With FIFA World Cup fever building, more than 150 Major League Soccer players from around the world are set to represent their countries at the most-watched sporting event on the planet.
One country, however, has less MLS representation than previous years: the United States — the primary host of this year’s tournament. But why is this the case? Is this a bad omen for the long-term growth of MLS?
To answer this, we first need to go back to the 1998 World Cup in France.
That year, of the 22 players on the United States squad, 16 were playing in MLS. This was no mistake. Major League Soccer was created in an agreement with FIFA allowing the United States to host the 1994 World Cup.
MLS’s first season kicked off two years later in 1996. Having a large contingent of players representing the United States in the World Cup was a way to boost exposure for the young league. Despite a winless 1998 World Cup campaign, the team averaged seven MLS players in its starting lineup.
That number has shrunk ever since.
In 2002, the U.S. Men’s National Team averaged 5.4 MLS players in the starting lineup when it made the quarterfinals — its best World Cup performance in the modern era. Twenty years later, in Qatar, the team played their first World Cup match without a single current MLS player in the starting lineup since the league’s founding.
Looking ahead to this summer, it could be much of the same — much to the chagrin of MLS.
But could this be a positive for American soccer?
In short, yes, but not for the reason you might think.
Most of the USMNT players have taken their talents to Europe — where the best teams play — including their most decorated players. Christian Pulisic plays for AC Milan, Weston McKennie is a legitimate star for Juventus, and Chris Richards won an FA Cup with Crystal Palace.
And the list of Americans competing in Europe only goes on. In fact, the only position almost guaranteed to be held by an MLS player is goalkeeper, with all four keepers currently at MLS clubs.
What isn’t as advertised is how many players on the USMNT developed through MLS and its academies.
With the most notable exception of Pulisic, many of the stars on this year’s team honed their skills at an MLS academy or club at some point in their careers.
The aforementioned McKennie and Richards both played in the FC Dallas Academy. Defender Tim Ream is currently with Charlotte FC. Timothy Weah spent time with the New York Red Bulls Academy. Brenden Aaronson played with the Philadelphia Union, and the list continues.
MLS has played a major role in the construction of this year’s World Cup squad, and its development through academies is a large part of that.
So how can MLS capitalize on this year’s World Cup?
MLS isn’t going to become the de facto league of global superstars as a result of this year’s World Cup — I know, how surprising.
MLS can, however, continue to do what it does so well for developing players across the globe — provide a starting point for their professional careers.
The younger players on the USMNT are the ones leaving earlier and earlier in their careers, often debuting in Europe. MLS needs to try to hold onto them, even if it’s just for a season.
Two examples of players kickstarting their careers through MLS are Canadian Tajon Buchanan and Bosnian Esmir Bajraktarević.
Buchanan played for the New England Revolution at the start of his career before earning a spot with Club Brugge in Belgium. He now plays for Villarreal in Spain as well as the Canadian national team.
Bajraktarević, meanwhile, played for the Revolution’s academy before playing a full season with the first team in 2024. Since then, Bajraktarević has moved to the Dutch club PSV Eindhoven, helping them win their third consecutive Eredivisie and scoring the game-winning penalty against Italy to send Bosnia-Herzegovina to the 2026 World Cup.
MLS and its academies have the ability to kickstart players’ careers, but they need to find a way to retain talented Americans.
The truth is, there are MLS players on this year’s World Cup squad, but we are far from MLS being a top destination — and we’ll likely never get there.
The league needs to try to market itself as a premier destination for youngsters, not the retirement league with Messi, Müller and the now-aging stars of the previous generation.
MLS has more money than most of the South American and smaller European teams, yet it feels like it can’t even keep Americans in its own system.
If MLS wants to be taken seriously, it needs to get young Americans on the field, and prevent them from booking one-way flights to Europe.
