New to MLS? Here’s why you should jump in | OneFootball

By J. Sam Jones

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is almost over, but soccer keeps going. And going. And going. 

Seriously, there is so much soccer beyond the World Cup. That includes, of course, Major League Soccer.

The World Cup is an amazing, communal event. But it is an event; it comes and goes. Whereas following a team lets you be part of a long-term community and a long-term story.

The communities in MLS approach fandom in a way no one else in the U.S. and Canada can. The teams in MLS tell their story in a way that no one else in the sport does.

Let's explore it.

The atmosphere

If you’re just learning the sport, you might have, like many of us, been drawn in by the fact that music is a constant in soccer fandom. There are drums, trumpets and makeshift choirs all around the sport. That includes MLS.

You can throw yourself right in the middle of it and join a group like LAFC’s 3252 or Portland’s Timbers Army, or you can appreciate it from a bit further away.

Either way, you get an atmosphere in soccer that’s unique to other sports. MLS gives you a chance to be a part of that.

The supporters

It also gives you a chance to build lasting relationships in a way other sports don’t.

Teams have “Supporters’ Groups,” which, at their core, are social clubs that have the added benefit of supporting your team and your community.

You can drink with friends, paint tifos, play drums and do community service. It’s basically like going to a summer camp for adults. There are activities. Plus, ya know, you get to watch the soccer matches.

The parity

You could decide to start following a European club. You just have to pick from the same 10 teams that have actually won anything meaningful this century that everyone else picks from, or Tottenham.

OR. 

You could come to MLS, where last year’s first-place team (Philadelphia) is currently in last place and last year’s 20th-place team (San Jose) is currently tied for second place and no one really understands why or how, but that’s ok because it’s MLS. 

Things change in a hurry around here. No match is a guarantee. No season is a guarantee. And teams are constantly rising and falling.

When you’re one of the lucky ones who get to experience an elite MLS team despite all that, the joy hits hard. It truly feels like a blessing. 

Some teams are better than others at tilting the odds in their favor, of course. But money only gets you so far in a salary cap league. Some of MLS’s biggest spenders are sitting near the bottom of the standings right now.

The stars

With the salary cap, teams can spend above and beyond on up to six premium roster spots. Three can be “Designated Players," a mechanism often known as the Beckham Rule from when David Beckham joined the LA Galaxy back in 2007.

Basically, teams can throw as many gold coins from their Scrooge McDuck vaults at these guys as they want without seriously impacting the salary cap. It’s a way to bring extra talent into the league and a mechanism that inherently lends itself to good storytelling.

Also, a Designated Player instantly becomes the face of a team. There is real pressure to perform at all times. In a sport that’s heavily focused on the collective, the DP tag instantly gives you three players to keep a close eye on for better or worse.

The players who embrace that challenge become stars in their communities. The players who don’t… Did we mention there are a lot of passionate fanbases?

The not-quite stars yet

If you enjoyed the U.S. or Canada’s run to the World Cup Round of 16 and want to see them get a little further next time, MLS is the place to catch a glimpse of the future.

MLS academies are consistently producing high-level talent. You can watch them grow up close and in person here.

Cavan Sullivan. Zavier Gozo. Julian Hall. The list goes on and on.

The beautiful chaos

I’ll take a minute to insert myself in this and say it: I think a big part of the draw of MLS is that the soccer can be imperfect. I think the level of play is consistently rising and there’s some truly excellent ball happening across the league. I also think it’s really fun when a game descends into chaos because the players have flaws.

If you’ve watched both professional and collegiate gridiron football, you probably know what I’m talking about. The professional game can feel kind of stale when everything and everyone is operating on an almost robotic level. Meanwhile, in college, an 18-year-old just decided to try and lateral the ball over his head to a teammate 30 yards away for reasons no one will ever truly understand. It’s unexpected. It might end terribly. It could be amazing. You never truly know. 

MLS has those moments, and I think the product is better for it.

The best goals you'll ever see… seriously

What’s truly amazing about the league is that you’ll have the moments I’m talking about in the section above, and they’ll immediately be followed by something totally spectacular. It’s a league that oscillates from "oh no" to intentionally breathtaking at a speed that will give you whiplash. 

Oftentimes, that means multiple people will score the coolest goal you’ve ever seen every single weekend.

As we said:

The superstars

MLS has a reputation for bringing in some of the best players in the world towards the end of their careers. Say what you want about that practice, but the bottom line is that it’s always fascinating and spectacular to watch unfold. 

Does Star X come over from Europe and not live up to expectations? Or do they adapt quickly, go all out and make a real impact? 

Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, LAFC’s Son Heung-Min and Vancouver's Thomas Müller have opted for the latter. And this summer, you've already got Chicago adding Robert Lewandowski and Orlando signing Antoine Griezmann.

Yeah, they aren’t in their golden days, but they can still uncork the kind of special plays that few people in human existence can pull off. Talent is talent. And how that talent is utilized drives narratives as teams bring in some of the world’s most celebrated players.

Being part of building something special

Have you ever read old articles or heard stories about the early days of other teams and leagues? It’s normally just well-intentioned folks doing their best and trying to find their way until, over the years, deep community ties and time turn those experiments into established pieces of culture. Well, with MLS, you get to be a part of that. Right now. At this very moment. 

Relative to other leagues, MLS is still a toddler. It's in its 31st season after beginning in 1996. Other sports and leagues in North America and around the world have had multiple decades' worth of a head start. This is one of the rare chances left to get in at the beginning of the story.

The community

Because it’s still growing, there is a family-style feel to it all. Even if you aren’t joining a supporters’ group or heading to a match every weekend, there are still so many ways to connect with the league and your team.

Social media, podcasts, independent websites, Discord channels, subreddits – they’re all there trying to be part of a grassroots movement to get more people in the door and share something we all love. 

Not everything about it is perfect. But that’s part of what makes it stand out. The good and the bad are there to connect over. You just have to be willing to be along for the ride.

The general summary

In short: This is fun.