Key Points
- The FIFA World Cup begins Thursday in Mexico City.
- Major League Soccer is banking on this year’s World Cup to alter the trajectory of the league, beginning with a schedule change that takes place next season.
- MLS Commissioner Don Garber told CNBC Sport that a strong U.S. team performance isn’t essential for the World Cup to be a success for his league because of the changes already being put in place.
Major League Soccer is banking on this year’s World Cup to become a defining mark on the league’s history. MLS Commissioner Don Garber hasn’t shied away from expectations. The World Cup begins Thursday in Mexico City, kicking off with South Africa against Mexico at the famed Estadio Azteca. In 1994, when FIFA awarded the U.S. the hosting rights to the World Cup, it did so on the specific condition that the U.S. Soccer Federation establish a new league to grow the sport domestically. That bred the MLS. For the past several years, the league has circled this year’s World Cup as the next major step in its evolution. After the World Cup, the league will completely change when it plays its season. Beginning in the summer of 2027, the MLS will adopt a summer-to-spring season that aligns it with the top leagues in Europe. The change shifts the MLS playoffs from competing against American football (the 2026 MLS Cup is scheduled for Dec. 18), moving it to May, where it will be up against the lower-rated NBA and NHL. It also lines up transfer windows with European leagues so the MLS can acquire and sell top players. “We’ll see an attendance bump, but that’s really just a short-term energy boost,” Garber said in an interview. “Do we have more media coverage? Do we have more social followers? Are there more fans engaging with our content? Are there more players, like [Lionel] Messi, like Antoine Griezmann coming to Orlando , that are saying Major League Soccer is my league of choice?” Garber has a plan to ensure the World Cup attention doesn’t dissipate when the event concludes in July. Twenty-two MLS clubs have already signed on for a “First Match On Us” promotion that allows fans who have never attended an MLS game to see their first one for free. The MLS is currently on pause to allow 45 of its players to compete in the World Cup. The league will end its hiatus on July 16 – in between the semifinals and finals of the World Cup – to draw eyeballs while the world is in full-on soccer mode. Growing the game in the U.S. is also one of the big goals for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who this week spoke with CNBC’s Sara Eisen . “The purpose for us to be here is to make sure that soccer becomes really one of the top, top sports in the U.S.,” Infantino said. “It is the world sport, and this is the most important country in the world. So, it’s not possible that the number one sport in the world is not number one here as well.” There’s no doubt soccer has gained popularity in the U.S. since 1994 (10% of Americans say soccer is their favorite sport, putting it ahead of baseball, according to a recent The Economist survey ). But Garber’s MLS strategy is designed to be long term and is rooted in the league’s decision to change the schedule. This begins with a “sprint season” next year – a shortened schedule running from February to May that will put the MLS on its new timetable. “We want to see more relevance for our clubs. We want to see MLS be part of the cultural conversation,” Garber said. “It’s also about conformity. We don’t want to be the American version of the beautiful game. We want to be playing the beautiful game here and in Canada and be respected and admired for how we align with the rest of the world.” CNBC Sport recently unveiled its list of the most valuable soccer franchises. Inter Miami was No. 1 among MLS teams at $1.6 billion, but it still trailed 13 European clubs. Garber said he realized the MLS hasn’t been able to make its teams into global brands yet – likely the key to growing valuations and putting the organization on par with the top European leagues in terms of talent. Only Inter Miami, driven by Messi, has become an international brand, Garber acknowledged. “We need more than one team that has a global following,” Garber said. “In order to compete with the rest of the world, I want my teams to be as valuable as Chelsea, as valuable as Real Madid or Barcelona or Bayern Munich. In order to do that, this league has to have a player pool that rivals the rest of the world.” Garber will be rooting hard for the U.S. to go far in this year’s Cup. There’s little doubt that a big American run would do wonders for the MLS – especially if MLS players play a big part in the U.S. national team’s success. Still, he said the league is no longer dependent on the performance of the team – a change from the past. Garber became convinced of this after 2018, when the MLS continued to grow despite the U.S. team failing to qualify for that year’s World Cup. “We have an interdependence but not a reliance,” said Garber. “I will be going to those games, and I will be wearing an American flag hat, waving the flag as a fan … I’m hoping, and I’ll be cheering. But, I don’t believe it will have any real impact on Major League Soccer.” WATCH: MLS Commissioner Don Garber on his ideal World Cup and why Apple’s MLS Season Pass failed
