MLS Is Jumping the MLB & NHL

Thank you to those who helped me make this video possible and to those of you who took the time to watch. I appreciate all of you.
I filmed this video back in April of 2023 and included the portions of Lionel Messi joining Inter Miami as it happened. It didn't feel right to release it without making these edits.
Where else to find me:
Twitter - frankmikesmith
Instagram - frankmichaelsmith
Special thanks to Justin Birnbaum of Forbes - JustBirny

[@prophet_9655]

" the world cup, is now bigger, than the superbowl, on a global basis"......😂😂😂 sometimes i really think americans are being shielded from the rest of the world on purpose

[@ibstudiosHD]

I thought the same thing 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Literally no one outside the US and Canada gives a rat's ass about the Superbowl

[@issiahrankin5926]

We also just don’t care. Something I can’t say about everyone else. You guys are weird.

[@Bossmaney]

@@ibstudiosHDfr 😂

[@Bossmaney]

@@issiahrankin5926They speaking fax tho don’t know what’s weird about speaking facts.

[@issiahrankin5926]

@@Bossmaney it’s weird because everyone cares so much about Americans when we clearly don’t give a shit about anyone else and for good reason.

[@Vinicius_Berger]

0:06 "The World Cup is now bigger than the Super Bowl on a global basis" The World Cup was (and ALWAYS was) bigger than the Super Bowl on a global basis.

[@africareigns]

Facts!

[@ronaldmadziro5679]

Champions league,Euros ,FA cup and AFCON are even bigger than the superbowl on global stage. Also cricket match between India and Pakistan draws much bigger viewers than Superbowl by a long long way. Truth be told.

[@tonygemma9461]

Of course it is bozo. It's a world sport involving THE WORLD. y'all Europeans are just itching to shit talk Americans at any turn. He obviously misspoke 🤣

[@andrew348]

FA cup 😂

[@Maitch3000]

Eurovision song contest is bigger than the Super bowl

[@chiefbeef9905]

Its great to see football in America growing naturally, instead of pumping it full of money like Saudi Arabia or China. Sets it up for long term success and continue churning out great talent

[@JorgeM270]

Uh, MLS is absolutely growing via the injections of huge amounts of cash. It's just corporations that are doing it instead of the government.

[@canvas11xD]

USA tried the money route twice. Once in the old league where they got Pele, frank and Cryuff. Then tried it again with Beckham.

[@realwickedbrew]

There is PLENTY of money being pumped into MLS. The new franchise announced for San Diego is paying $500 million just to join the league. And they aren't building a stadium. Nashville joined in 2021 and has paid about $500 million for the fee as well as to construct the stadium. Joining MLS is going to cost over $1 billion with whatever city joins next. It's insanity.

[@realwickedbrew]

To further emphasize the point, Nashville paid a $150M fee to start play in 2021, St. Louis paid $200M to start the next season, and San Diego's $500M is to start play in 2025. Yeah, money is a problem in MLS.

[@lessefrost]

It's been fun to ride too! I've been following FC Cincinnati since their start in the USL and been somewhat involved in the fan organizations. It's been so much fun to see, even if being bottom of the MLS three years in a row hurt just a bit lol

[@jouzu2477]

I've never watches mls in my life and I'm an American. Messi is the sole reason I'll start watching some MLS games

[@BilboFaggins]

We dont need you, stay away

[@davidriedy5977]

me too honestly. Gonna try to see a game but tickets are getting very expensive now lol

[@wetguavass]

The real Americans are the brown people of Mexico, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Bolivia, etc.

[@Theneckofthrogs]

You should support your local team, even if they aren't in MLS. There's USL, NISA, etc...

[@samogotamo]

Tbh I love messi but I'm boycotting the league til they add promotion and relegation.

[@majestikbouba9456]

Superbowl has never been bigger than football ! What the hell is he on about 😂😂

[@nkosanamakhubela2586]

American ego😂😂😂

[@buffFrank195]

Americans 😂

[@alphabarre9096]

Lost in translation, but do you foreigners 😂😂😂

[@midnightman5139]

Let’s face it the Super Bowl is nothing more than an excuse for the nfl to demand more ad money than usual and people only watch for the half time show and trailers.

[@comment15]

The Super Bowl has NEVER been bigger than the World Cup, and never will be. It's 1 countries viewership vs the worlds viewership.

[@joshuagarber3576]

shhh don't tell us americans that the super bowl isn't the biggest sporting event in the world lol. I never understand my country's obsession with thinking the super bowl the biggest sporting event in the world

[@mrmr5580]

Honestly (as an Englishman) its been nice to see how the game has grown in the US, you guys arent quite among the elite but youre getting closer all the time, one good thing for me is with MLS it runs through the summer while the Premier League is in the offseason, ive been watching it on apple tv anyway and the standard of the game is so much better than it was when Beckham joined, you guys are so much further along than you were in the 90's, i maybe a bit biased (ive got some American/Mexican friends who got me onto MLS a while back, also the USNMT has kind of become my 2nd team, i do root for you guys, well unless you play England 😂) but i hope you guys keep going, also i hope you have a successful summer with the Nations League and the Gold Cup

[@juicyfartsofjimcornette1154]

The MLS will never surpass the NHL, NBA, MLB and NFL, especially with the catering towards Eurosnobs.

