Emphasis on One High-Profile Player is an Unsustainable Way for the MLS to Stay Relevant
As the late Soccer journalist, Grant Wahl wrote in his book, The Beckham Experiment, recalling a 2005 interview with an exceptional player,
“I’ve spent four good years in Madrid playing with some of the best players in the world. I’ve played in Europe for almost fifteen years at the highest level and won just about everything I possibly could. And then this was offered to me: Do I want to be an ambassador for the MLS?”
These were the words of English footballing sensation David Beckham who was brought over the Atlantic to play with the LA Galaxy in 2007. At this point, the LA Galaxy was a semi-professional team in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top league for football in North America.
But there was a catch…
As detailed in the Netflix documentary, Beckham, the ex-Manchester United player received special treatment upon his arrival in the city of angels. For one, his contact with the team would see him earn more than the annual salaries of his peers on the pitch.
These “perks” would put David Beckham at the heart of a conflict with MLS legend Landon Donovan, an LA native who was more than a little discontent with how he and his teammates were being treated.
Above: David Beckham and Landon Donovan with the LA Galaxy
While this conflict was inevitably solved and Beckham did eventually move away from LA after five years with the Galaxy, it left a bitter taste in the mouths of longstanding MLS fans.
Ironically, more than a decade later, Beckham’s team, Inter Miami were responsible for signing Lionel Messi shortly after his World Cup Victory with Argentina in 2022.
Messi’s first match with Inter Miami saw 12.5 million people tune in to see the Argentine’s MLS debut.
But one could say that history was repeating itself…
Overshadowed by powerhouses such as NFL American Football, NBA Basketball and MLB Baseball, the MLS is still finding its place in the American sporting mainstream and indeed, on the world stage.
Rising Popularity of Soccer Amongst Young Americans
One could argue that the MLS does not need world class players such as Messi or Beckham to hold a place in people’s minds as statistics show that soccer is rapidly becoming the primary sport of choice amongst America’s youth.
This could, in part, be attributed to the younger generation’s shrinking attention spans due to an uptake in social media use. Soccer has a defined timespan at just 90 minutes per game and is relatively easy to follow when compared to the rules of popular American sports.
Another reason for its growth is the changing demographics of the United States particularly in regards to immigration. For instance, according to the Pew Research Centre, Hispanic-Americans are one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States. In 2020, the Hispanic population in the US reached 62.1 million at 19% of the country’s total population.
Above: Fans support Messi at an Inter Miami Game
The report goes on to say that between 2010 and 2020, the Hispanic population grew by 23% up from 50.5 million in 2010. When applied to soccer, in 2024, a report by the Pew Research Centre said that just 2% of Americans identify it as their favourite sport. Although, when it came to Hispanic-Americans, 28% identified soccer as their favourite sport in 2016.
While Soccer has not taken off stateside in the past, it certainly has a bright future on the western side of the Atlantic.
On a cultural level, Soccer was historically painted by the American mainstream as a “foreign game”, especially during the era of the Cold War, often encouraging people to engage with “traditionally American” pastimes such as Baseball and American Football.
Considering that a large part of the popularisation of the sport is due to immigrant communities, the question remains, could this xenophobic attitude towards the game prevail in American society today?
Homegrown Potential Should Not Be Overlooked
In May 2024, Cavan Sullivan made history when he became the fifth youngest player to sign a first team contract in the MLS at just 14 years old. The deal was the most expensive homegrown player contact in MLS history.
Part of what made Sullivan’s story so intriguing was a clause in his contract to transfer to Manchester City when he turns 18.
While details about this built in transfer with Manchester City were not disclosed, Sullivan said the following to ESPN on why he chose to go this route.
“But I also think the collaboration between the Union and the City Group was — I think that did it for me. I always watch Man City. They’re like every kid’s dream team. For [Philadelphia and Man City] to come together and agree on something — I sat with my family and my agents and we decided that it was the best plan.”
A lot can also be said for the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) when it comes to international call-ups and ignoring the talent that exists in the MLS. Take the example of Noel Buck, a Massachusetts native who signed a homegrown player contract with the New England Revolution in January 2022 aged just 16.
Above: Noel Buck with the New England Revolution
Buck scored his first goal for the Revolution in September 2022 against New York City FC making him one of the youngest scorers in the club’s history. On the international level, Buck has certainly been overlooked by the USSF and has instead chosen to represent his father’s country, England, at U19 and U20 level.
Previously talking about why he chose to represent England he said,
“I feel like the USMNT hasn’t really given me the time of day to be honest. And when I get called to an England camp, you know, it’s an honour for me.”
Currently on loan at Premier League side Southhampton, Buck has yet to make an appearance for the team.
High Profile Players Should Be Brought into the League, But Not Put on a Pedestal
It is inevitable that bringing in big names such as Messi into the MLS is going to attract increased attention in the league from viewers in the United States and abroad.
The problem comes when they take away attention from the raw homegrown talent that is right in front of their audience.
If all these expectations are put on a singular high-profile player, what happens after said player retires?
Messi himself has declared that Inter Miami will be the last club he plays for and if he intends to hang up his boots soon, one must ask: will viewership remain the same after he leaves?
