seeing the Egyptian attacker in Major League Soccer.

There was an era when we needed to persuade players to join, but now that is no longer the case, he explained to journalists.

Rather, the league has emphasised alternative methods to appeal to overseas talents, such as shifting to a summer to spring calendar starting next year.

This adjustment enables United States clubs to sign international players during the off season and sidestep conflicts with global matches.

It forms part of the solution, Garber noted.

If we aspire to compete prominently worldwide, we must adopt the schedule used elsewhere, even though it proves slightly more challenging for us, he conveyed to the press.

World Cup enthusiasm

A further element of this strategy involves the World Cup, scheduled for the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.

Major League Soccer intends a substantial promotional drive, encouraging World Cup visitors to continue supporting the national league after the tournament finishes.

Executives are also optimistic that international participants will admire the modern installations of numerous Major League Soccer sides.

We have hosted top 10 national squads for training sessions previously, and athletes from those teams have remarked that this surpasses the facilities at their daily club training grounds, explained Brian Bilello, head of New England Revolution.

It effectively highlights the football facilities already present in this nation.