The 2025 season of Major League Soccer is in full swing, and it’s already breaking records in terms of attendance and excitement. It seems soccer is finally picking up steam in the States, with bigger investments, additional teams, and more mainstream appeal than ever before.
However, all signs seem to point to the upcoming 2026 season being going to even bigger. Between new expansions and the fact that North America is hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, American soccer fans have a lot of reasons to feel giddy.
So why do football fans and experts agree that MLS 2026 is going to be massive? Here’s a breakdown of the most important factors.
The Teams Are Spending Big
Spearheaded by major franchises such as LA Galaxy and Atlanta United, the transfer market in the current season is breaking league records left and right.
Veteran fans are probably thinking that big teams such as Galaxy spend big every year, so this isn’t anything new. However, we should point out that several new acquisitions are unlike anything else the MLS has seen before.
For example, Atlanta recently brought over Emmanuel Latte in a massive deal totalling almost $25 million, which marks a league record. LAFC is not far behind with their recent acquisition of Tottenham’s Heung-min Son – another deal worth well over $20 million.
It may be easy to dismiss these transfers as mere business-as-usual, but the implications are clear: professional soccer teams in the US are now more willing to spend big and commit to massive international transfers. We can safely assume that they all expect a return on these investments, which signals that MLS is slated to keep rising up.
Star Power
Fans all over the world are still reeling from the famous transfer of the legendary Messi to Inter Miami. Messi’s arrival in the US was praised as a revelation, on and off the pitch, and his presence was credited for helping to raise the profile of MLS within the US and abroad.
Leo’s trip across the pond is old news at this point – you can already purchase tickets for Inter Miami matches and see the Atomic Flea in action. However, he’s only one example of international A-listers who came over to the MLS in recent years.
Other notable names include Luis Suárez, Olivier Giroud, and Josef Martínez, as well as the likes of Lorenzo Insigne, Xherdan Shaqiri, and Thiago Almada.
One can scoff at the importance of fame and celebrity in the sporting world. However, it’s fair to say that these arrivals have put a new spotlight on American football.
Potential Schedule Overhaul
MLS has recently announced that the league will explore a switch to its schedule that would align with the international soccer calendar.
As opposed to most other leagues across the globe, MLS currently has a winter-to-fall schedule. In 2025, the regular season began in February and will end in October, just ahead of the cup playoffs.
According to statements by MLS commissioner Don Garber, there is now more momentum than ever before to switch to a full-spring calendar. According to most pundits, the change is likely to come in time for the 2026 season, but is almost guaranteed to be implemented before 2027.
This seems like a simple matter of scheduling, but there’s a lot more to it. Alignment with the international soccer calendar could also help elevate MLS’s role in the global transfer market, which is dominated by major moves in the summer.
Moreover, such a schedule would allow the aforementioned internationals to participate both in MLS and any international competitions. As a reminder, the current scheduling often clashes with national team showdowns and international tournaments, which carry a lot of weight for many pro players.
As such, a new scheduling format would make the top US soccer league even more attractive for arriving stars.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup
In case you’ve been living under a rock, the 2026 World Cup – one of the biggest competitions in the world of soccer – is going to take place in North America. Canada, Mexico, and the US will all act as hosts, which also earns them an automatic qualification.
The 2026 World Cup will be a massive global event, with the US hosting a significant portion of the games. 11 out of the 16 host cities are all in the United States, prompting many fans to simply refer to it as the US World Cup. This will expose a massive international audience to soccer in North America, potentially boosting interest in MLS.
Additionally, it’s also sure to bring a lot of attention at home as well. Thousands of Americans will likely be prompted to see what all the fuss is about. It’s safe to say that the sport as a whole will experience a major spotlight throughout the nation, which will set up the MLS for even more success.
League Expansion
After adding Charlotte FC and St Lous City SC to the roster in 2022 and 2023, the league has continued to grow to this day. San Diego FC joined the MLS in 2025 as the competition’s 30th team, making it one of the biggest national soccer leagues in the world.
Moreover, fans have already pointed out that it’s not just that teams are joining – it’s that these teams have real ambitions and are prepared to invest a lot to reach them. The most obvious example in recent times is San Jose. Despite underwhelming results in the previous years, the Earthquakes have recorded their most expensive transfer window to date.
Veteran soccer fans often point out that ‘small’ teams reaching for the stars is what really makes the sport so exciting. These new additions and investments can make the league a lot more interesting for international audiences because many of the world’s top national leagues are dominated by a handful of entrenched favorites.
Having a lot of teams with an actual shot at the title makes the competition more fun to watch, and it means that making soccer match predictions is a lot more enjoyable because there are more than a few real contenders.
The 2026 MLS season seems like a sort of peak that the league has been building up to for years. Pundits are already describing it as a ‘pivotal moment’ in the league’s history.
Teams are spending big, their rosters have more star power than ever before, and the competition is fierce, even if you compare it to top-ranking leagues across the globe. On top of all that, attendance has been growing for years, and it’s only expected to keep doing so.
Throw in the 2026 World Cup, and all of these factors converge to create a unique opportunity to elevate Major League Soccer to new heights.
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