[@mrmr5580]

@@juicyfartsofjimcornette1154 you say that but it might, i doubt itll reach the NFL or NBA anytime soon but MLB is a declining force surviving on nostalgia and the NHL in the US is not the draw you think (in Canada it is)

[@juicyfartsofjimcornette1154]

@@mrmr5580 - Last time I checked, MLB was making more money than the NBA, so we already know that you are more 2nd letter 18th letter 1st letter 9th letter 14th letter damaged than Antonio Brown!

[@mrmr5580]

@@juicyfartsofjimcornette1154 most of MLB's audience are over 40, young people are losing interest

[@juicyfartsofjimcornette1154]

@@mrmr5580 - Keep making excuses Eurosnob, but America will NOT be overrunned by your kind!

[@shmooveyea]

Literal millions of viewers are tuning in JUST because of Messi. Me included. I follow European football, Prem, UCL and a little La Liga... But have never watched a MLS game until this summer.

[@nathanmckenzie7579]

Will you continue to watch after Messi leaves?

[@shmooveyea]

prob not miami but we'll see. I watch my more local team though now@@nathanmckenzie7579

[@MinhLe-kt5zg]

With Messi coming to America u can bet that MLS is gonna blow up to insane levels

[@jordanjohnson9866]

Nah. Not insane. Not “insane.” /

[@GrKa90]

Yes he will be scoring 100 goals per season.

[@gabojones3087]

If Vela scored 35 goals in one single season, I reckon Messi will score at least 35, even with a shitty team.

[@camila_costa12]

Messi is the one who's gonna blow up MLS

[@whoknew124]

@@MarcusEvans-wv5fb in the age demographic that grew up with messi vs ronaldo. for sure. i was to young for beckham

[@jeromeclemente3672]

I've been saying it for years. America is a low key Soccer nation. Ya'll just don't want to admit it because of ego. Well done America!

[@juicyfartsofjimcornette1154]

Thank you. MLS will never surpass baseball and the others, especially with MLS' catering towards Eurosnobs.

[@NahSonUrGood]

@@juicyfartsofjimcornette1154 change is scary for people. You probably fall in age range for MLB, 57. But its ok cuz you wont be needed to participate, the world will advance while you stay behind.

[@gogousa6661]

Soccer is Mainstream in America and Europe is scared LMAO

[@pabloluisalcala-velasco4727]

Hahahahahahaha ahahahahahaha bro you need to see the passion and love people have for the game in Europe South America and other areas. The love and passion fans shove is a million times better than the US

[@MartinoilooLees]

@@pabloluisalcala-velasco4727 but the MLS is still in it's infancy. Your not wrong but the point is that MLS growth potential is huge. It's already happening and will continue. Already averaging close to Ligue 1 in terms of attendances. More Teams and Stadiums coming

[@legendaryhatdude]

0:06 "the World Cup is now bigger than the SuperBowl" always was

[@miu01011996]

yeah that, i was so confused, like "what is he even talking about? it always was" these american are clueless and think they are the center of the world or something

[@attime93]

football is the biggest sports

[@juicyfartsofjimcornette1154]

@@attime93 - GLOBALLY, but not LOCALLY in America. Know your facts!

[@daniaaal]

They're referring to the perspective of Americans who aren't generally aware of how massive soccer/football is globally

[@juicyfartsofjimcornette1154]

@@daniaaal - And they are idiots for not being more precise about it!

[@cristinaorellanacabrera5043]

Messi is the biggest sportsman that ever exists. USA is so lucky

[@kiroolioneaver8532]

I'd argue Michael Jordan is probably still the biggest that ever existed (only because he was big in the U.S. and globablly) though Messi is undoubtedly the biggest global superstar today.

[@enviousshade1770]

@@kiroolioneaver8532 who is Michael Jordan

[@Andrew-nu4hi]

@@kiroolioneaver8532Messi is bigger and it’s not close

[@poptraxx418]

@@enviousshade1770 you have to be living in a hole if you have near heared of air Jordans and Ronaldo is the biggest sportsman in the world

[@oyunboldboldbaatar5519]

@@Andrew-nu4hi it’s been 3 decades since mj played and we’re constantly talking about him as well as being a cultural icon. It might be close but I think mj takes it.

[@p.ipebomb]

Here in San Diego word is spreading quickly about our new MLS team. Beyond excited, and eventually they'll get their own stadium. Cant wait to root for San Diego, 'Fighter Town', California! 🚢🇺🇲

[@midnightman5139]

Is the response to the new team from San Diego positive?

[@p.ipebomb]

@@midnightman5139 Almost everyone I talk to is thrilled. We're a very athletic city, so we lost the San Diego Chargers the town felt a little quiet...

[@TheCrazierz]

They have a stadium. Snapdragon. Also, we lost SD Loyal, the 2nd division team this year they folded so I'm curious if the new MLS team might take the name or colors

[@p.ipebomb]

@@TheCrazierz Yeah that's what I mean they're using SDSU stadium but eventually plan on getting their own

[@dolphinsfan31]

I hope the MLS keeps growing. It’s amazing to see soccer (football) becoming more popular in the USA. They are still behind the other 4 major American sports leagues, but the gap is getting smaller.

