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Major League Soccer

·9 July 2026

By J. Sam Jones

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is nearing its conclusion, but football continues to roll on—and it never really stops.

Truly, there’s an entire universe of football beyond the World Cup, and Major League Soccer (MLS) is a major part of that world.

The World Cup delivers an incredible, unifying spectacle, but it’s a temporary event. Supporting a club, on the other hand, allows you to belong to a lasting community and follow an ongoing story.

In both the United States and Canada, MLS fan culture stands apart. The passion, the communities, and the storytelling that come through the league are unlike anything else in North American sport.

Let’s take a closer look.

If you’re new to the sport, you might have been drawn in—like many others—by the rhythm and music that surround football culture. From drums and trumpets to spontaneous choirs, sound is part of the game’s heartbeat, and MLS is no different.

You can immerse yourself fully by joining vibrant supporter sections like LAFC’s 3252 or the Portland Timbers Army, or simply enjoy the energy from a distance.

Either way, football offers a matchday atmosphere unmatched by any other sport, and MLS provides a front-row seat to that experience.

It also provides a platform to form deep, long-lasting friendships that often extend beyond the sport itself.

Every club has its “Supporters’ Groups,” which are essentially social circles built around football, camaraderie, and community service.

You’ll find fans sharing drinks, creating tifos, beating drums, and volunteering in their neighbourhoods. It’s like a summer camp for adults—with the added thrill of live football.

Sure, you could pick a European club, but you’d likely end up choosing from the same few dominant teams that everybody else already supports—or Tottenham.

Or, you could dive into MLS, where unpredictability reigns. Last season’s top club, Philadelphia, now sits at the bottom of the table, while last year’s 20th-placed team, San Jose, is suddenly tied for second. No one really knows how, but that’s the charm of MLS.

Everything changes rapidly here. Matches are unpredictable. Seasons can flip in an instant. Clubs rise and fall constantly.

So when your team does manage to reach elite heights amid that chaos, the joy feels even sweeter—a genuine privilege.

Some clubs do manage to tilt the odds in their favour, but money can only go so far in a salary-cap league. Even the biggest spenders sometimes find themselves struggling near the bottom of the standings.

Under the salary cap system, each team can exceed spending limits for up to six premium squad positions. Three of those can be “Designated Players,” a rule commonly known as the Beckham Rule, named after David Beckham’s landmark move to LA Galaxy in 2007.

This rule allows clubs to pay top-tier salaries to star players without severely impacting the salary cap—a system that invites both world-class talent and compelling narratives.

Designated Players automatically become the faces of their clubs, carrying immense pressure to perform. In a team-oriented sport, the DP label shines a spotlight on three individuals—heroes or villains, depending on how things go.

Those who thrive under this pressure become icons within their communities. Those who falter quickly learn how passionate MLS supporters can be.

If you were captivated by the runs of the U.S. and Canada to the Round of 16 at the World Cup and want to see their next generation in action, MLS is the perfect stage.

League academies are consistently developing high-level talent. You can watch the future of North American football unfold right in front of you.

Names like Cavan Sullivan, Zavier Gozo, and Julian Hall already hint at what’s to come.

Personally, I think one of MLS’s biggest appeals is that it embraces imperfection. The level of play keeps improving, but the occasional chaos makes for thrilling storytelling. When players’ flaws create unpredictable moments, it’s pure entertainment.

If you’ve seen both professional and collegiate gridiron football, you’ll recognise the difference. The professional game can feel mechanical, while college football’s unpredictability often makes it more exciting. MLS offers that same mix—moments of confusion followed by flashes of brilliance.

It’s that combination that makes the league so compelling. You’ll see moments of wild error instantly followed by jaw-dropping skill—sometimes in the same passage of play. And almost every weekend, someone scores a goal worthy of a highlight reel.

MLS has also built its reputation by attracting global stars in the twilight of their careers. Whether you love or criticise the approach, it always makes for captivating football.

Some stars arrive from Europe and struggle to adapt, while others embrace the challenge and shine brightly. Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, LAFC’s Son Heung-Min, and Vancouver’s Thomas Müller are among those thriving. This summer, Chicago has added Robert Lewandowski, while Orlando has signed Antoine Griezmann.

True, these players are past their prime, but their talent remains undeniable. They can still produce moments of magic that few others can replicate. Watching how clubs utilise such legends adds another fascinating layer to the league’s evolving story.

If you’ve ever read about the early days of major leagues, they often began as passionate community experiments that eventually became cultural institutions. MLS is still in that phase—and you can be part of it right now.

At just 31 seasons old since its 1996 debut, MLS is still young compared to other major leagues in North America and abroad. This is your chance to get in early, before decades of history stack up.

Because it’s still growing, MLS retains a family-like atmosphere. Even if you’re not attending every match or joining a supporters’ group, there are endless ways to engage with your club and the league—through podcasts, fan websites, Discord channels, and online communities.

It’s not flawless, and that’s part of the appeal. The highs and lows are both worth celebrating. All you need to do is climb aboard for the ride.

In short: it’s a lot of fun.