MLS dives into “The Next Chapter” after 2026 FIFA World Cup | OneFootball

By Jonathan Sigal

NEW YORK – If all goes to plan for Inter Miami CF teammates Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul, they’ll lead Argentina to a successful FIFA World Cup title defense over Spain on Sunday afternoon at New York/New Jersey Stadium.

That possibility, in MLS Commissioner Don Garber’s view, speaks volumes about how quickly the league has grown since Argentina returned to the sport’s mountaintop at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“I am overjoyed to think of the best player in the world playing in the World Cup final, scoring a wonder-goal, and then he’s going to be back wearing an Inter Miami shirt. What could be better? It’s a gift, and it’s a gift that keeps on giving,” Garber said Thursday as MLS hosted its The Next Chapter conference.

“… The fact that he’s playing in Major League Soccer is like a dream come true. I can’t wait to watch.”

Thanks World

Garber’s remarks came less than 10 miles from the site of the 2026 World Cup final, with hundreds of media members listening to keynote speakers reflect on MLS’s tremendous growth since its inaugural 1996 season – and the opportunity for what’s ahead.

MLS recently unveiled the largest coordinated marketing campaign in league history, aptly titled “Thanks World, We’ll Take It From Here” as this summer’s World Cup winds down. Highlighted by a video featuring star players and celebrity owners, the spot invites fans to jump on the MLS bandwagon and continue the World Cup excitement.

“You were able to see the world at its best,” Garber said. “Now, see the North American version of the beautiful game right here at home.”

Pushing the standard

The 31st MLS season is back underway following a nearly two-month pause for the World Cup, and the sport continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

Just ask Red Bull New York head coach Michael Bradley, a former USMNT captain who spent a decade playing for Toronto FC and began his career with the MetroStars (now Red Bulls) as a teenager in the mid-2000s.

“The league is growing at an unfathomable rate,” Bradley said. “If I think back to the league that I came back to in 2014, when I came back to play for Toronto FC before the World Cup, there's no comparison. The standard on the field, quality, speed, tempo, teams, players, competitiveness – you name it.”

The upward trajectory stems from wholesale progress on and off the field.

Clubs have world-class training facilities and soccer-specific stadiums, and there’s a true development pathway spanning from the academy level to MLS NEXT Pro to the first team. There’s a rich supporter culture as well, leading to an increase in viewership, attendance and digital engagement.

More high-profile names and international-level players are also making MLS their league of choice, helping improve the on-field product.

“I think the competition, the players that are here and those that are arriving, and the level of the games have improved over the years,” said Orlando City newcomer Antoine Griezmann, a French superstar who recently arrived from Atlético Madrid. 

“A lot of youngsters are coming out of MLS and going to Europe, and world-class players are coming to play here. That's the best thing for our league. The World Cup also helps get American kids to enjoy soccer and hopefully want to kick the ball around. And hopefully we can entertain them in the stadiums to make the kids want to play soccer."

Striving for more

The progress won’t stop here, though. 

It’s why, beginning in the summer of 2027, MLS will adopt a summer-to-spring season schedule that – among other benefits – will optimize global transfer market activity and maximize player signings. 

Additionally, MLS is set to unveil a new regular-season format that blends elements of the global game with North American sports traditions. The league will also review potential adjustments to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs format and has been considering updates to its roster rules.

At the core, Garber said, it’s about elevating the sporting product and building off the league’s commercial success.

“We've got to be able to win Concacaf [Champions Cup] consistently. We've got to get into the Club World Cup, and we've got to get out of the early rounds. And we've got to be looked at as one of the top leagues in the world,” Garber said. 

“I think we're looked at as one of the top leagues commercially. We've cracked that code. Now we've got to crack the rest of it. If we can get those things together, then that will be fantastic.”

The MLS way

All along, Bradley feels it’s key that MLS doesn’t lose sight of what makes it unique.

“We have our own soccer culture here, and the culture that we have, we should be proud of,” Bradley said.

“Does it need to continue to grow and improve? Absolutely, but the way the game looks in this country, the way it feels, what we are as a soccer nation, is going to be different than it is in other places, and that's okay. We should be proud of that. We don't need to pretend to be something that we're not.”

Balancing the past and future, Concacaf president Victor Montagliani firmly believes MLS will continue to advance.

“It’s ensuring the players who are playing in this league are of the highest, highest quality,” Montagliani said. “And I think that gets better every year.”