MLS, the league that owes much to the World Cup | OneFootball

Born as the USA landed the 1994 World Cup, Major League Soccer has kept expanding, fuelled by Americans’ growing appetite for the game.

L'Équipe notes that the country’s bond with the tournament runs deep. In 1966, NBC’s broadcast of England’s 4-2 extra-time win over West Germany spurred the creation of the North American Soccer League (NASL).

After that competition folded, FIFA awarded the 1994 finals to the USA on condition a true domestic league be launched. That became Major League Soccer, which kicked off in 1996.

Three decades on, the league counts 30 franchises and is still fighting for space alongside the NBA, the NFL and, to a lesser extent, MLB.

This look back includes insights from Antoine Latran, an NFL specialist and founder of the Culture Soccer newsletter, plus Sacha Nokovitch’s analysis of television audiences.

With a second World Cup on home soil, that enthusiasm could be boosted further.

Source: L'Équipe