[@tariizm1500]

they are behind the other 3 major according to this video

[@xxbuzzkiller65]

I’m sure it’s passed nhl

[@juicyfartsofjimcornette1154]

@@xxbuzzkiller65 - I'm sure you are wrong!

[@juicyfartsofjimcornette1154]

The ceiling is about to be hit, Eurosnob!

[@Bossmaney]

@@juicyfartsofjimcornette1154He’s right

[@FrankMichaelSmith]

If you enjoyed, I went to London and made a video about the NFL's wild plan to add a European Division - kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5fKXmyim7akbcU

[@MrZen08]

Your graph at 9:58 makes no sense. Adding up to 147% for All Respondents and 116% for younger folks.

[@agiell163]

​@@MrZen08the poll wasn't limited to just one choice. as he stated in the video, the poll allowed people to choose as many teams as they supported, which is the reason why it appears to have more than 100%

[@derkaiser420]

I am so happy the MLS is finally growing. As a Sounders fan the games are so fun. Football brings in a Worldwide audience that anyone can talk about. Also, football is a lot safer to play than American football and hockey. The fans are passionate and are very unique to football. NFL, NHL, MLB, and NBA fans are nothing like MLS fans. We have tifos, flares, marches, and our colors mean everything. Now, the MLS needs a relegation system instead of just adding teams. There are many teams out there that want to be in the MLS and they are just waiting. Easy, make a second league like the Championship and the last place teams in each conference get relegated. This would make it much worse for teams who are at the bottom putting pressure on them. And the top four teams from the 'second' MLS get promoted. You could even have a playoff like the Championship does and anyone who watched that this year knows that was insane. Luton Town somehow is in the Premier League next season. Come on you Sounders!

[@kiroolioneaver8532]

Pro/reg (unfortunately) isn't happening in MLS because MLS (unlike soccer leagues in much of the world) competes against other sports. Casual fans (who make up the majority of any sports league watcher) will not support a team playing in a second-tier league and owners who paid millions in expansion teams will not bear to see their investments lose money playing in a lower league lol

[@kiroolioneaver8532]

@Rahindian Empire Yes and that's also due to the salary cap as well which ensures competitive balance throughout the league

[@calvinbaII]

Because of the league entity of MLS I don't think it's possible to have pro-rel out of the league itself. If MLS were to add pro-rel it would have to be within the MLS structure itself. Considering there is already 30+ teams at the same level, and they keep adding more to the league, they would be better off eventually having an MLS Prem and MLS Championship; 20 teams at Prem "national" level (no conferences) and a Champ level that's east-west. As long as the money payout is close between the two levels (say, 100-70) then it could work.

[@kiroolioneaver8532]

@@calvinbaII Or maybe even a hybrid model within MLS. So keep the 30+ teams but have like an interior competition with the qualifying teams for the playoffs from the last season where each of those teams home and away games against each other during the regular season would doubly count for an additional trophy at the end of the season within a parrell competition. The teams that didn't make the playoffs would see their regulars eason home and away games against themselves count for another table and the top teams in that table would play in the top competition home and away the next season and the bottom teams in the top table would be relegated to the bottom.

[@AbeFromanSKC]

Worked briefly as a subcontractor for the sounders fc and it was a fantastic atmosphere, I was a fan already and being on the field for matches was amazing. Loved watching Obafemi score. I agree that the MLS is getting bloated and with all these cities wanting teams it’s the perfect time to start a second league down a tier and fight your way into MLS. Also if you play in the MLS grass fields should be required, I can’t stand artificial turf.

[@1stutterafter]

Football is growing fast in America. Being Latino and from nyc growing up I played and watched soccer but now this is a common thing all over the country. We also have a great 2nd division league the USL CHAMPIONSHIP.

[@DraggedNuts]

NYC amongst a few other other cities are keystones for what the culture here will look like on a mainstream level. But some smaller markets really have the chance to go crazy if given the right platform and opportunity.

[@myfasmarine]

Thanks for shouting out USL! It’s a great league that’s growing too. Just today USL announced Brooklyn is getting an expansion in League One!

[@anthonyjames2021]

I would say the fact that younger people are more interested in footy/soccer, and it is more popular with females and finally the USA takes in millions of migrants (legally and illegally) annually who are from kick the round ball nations, means short of an MLS implosion the sport will surpass others for support in the not so distant future.

[@m.c.martin]

@@anthonyjames2021 FIFA (the video game) has become more popular in recent years, and I’d say that’s the largest contributor to the rise in Soccer. 2026 is going to take it to new heights

[@davon7100]

@@m.c.martin FIFA is the McDonalds of sports gaming.

