Soccer nation

"When we were awarded the World Cup in the 1980s , we didn't even have a first division , so the great legacy of that World Cup was Major League Soccer (MLS)," explains Dan Courtemanche, executive vice president and director of communications for MLS. There was a precedent, a championship that was a graveyard for great elephants like Pelé, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, and Best, but it disappeared.

The American league itself was created in 1996. Ten teams started out, and today there are 30, three of which are from Canada. “We've expanded because the population has changed significantly. There's been a generational transformation,” he says. “People like me, who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s as players, now consume soccer.” "," he emphasizes. "But the Hispanic population, when MLS began, was 27 million. Now there are almost 65 million people of Hispanic origin, and the vast majority don't need to be instilled with a love for this game; it's part of their culture," he adds. "Our audience is young, diverse, and digitally native. The MLS fan base is something different than that of traditional sports like American football or baseball," he emphasizes. Only behind those two sports, soccer is now the third-largest competition in attendance. "There's no better time for soccer in the United States. We've built on the promise of having one soccer nation and one league," he concludes.

The United States, host of the Club World Cup and the 2026 World Cup, wants to be a global power.

"And the best is yet to come," he says ahead of the recently launched Club World Cup, featuring 32 teams, and, above all, the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in three North American countries, although the U.S. will have more logistical weight than Mexico and Canada.

The full development of soccer in the United States, however, faces two obstacles. One is internal, because there are far-right spokespeople who believe it's not a truly American sport, but rather is associated with historical settlers and the new wave, non-white immigrants, something that connects with the "simpapeles" (the "simpapeles"). The other is external. The new global phenomenon is perceived in New York, in the parks where soccer is played. It's called Lamine Yamal. After the glorious era of Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta, the blaugrana jersey gradually faded. The emergence of the teenager from Rocafonda translates into a return of the Barça emblem to the forefront in the Big Apple. Its prominence is shared with the equipment of other European teams (the two Manchester teams, Liverpool, Arsenal, Madrid, and Italian squads) and some Mexican ones.

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With the exception of Messi, the great MLS magnate, and Inter Miami, it's almost impossible to find someone who wears the uniform of a team in the domestic league. Even if you talk to these fans of the beautiful game, it's much easier for them to name stars from other leagues than those who play in this country.

Contrary to this on-the-ground evidence, Courtemanche counters that the American league is experiencing its best moment since its inception. "Last season, MLS had the highest number of fans attending our games in the world, behind only the Premier League and slightly ahead of the Bundesliga ," he notes.

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When I told him that experts, including former US internationals, recognize that foreign leagues, with England and Spain leading the way, have more influence and influence on fans, Courtemanche replies. “Studies by independent firms indicate that MLS is the most popular league in the United States. While there are other very popular leagues, none are as popular,” he insists. “Now, when you think about the top clubs, Barcelona , ​​Madrid, Manchester City... they are very popular. One of the most famous teams in this country is América from Mexico City. Consider that there are around 42 million Mexican-Americans,” he clarifies.

He claims that the 1994 World Cup achieved the highest average attendance (69,000 spectators per match) in the history of this competition. He hopes that all records will be broken in 2026. But he raises the growing fear that President Trump's immigration policy and travel bans will cause many to decide not to travel or to avoid attending stadiums.

Perhaps it's because of their influence that demand for advance tickets to the Club World Cup is so low.