Commissioner Don Garber himself is impressed with the growth of the Mlswhich began its historic thirtieth season and this time with 30 teams, 510 games and transmissions per TV to more than 100 countries.
In 2024, the MLS attracted 12.15 million fans and became the second soccer league in the world in assistance. Only the Premier League, had more fans, with 14.6 million.
That massive presence of fans in stadiums translates into an explosive growth in the value of clubs.
The Miami Fusion was the first expansion franchise at the MLS, in 1998, and then cost 15 million dollars.
Now, Inter Miami- which debuted 22 years later- is worth more than 1,000 million dollars.
And not just the Rosanegros. At that level, four other clubs are also: Atlanta United, Los Angeles FC, the Galaxy and New York City FC.
The average value of the MLS clubs grew 31 percent in the last four years, from 550 million dollars on 2021 to 721 million in 2025.
All this is the result of a good job, with a lot of persistence, patience, intelligence and opportunism.
Lionel Messi’s arrival was the culminating point of a league that had prepared to make his great leap.
“Leo Messi has really been the one who changed the game in our league and in our sport,” Garber said during his visit to Miami for the Apple TV Docuserie Premierie: “Onside Major League Soccer.”
“Messi has allowed us to obtain recognition around the world.”
Strategy for greater scope of the MLS
Garber always insisted on two markets: Miami because it is the entrance door in the East to the United States for Latin America and the Caribbean; and California, for the west.
“This year is the expansion season of San Diego FC,” Garber recalled. “And San Diego is a city that is the entrance door of Mexico to the United States.”
In the thirtieth season of the MLS they will be on the court in addition to Messi figures such as Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, Olivier Giroud and Riqui Puig.
The MLS clubs have invested 10,000 million dollars in infrastructure construction. Six new stages have been raised in the last five years.
The 2026 will open the new Inter Miami stadium and the following year that of the New York City FC.
The clubs that premiered their training centers were DC United, Austin FC and Columbus Crew, 2021; Nashville SC, 2022; Charlotte FC, 2023; Seattle Sounders FC, 2024; and Chicago Fire FC and San Diego FC, 2025.
“Our league will continue its growth,” Garber said. “I don’t know if there will be more teams, but there will be more fans.”
Far is 1996 when the American football league started in the midst of people’s skepticism. After all, there was the antecedent that its predecessor, the North American Soccer League, had failed despite playing Pelé, Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Gordon Banks, George Best, Teófilo Cubillas, Johan Cruyff and many other football legends.
In the beginning, a single owner had six clubs in the MLS. We had to suffer to grow. And now the results are enjoyed, but no one in the league falls asleep in their laurels.