[@brauliobacio8381]

Love to see this sport grow here In America the stadiums feel so alive like Nashville, Seattle, and Portland are just amazing

[@davidkitterman3952]

I believe its going to be big just like when Wayne Gretzky was traded to LA all hockey needed was a big star to make the sport grow and look at hockey today The MLS needs a big star for it to grow and now it does

[@kiroolioneaver8532]

Good analogy. The only difference (I fear) is that this is happening WHILE people are also cord cutting. It'll be interesting to see how this unqiue circumstance plays out lol

[@PCSPounder]

@@kiroolioneaver8532 Experts expect that- this year- more people will be streaming than have cable. Therefore, in what shouldn’t be a surprise, ALL media companies are hurting right now. Streamers aren’t monetizing efficiently (yet), cable-based companies lose subscribers by the second, and old over-the-air broadcast networks and local stations are supremely scared at what’s to come (some are actually trying to fight the streaming trend by pulling themselves off platforms… seems really dumb to me). If you ask me who wins… Apple and Amazon have a much larger pool of money from their primary ventures, they can ride this out. So that might work in favor of MLS. The problem… at least to this point, the rumor is that Apple is upset that MLS hasn’t delivered as many increased subscriptions as MLS promised. I’m curious to see how signing Messi changes that. I’m also curious to know if Apple’s insistence on all games not ceded to Fox be scheduled at 7:30 local on Saturdays and some Wednesdays changes… it’s possible that many people who DO go to games did the math and figured out it’s not worth subscribing just for that fact. Let me compound this as well… MLS isn’t the “big 4” in North America in one key aspect. MLB has defined media territories, the NBA and NHL have been kind of piggybacking on those regional sports networks… but American soccer fans are more concerned about the live event. Last year, ESPN ran some USL games in the noon or 1 pm ET time slot on summer Saturdays and those games sometimes out-rated their MLS coverage. What I suspect… soccer fans know more how the rest of the world works, sometimes a USL (or other league) club owner promises to work towards promotion/relegation, and local fans respect that. I’m thinking MLS will never have the same regionalization of fans the other sports here enjoy. And (noting that just THINKING pro/rel scares the bejeebus out of any major league owner in any sport here) it becomes possible in the age of streaming that a structure that is based on subscriptions more than just ratings might actually make pro/rel more understandable? Profitable? Eh, it’s not the way to bet, but it’s not hard to understand MLS has an upper bound by doing what it has always done in terms of ownership and structure. The real judgment standard for MLS can’t be from signing Messi on the wrong side of 35, dare I say it would be the ability to sign Haaland right now.

[@josephrocco2954]

Hockey was fourth then, and is fourth now.

[@alsukharsky]

@@kiroolioneaver8532Big difference is age. Gretzky was still in his prime and had a few top seasons to go. Messi is near the end.

[@DrunkMonk867]

messi near the end i still enough to destroy MLS , man is not just a great player but THE best ever to play football@@alsukharsky

[@juanmix2009]

You can feel the popularity rising and it's only going to get bigger with the upcoming World Cup here in North America! Great Video! 👏

[@pitis2flie]

The stadiums and the fans have certainly caught up to the best leagues in the world. Now we just have to keep improving the talent/ level of play.

[@joshuagarber3576]

The MLS will get there eventually on the talent level. We just gotta figure out a way to harness the gold mine of talent that is the USA youth

[@JohnStrikwerda]

You did Beckham wrong. Showing him for only a second as an old washed up player? You can’t tell the story of success of MLS without talking about the huge positive impact he had when he came. Suddenly, many, many more people cared. He came right when Toronto FC started, whose multicultural city really brought the football supporter culture with. Without Beckham owning Miami, we may not have Messi coming to MLS. Really a shame the way he was mentioned as a negative footnote.

[@luiscaetano6184]

Beckham was also three years younger than Messi when he joined MLS, so definitely not a totally old washed up player as the video suggests.

[@davidlizama223]

True without David Beckham coming to the LA Galaxy IN HIS PRIME mind you, who knows where MLS would be today assuming it would have survived.

[@KatchouroBlade]

Yeah, unfair on Beckham ... Lampard and Gerrard sure. Beckham played for Milan and PSG after he joined Galaxy.

[@dinohermann1887]

@@KatchouroBladeDon‘t forget about Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls) and Xherdan Shaqiri (Chicago Fire).

[@mheiseus]

The Super Bowl was never bigger then the World Cup 😂what???

[@juicyfartsofjimcornette1154]

Obviously, these idiots don't know the difference between the words GLOBALLY and LOCALLY!

[@carlooo00s]

wtf is super bowl lol

[@alphabarre9096]

Once again lost in translation 😂

[@christianneff1985]

First time I’ve seen any of your long form content and I really enjoyed it man. Keep up the good work and I hope my hometown nashville treated you well.

[@BroadwayJoe99]

One big problem with MLS' streaming deal with Apple is that it's basically all-or-nothing. With all due respect to the other 28 teams in the league, I don't care about them - I care about my team. I don't want to watch the matches of other teams, I want to watch my team's matches. While the centralized broadcast and play-by-play is undoubtedly a bonus to the league, the lack of a "home team only" option - preferably at a lower price point to the full Season Pass package - is pushing a lot of viewers away who can't justify spending on yet another streaming service in worsening economic times.

[@kiroolioneaver8532]

This is 100% true. Only the NFL and NBA are national leagues (in that fans will watch teams they don't care about play).

[@duaneswaby622]

Agree, it's too expensive. Personally I can't justify it. Messi will help their numbers though.

[@kevin-de2ob]

ok it should be on tv

[@Teenangst]

Can’t wait to keep watching it grow - this is the true worldwide sport and it’s showing ❤

[@juicyfartsofjimcornette1154]

Can't wait till *The Super League* becomes a reality once all those in power are replaced with PRO Super League supporters!

