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Death, taxes, and Major League Soccer’s abysmal state in comparison to the global game. Less than a year out from the World Cup, the United States domestic league continues to flounder. Don’t fault yourselves for any lack of knowledge, but the MLS playoffs are underway currently. I, being an enthusiast of the sport in general, had no clue, nor did most people I know. Frankly, if Roku hadn’t shown an advertisement, I probably wouldn’t have known. Though it’s not like the marketing persuaded me.
The lacklustre gamesmanship in Major League Soccer is simply too large to ignore. With pedestrian defense and goals borne more of error than tactical prowess, the league is mind-numbing in terms of quality. Not intending to sound pretentious, think briefly of DaBaby’s music to provide an example of a general MLS match experience: sure, there’s some novelty to something sounding different, but it, however, becomes nauseating after a few minutes. In a nutshell, MLS is a de facto retirement league with a subpar product, that additionally charges a 15-dollar paywall over a comprehensive portion of their season, which doesn’t exactly entice new eyes. Alas, MLS provides little to no incentive to pique one’s interest. It’s not hard to grasp why one doesn’t see common Americans tuning into Major League Soccer, as they might with the English Premier League, or in the realm of sports back home, the NFL and NBA.
Those reading, with understandably little comprehension of soccer, should think of Apple TV’s Ted Lasso to understand Major League Soccer’s largest deficiency. Having not personally watched, I’ve ascertained the prevalence of a promotion and relegation structure within the show. Said format is a prominent part of the series and essential to the meritocracy of the sport. The Pro/Rel complex breeds higher-level competition, greater volume of clubs and talent, and cultivates an air of grassroots authenticity toward clubs involved. MLS does not host such a pyramid, thus it contains none of the outlined positives noted.
As of March, a viable competitor has arisen in the United Soccer League (USL), putting pressure on the MLS. Announcing plans to implement promotion and relegation in 2027, the USL aims to form a top-tier competition, directly rivalling the MLS. A net positive for American soccer, there is optimism that Pro/Rel can shepherd a new era of the game in our country. An opinion which I second. In the present moment, by refusing to adopt a feature used in much of the world in their league, Major League Soccer feels stagnant; As if intended merely for the express purpose of lining executives’ pockets, rather than growing the sport in this country. The matter of the MLS’s sole interest in monetary gain gives fault to how and why the American game exists as a metaphorical lawn. From top to bottom, professional to youth, there exists an ecosystem stripped of its dynamism and natural elements, in favor of a controlled setting, and more importantly, one financially serviceable to MLS and US Soccer executives.
Recently, generational sports pundit Michael Wilbon quipped on ESPN’s Pardon The Interruption regarding the aforementioned playoffs. “I’ve got three TV screens…” he noted. Bluntly joking after the fact, “None of them will have that [Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC]”. Indicative of MLS’s failure as a league, a seasoned commentator could only help but giggle at the prospect of viewing Major League Soccer. An argument could be made for American sports media’s general apathy toward the sport. The sad part remains, however, there is once again no fault on Wilbon’s part for the joke. In addition to garnering little attention among casual viewers of sports in general, a proportionate amount of American soccer enthusiasts care not for MLS, and for good reason. With the league seemingly married to a half-baked approach to growing the sport in this country, why should they pay second mind?
When Lionel Messi signed with Inter Miami in 2023, many held quiet pessimism for that same reason. While a boost for the sport in American pop culture, the move has held little to no substance in terms of genuine growth of the sport. On the face of it, Messi’s arrival has worked well enough aesthetically, adequately marketing the upcoming World Cup. Beyond face value, however, the gargantuan move has only brought means to amplifying Major League Soccer’s reputation as a sub-par competition.
Messi and his squadron of ex-Barcelona stars, who assuredly jumped at the opportunity to live under Florida’s lenient tax laws, lazily drift around pitches and provide a form of entertainment more reminiscent of the Harlem Globetrotters than genuine spectacles in sporting craftsmanship. By all means, athletes like Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez are legends of the game. Their desire, at this point in their careers, though, to collect their earnings, outweighs the desire to actually win. There’s nothing wrong with the mindset; players of such caliber have absolutely earned it. In the grand scheme of growing MLS’s competitive image, however, these factors do not work as a benefit to the cause. Further shedding light on the league’s blighted perception, ex-MLS midfielder Mateusz Klich has stated that since Messi’s arrival, Inter Miami has de facto been under Messi’s family’s control. In comments to a Polish sportspaper, the veteran player stated, “It’s a disaster; people are leaving, coaches and physiotherapists are leaving. Organizationally, it’s bad. Messi’s dad basically runs the club. Nothing can be done without their consent”.
With MLS emboldening their biggest star in such a way that the entity he belongs to ceases to exist individually, it becomes hard to ignore the “Mickey Mouse” factor present within the league. While the circumstances of Messi becoming his club’s most favored man are far from unheard of, the Miami situation is egregious. The United States does not foster a development system at the level of Europe, and in lieu, Major League Soccer, throughout its existence, has attempted to skip steps in becoming a global superpower in the sport. In opposition to cultivating talents within a pyramid formatted league, allowing for better abundance of exposure and opportunities afforded to players, MLS has consistently imported aging talent, on exorbitant wages. In their routine mismanagement of growing American soccer, the United States’ primary mode of growing the nation’s talent pool has only worked to hinder the substantial development of domestic talent through grassroots channels. Messi isn’t going to spur a new generation of talent in the United States; however, MLS poises him to do so, as he lines their pockets the most.
A tale of the modern United States in general, I suppose. What the league lacks in improving the quality of American soccer, it makes up for in shiny objects. MLS can perhaps stand symbolic of the rot America faces, in how nothing actually works, but those at the top are insistent to the contrary. Opulent grandiosity with Messi & Co. is the sport’s own Mar-a-Lago parties. No promotion/relegation in a soccer league creates a soulless being. The United States will presumably exit the next World Cup at the first knockout round, and American soccer will go on hoping for a miracle.
