A sense of stagnation is setting in around Major League Soccer, and the league is banking on the 2026 World Cup to provide a much-needed jolt. The 1994 World Cup in the United States left a tangible legacy: the creation of MLS itself was a condition of hosting that tournament. Now, with another World Cup on the horizon, the question looms large over what lasting impact the 2026 edition will have on the domestic game. While many mega-events promise to remake landscapes and alter history, they often leave behind little more than white elephant stadiums. For MLS, the hope is that this time the legacy will be a transformative surge in interest and investment.
Since its launch in 1996, MLS has grown to 30 teams, each with committed fanbases and pleasant, purpose-built stadiums. Yet beneath that surface of steady expansion, a sense of ceiling has been reached. The league’s growth has not fully translated into the kind of mainstream cultural relevance or global prestige that its leadership craves. The arrival of Lionel Messi provided a brief spike in