[@pruett89]

Really well product video! Great work to you and your team!

[@CitizenoftheWorld1]

Freddy Adu was the reason I first got into MLS. I went to half a dozen DC United games. Now I live in Detroit n wishing we had a team here 😭😭😭

[@Chrissyboy14]

You should check out Detroit City FC from USL Championship

[@CitizenoftheWorld1]

@@Chrissyboy14 I been to a couple games. Great atmosphere but wish it was MLS lol

[@pawemarkowski2768]

​@@CitizenoftheWorld1 that's why you need relegations and promotions. The idea of following a smaller local team and hoping that if they just do well, they can promote to the top - this is the essence of following soccer in Europe. And the big teams are always at risk and can get relegated. And some are, and fight hard to get back, which also increases the interest in the lower leages, since the smaller clubs get to play with some big names

[@mireeladdiction620]

It’s only a matter of time I’m from Grand Rapids and there has been talks

[@CitizenoftheWorld1]

@@pawemarkowski2768 That's a great idea

[@wetguavass]

For about 100 years, football has been big in most American nations.

[@iAvrilFan1]

We LUV to see this, I hope this great sport continues to grow in popularity in United States

[@alphabarre9096]

People saying that since pele and cruijf went there playing in the 70's 😂

[@RG_Adapt]

Thanks for the awesome video!

[@brandons2199]

the mls is a good model on how to grow the league, the my built the league up from the bottom up improving infrastructure and promoting the fans of these clubs

[@bigzclipz5104]

Lmao no its not

[@myfasmarine]

@@bigzclipz5104 they’ve grown financially but after 29 years they’re still 3rd most popular soccer league in the US after Liga MX and Premier league! Something has been working but not enough apparently. Every league should at least be the most popular league of its sport in its own country

[@temsukichutzar9624]

It's a beautiful game, and with great players like messi it will only grow bigger. Not only the clubs but US national team will also grow and MLS will grow bigger.

[@ivanvaraschin657]

As an Argentine I think It has been difficult for Americans to understand football but you're getting there. You still have room for growth though. When you hear things like "the WC is now bigger than the superbowl on a global basis" it shows you that many Americans still don't quite understand football entirely besides the hype. Also, you need to add relegations to your league! You need to play football like everywhere else. Without relegations the last teams in the table don't really care about pushing themselves more! but anyway, I hope to see the MLS getting better and hope Messi will bring you some joy ;)

[@kevin-de2ob]

ok bro 👍

[@alvreyes28]

Pibe, dejame ponerte esto claro, A la mayoria de gente aqui no les interesa el Soccer y mucho menos el soccer de aqui. Es muy aburrido. Conozco hasta a Argentinos y Uruguayos que no salen del Yankee Stadium viendo baseball. MLS really doesnt have a chance unless they start bringing stars in their prime. If that happens, then they can overtake the NHL.

[@ivanvaraschin657]

@@alvreyes28 sí, obvio que la MLS es una liga nefasta hasta ahora lo que digo es que vienen por buen camino, al menos si comparás contra Arabia Saudita o lo que intentó hacer China hace unos años. Todavía les falta años luz a los yankis para tener una liga realmente buena y sentir el fútbol de verdad, pero al menos lo intentan un poco

[@alvreyes28]

@@ivanvaraschin657 Si, se ha intentado pero Pienso que aqui nunca habra una liga buena. Primero, a la mayoria no les gusta el soccer. Quizas en Portland o Minnesota pero no en las ciudades principales. 2do, los fanaticos del deporte siguen mayormente las ligas extranjeras. No es verdad que despues de ver un Manchester City vs Arsenal , te vas a poner a ver el FC Cincinnati vs FC Dallas. Obvio que Messi va a impulsar la liga(o mejor dicho a su equipo) pero despues que se vaya, todo volvera a lo mismo. No Sigo mucho el deporte pero en el 2014 fui al primer partido del NYCFC donde David Villa anoto el primer gol. Algunos 40k fuimos a ver el juego y la verdad estuvo muy bueno pero despues de ahi la mayoria creo que no hemos vuelto. Y hoy en el 2023, el NYCFC aun sigue jugando en un estadio de Baseball. Asi de serio se toma el soccer aqui.

[@ObiWonGinobili]

Yeah I agree if the commentator doesn't know that the World Cup has long been ahead of the Super Bowl for decades now, then I think we still have a long way to go to reach upper echelon of sporting. I agree we need promotion & relegation, otherwise you become like NBA franchises that never really have incentive to grow and rely on the incoming NBA draft to become successful, you don't want your future relying on ping-pong balls in SuperDraft to determine your teams outlook and future. Still though U.S. soccer pyramid really in its infancy, USL Championship only its 7th season as a D2 Sanctioned league, and both USL League One & NISA only in their 5th seasons at D3, if you count their 1st season which were cut short due to the pandemic.

[@Octavianus08]

Many of my fellow Europeans don’t care for MLS but i see the passion among fans and players. Keep it up!

[@moiseblaise7293]

I just want to say thank you and a fantastic job at explaining mls to the average fans.

