Major League Soccer

The top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Launched in 1996, it is a single-entity league with 30 teams as of 2025.

Major League Soccer

Overview

Major League Soccer (MLS) is the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It was founded in 1993 and played its first season in 1996. The league adopts a 'single entity' structure: it is itself a corporation, with team operators sharing ownership of club equity. Because of its salary cap and lack of promotion and relegation, its operating model differs greatly from European leagues. As of 2025, 15 teams each in the Eastern and Western Conferences, for a total of 30 clubs, participate.

History and Growth

MLS's launch was a condition of the United States hosting the 1994 World Cup. FIFA required the United States to create a professional league, and as a result, the league's founding was made official in December 1993. The first season began on April 6, 1996, with a match between the San Jose Clash and D.C. United; only 10 teams participated at the time. In the early 2000s, the league faced a crisis of shrinking team numbers due to financial difficulties, but after the introduction of the Designated Player system—represented by David Beckham's transfer to LA Galaxy in 2007—attendance and broadcast revenue grew rapidly. Later, throughout the late 2010s and 2020s, Atlanta United, LAFC, Inter Miami, St. Louis City, and San Diego FC joined in turn, expanding the league from 10 to 30 teams.

League Operating Structure

The regular season is conducted by Eastern and Western Conferences, and each team plays around 34 matches. The team with the most points in the regular season receives the Supporters' Shield, and the final champion is decided through the playoffs. In the playoffs, top teams from each conference advance through a wild-card round, a multi-match first round, and a single-elimination tournament to reach the MLS Cup final. The league has no promotion and relegation, and all clubs operate as shareholders in the league corporation.

Financial and Transfer Rules

MLS strictly applies a salary cap. Each club's total player salary upper limit (salary budget) is set at around $6 million, and the Designated Player (DP) system, under which each club can sign up to three such players, operates as an exception. Because only part of a DP's salary counts against the cap, global stars such as Messi, Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and Wayne Rooney could come to MLS. There are also complex detailed rules, including allocation money (TAM/GAM), the U22 initiative, and international roster slots, which are evaluated as mechanisms for maintaining the league's overall financial health and competitive balance.

Major Clubs and Rivalries

Traditional powerhouses include LA Galaxy (most MLS Cup titles), D.C. United, and Seattle Sounders. Recently, LAFC, Columbus Crew, FC Cincinnati, Philadelphia Union, and Inter Miami have been strong. LA Galaxy vs. LAFC's 'El Tráfico', Seattle-Portland-Vancouver's 'Cascadia Cup', and Columbus vs. Cincinnati's 'Hell Is Real' are among MLS's representative derby matches.

International Competitions

MLS clubs participate in the U.S. Open Cup, the CONCACAF Champions Cup, and the Leagues Cup, which is co-hosted by MLS and Mexico's Liga MX. In 2022, Seattle Sounders won the CONCACAF Champions League, becoming the first MLS club to reach the top of an international competition. The Leagues Cup held its first tournament in 2023, and Inter Miami won the inaugural title.

Broadcasting and Popularity

Since 2023, the league has had a 10-year long-term contract with Apple and broadcasts all matches on a single platform through 'MLS Season Pass'. This is evaluated as a bold experiment that bundled league-wide broadcasting rights in one place. Regular-season total attendance has recently exceeded 12 million, recording high growth among North American professional sports leagues.

Recent Developments

Lionel Messi's joining Inter Miami in the summer of 2023 was the biggest event in MLS history, and league broadcast ratings, attendance, jersey sales, and Apple Season Pass subscriptions all surged simultaneously. Inter Miami won the 2024 Supporters' Shield with the league's all-time record for most points (74), and in the 2024 MLS Cup, LA Galaxy beat New York Red Bulls to claim their sixth all-time title. In the 2025 season, San Diego FC joined as the 30th club, completing the 15-teams-per-conference format, and Messi signed a long-term renewal with Inter Miami, heralding the era of its new home stadium, Miami Freedom Park, scheduled to open in 2026. Ahead of hosting the 2026 North America World Cup, discussions are underway on adjusting the league schedule and possibly switching to a European-style summer-to-spring calendar, while reform of the Leagues Cup format and expansion of youth academy (MLS NEXT Pro) development are also major topics.