[@juventuszebras]

@FrankMichaelSmith I will assure you that the MLS did not want to go all in on streaming. The major networks like ABC, NBC, and CBS were not as interested. I worked as a subcontractor for the league for a year and a half and this is what I was told.

[@kiroolioneaver8532]

They probably hoped this Messi deal came BEFORE and not after the Apple deal lol

[@golfer435]

The big networks will be lining up when the Apple TV deal ends though, mark my words

[@jal051]

It will probably work well for them now. Apple TV is already stablished world wide, so they can reach a lot of places who will now be interested in watching it thanks to Messi.

[@kiroolioneaver8532]

@@jal051 To be fair, the MLS and Apple could've negotiated international streaming rights even if they had a US cable partner and had the best of both worlds lol

[@lifeandtimesofsazi3192]

Having a lot of South American and Mexican immigrants is helping the growth of soccer in America

[@davepazz580]

Not as much as you'd think...

[@lifeandtimesofsazi3192]

@@davepazz580 there’s more latinas then blacks America now, Latinas are the second biggest race group soon to be the biggest race group in America, if you’re thinking such a large group of people can’t influence American culture then you’re not on the money my friend

[@davepazz580]

Most immigrants start consuming the other American sports such as the NFL, MLB and NBA once they arrive far more than MLS... their true soccer loyalties are with whatever club they left behind in their home country.

[@alvreyes28]

@@davepazz580 right. perfect example is Los Angeles. Most are Dodgers fans and pack the stadium every night. Galaxy only averages 20k with far less home games.

[@leonardoflorentin]

LOL that means absolutely nothing, only latin americans with good football are argentina, brazil, colombia and uruguay, the rest are average to amateur, mexico?? LOL mexico is even worst than the USA.

[@TydalTech]

Genuinely one of the best videos I have ever watched!!

[@Cj-nm2gg]

Great content bro

[@mariogonzalez5107]

Once the US starts working right with their academies I think they’ll have an unlimited amount of talented young players at their disposal. It would also be great to challenge South America’s clubs like Mexico has in the past, we could have our own version of the champions league here in the Americas.

[@dontebullard7423]

Soccer has always been in America it was just not popular until the past few years. In 1970's we had Pele and Cryuff playing in the states.

[@revs81]

Go back further and it was popular in the 30s in certain places - Bethlehem, PA, St. Louis and Fall River, MA

[@ac22...]

I can't believe the statment at 0:06 "The world cup is now bigger tha n the Super Bowl on a global basis". The World Cup has always been bigger than the Super Bowl. Always!

[@kevinumber7]

Was at Stanford 94 World Cup for 3 games. Watched San Jose Clash play first game vs DC and Eric Wynalda scored. Football has been huge. Landon Donovan was important aling with LA Galaxy amd DC. Its smart that the smaller heartland cities got football specific stadiums. But here in California, we been football fans way before. And yes the talent is growing and world cup coming up in north America.

[@TheRoseBoy11]

David Beckham going to LA Galaxy was the starting point for MLS' rise.

[@LJ.613]

The NHL is closer in revenue to the EPL than any other league. Its the 5th biggest league on the planet by revenue. The Bundesliga isnt passing it. The MLS isnt even close.

[@eljoshguerra]

The Vox school of editing is hitting all channels. Great stuff here!

[@Weavileiscool]

Growing up in Missouri I’m glad we got our two teams as respect for one of the first places soccer took over in the us.

[@Blyke14]

Missouri has 1 lol… don’t take SKC away from us.

[@darrylbrookes2780]

the worl cup has always bin bigger then the super bowl on a global bases lol its just bigger in america now lol

[@Maendecks]

Why was this so high quality??!!

[@HugoNewman]

"The World Cup is *now* bigger than the Super Bowl"!?? 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@kingcrusader724]

Great video!

[@reynaldolopez4141]

I’m a huge baseball fan but it’s a dying sport and MLS will overtake it and the NHL in much less than 10 years. NFL will always be on top as America’s sport. I just hope MLB doesn’t eventually disband due to low attendance and overall drop in popularity as it is a beautiful sport just like soccer. I am happy for MLS’ rise though.

[@alvreyes28]

Laughable. MLB avg is 27k(mind you, there are 81!!! Home games). The more games, the tougher to maintain an average. Also the 2nd league in revenue in the whole world. MLB is not going anywhere. MLS will probably never surpass MLB. Even NHL is still far ahead of MLS.

[@salvadorzorraquin8864]

the reason they go for apple tv is because they know messi fans from other countries can't have us cable, but they can have apple tv.

[@christianjackman5179]

Working at a sports museum, I've been seeing a lot more people traveling to our area to attend their teams games then ever before

[@jbalti]

Thank you for the video. MLS is growing, and the US is joining the world stage in developing talents and accomplishments. Watching a game live here in the US is such a treat. First and foremost, it is a family-friendly event. It is not the case in Europe or elsewhere in the world. Fans from both sides sit next to each other; no problem at all. The quality of the game is quite good, it has yet to be the premier league, but it is entertaining. Few matches were at the highest level (watch Cincinnati vs. Columbus Crew). Looking forward to Messi joining and bringing the MLS to the next level. Go, CREW!!!

[@kevinwilkins7851]

Except MLS continues to lose on a regular basis against CONCACAF CL rivals south of the border including Central American squads. One player will not improve MLS---it's still a substandard league across the board.

[@rubengutierrez5102]

Lionel Messi killed it when he signed with Inter Miami! The MLS is going to blow up! More Euro super stars are going to come to the MLS to play football.

[@juicyfartsofjimcornette1154]

ruben gutierrez=a poster child for delusional Eurosnobs!

[@myownlilbubble]

Stop embarassing yourself.. ..😢

[@davon7100]

36 year old Messi is gonna care about his golf life more than his futbol life. Look at Chicharito the guy cares about going to Lakers game than he does playing well for the Galaxy.

[@alvreyes28]

nah. Pele came here and it did nothing. Players like Beckham have played here and the same thing. They all come at the end of their careers. Nobody really care about soccer outside of Mexicans and SOuth Americans in the US, and some white Americans that wants to be different lol.

[@thegoat5375]

the world cup was always bigger than the super bowl

[@shaikaftab1199]

MLS is on fire this seaosn. 🔥 Great insights and video.

[@exeterjedi6730]

As a Brit I've followed US Soccer since 1993 and it's been a ride. So many things done wrong at first and then getting fixed. I think the rise of the EFL is another factor in saying 'this is what football looks like' and setting that standard to emulate.

[@shrutarshihalder2908]

What a timing Frank!!

[@FrankMichaelSmith]

🦏🙏🏼

[@aaniketmishra]

The reason I'm even watching this video is because you have a Messi thumbnail 😅

[@alexbakalov]

I hope the world cup cobtinues to grow. Its nice to see small tournaments finally get their recognition.

[@c_beno3416]

I have been watching MLS since a long time. I was 17 or 18 when my club joined this league (Montreal). I have so much memories attached to the MLS. Nesta, Drogba, Di Vaio, Piatti. They came ton Montreal, played on our field for us. It's crazy!!! But the direction taken in the last years regarding the broadcasting of sports is just bad. I will not pay 15$ a month to only have access to soccer and watch my team play on the weekend. I would pay 15$ a month to have access to all the sports club in MTL, but not for only one club in particular. Good luck MLS to bring more people to love this sport when you don't even givr them the opprtunity to stumble on a game of their local club on the TV or the espn streaming service.

[@juicyfartsofjimcornette1154]

The MLS Is Jumping the MLB & NHL *Ha! Ha! That's great. Get the* *6th letter* *21st letter* *3rd letter* *11th letter* *out of here with that!*

[@Bologard]

So happy to see my city Nashville represented!

[@MissingLinx]

For St. Louis we have always been a soccer town with its roots embedded here. It sucked that our team didn't start until this year. I went a to match in June and really enjoyed myself.

[@Androbott]

con lo q marcan en la MLS, messi va jugar tan bien

[@thomashibma9492]

as a dutchman this looks good i hope we get a rematch in the world cup.

[@thomashibma9492]

united state is still the only country that has reached the third place in the world cup of countries that are not in Europe or south America

[@tripperdelaluna1]

Me too - you guys caught us with a spent midfield and no proper striker. Poor tournament coaching from Berhalter.

[@thomashibma9492]

@@tripperdelaluna1 Netherlands team is strong it doesn't mind losing but united state could play much better in the soccer macts

[@jasonromage6129]

The "Second Coming" of the sport occured in the late 70s and has been growing ever since. I remember November 1989. No social media like today and NO coverage on television so you had to wait a day(which seemed like an eternity) for news on a WCQ result. The previous day the USMNT played Trinidad and Tobago. The only media outlet that gave any acknowledgement of the accomplishment in the sport was USA TODAY. I went to news stand expecting to have to buy the newspaper THEN open up to the sports section. INSTEAD they had the result on the front page! My heart was racing as I broke out in tears! We had qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1950; a full 40 years later. If I remember correctly, the next summer all the matches were on TNT network, not a major network but were on TV nonetheless. 4 years later the United States hosted tourney had all the games on either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2. I attended 4 games in Detroit, Michigan -Soccer had arrived to America! (North America 😉) Fast forward 20 years later I took my pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Brasil! In just under 3 years, we are gonna have a wonderfully, beautiful homecoming when we co-host again! (Btw, I'll predict by 2030, average MLS per match attendance will be 26k making it the 4th biggest league in the world. The average salary will also be 1.5M)

[@kngishere395]

MLB ratings for nationally televisons games this year is averaging 960,000. MLS last year is 300,000. Bound to be slightly lower this year now that all games are behind a paywall. Its not even close to catching the MLB yet. Almost a 3rd of the way there!

[@Noel-zm7xz]

The World Cup has always been bigger than the superbowl!! Only an American would say the superbowl was ever bigger

[@paulcapaccio9905]

You’re right. Americans live in the past

[@jayrox582]

​@@paulcapaccio9905considering how advanced our military technology is and how we can turn your country into a parking lot if we really wanted to I'll say we're pretty advanced.

[@jayrox582]

Most powerful country in the world that always has to step in to help Europe we can say what ever we want to

[@duainewade6522]

When I think of nashville I think of the titans

[@realwickedbrew]

When I think of Nashville, I think of traffic, overpriced everything, and bachelorette parties.

[@Vividmoney97]

Come to a Nashville SC game. Tickets are cheap it sells out consistently

[@alphabarre9096]

And it will stay that way 😂 these euro's in the comment section are something else 😂😂😂

[@juicyfartsofjimcornette1154]

@@Vividmoney97 - For the love of god, will you tell your owners to NAME the team to something like *Thundercats!?!*

[@jackiewiczwebdesign]

World Cup has been bigger than the Super Bowl for a long time lol😂

[@yogitheaussiedoodle8042]

in the charlotte nc/ fort mill sc area soccer is for sure the 2nd or 3rd most popular sport(nfl number one and then nba and then mls)

[@Bossmaney]

Eurosnobs gonna be mad 😂

[@lperea21]

Some are happy they won't have to play against him

[@enoqq]

is it just me or does this guy look like Christian Pulisic?

[@anarwally]

The thing that worries me most about the Apple deal is the length of the contract. Ten years is a long time. The Crew just built a new stadium that opened last year. Now their second soccer specific stadium.

[@adolforivera8473]

I love both of our football, and I ve been blessed to play both. I hope both sports live for ever

[@dblock2nphilly]

Pele, Beckham all called it soccer......no we wait to hear the words come out of Messi mouth as well. This was always the subplot.. How to get the term soccer plastered all over the globe.

[@NatsFan18]

Except that he doesn’t speak English

[@splashnskillz37]

Soccer Football Gridiron Football All are football, end the bitching ffs

[@raungelyubos1977]

He will not speak English and daying that word

[@agus_pax8796]

He calls it fulbo lol

[@lperea21]

Messi barely talks in his own language 😂

[@danielisflying]

As World Cup visitors in 2026, we are going to have a lot of work convincing American's that it's called Football and not Soccer.

[@sweetpeach3649]

Get over yourself. It's soccer in the States. Just like It's "calcio" in Italy.

[@youcantalwaysgetwhatyouwan6687]

Let Australians and Americans call it Soccer.

[@MySlenderGames]

This was a great video

[@jurassicattack01]

it was thanks to the 2014 world cup that I gained an interest in soccer, the US didn't do spectacularly then but it I did start following my local club at the time, which was the Sounders (I still follow them to this day). Recently, with the MLS moving to apple (which while I'm not a fan of, at least it has it's really good points) I decided to start watching games for leagues across the world, with me most actively following the Japanese J league. Now that the US, Canada, and Mexcio will be hosting the 2026 world cup, with the US national team being young and getting better, I think the MLS will see a massive boost in the coming future, so it's really exciting to see it be as such. Now if only they could get a better logo for the 2026 world cup

[@MisterFreak579]

The MLS won't be good enough until they add Promotion and Relegation another thing that should be taken into consideration is that North America and South America should fuse their Champions League together so that all Teams from the Americas can compete against one another, MLS teams need to face teams from Brazil and Argentina in order to improve themselves but so far they only play against Canadian, Mexican and some Teams from the Caribbean in the Concacaf Champions League which is not enough.

[@davepazz580]

Kicking out one bad team and replacing it with another bad team every year won't change anything... it would repulse more fans than anything else.

[@MisterFreak579]

@@davepazz580 It would create "Competition" which is a very important factor for entertainment in Sports and also for improvement because if teams like Miami or Toronto continue to play trash then they should get punished with having to spend the next year in a lower league, but if MLS keeps forgiving them for their bad performance these teams will never improve naturally by themselves even if Messi and others join them they can't fix the whole team.

[@davepazz580]

The problem with that form of "competition" is you'd be essentially punishing the fans for something they had no hand in whatsoever... The *only* ones responsible for a terrible season on the field are the players and coaches, that's it... so what sense would it make to punish the paying fans who expect a top league product and want to see top league action year in and year out? It makes a lot more sense to instead punish the players and coaches for not performing up to a professional standard... "relegate" *them* as individuals, terminate their contracts, send them to the USL, let go of them any way you wish - but let the team stay put because the fans shouldn't be asked to spend at least a year watching inferior league soccer through no fault of their own. So MLS really isn't "forgiving" anyone for a bad team performance... it's up to the MLS team itself to rid themselves of a poor roster - last place teams don't keep the exact same players year after year.

[@MisterFreak579]

@@davepazz580 What does this have to do with the fans? The fans are mere spectators and nothing more, it is quite clear that the Team will suffer more than the fans because the team will lose the privilege to play in the MLS and not the fans. MLS is forgiving them because MLS keeps the same teams and never drops any of them out of the league despite being the bottom last it still doesn't matter because teams in the MLS know they can never drop to a lower league thanks to the MLS System and that's why they don't care about their performance because they have nothing to lose and that's the main difference between the MLS and other leagues around the world where they know they have to fight otherwise they will end up in one of the 3 main spots for relegation. This is one of the reasons why MLS is not attractive enough because the Competition is missing there is no fear of losing because all of them know they still can win this thing the next year without having to worry about their place in the table this year.

[@davepazz580]

*What does this have to do with the fans?* What does this have to do with the fans? Seriously? You do know sports franchises don't exist only to amuse themselves... right? Don't confuse yourself with a sports "clubs" as they exist in Europe... America has "franchises" that *only* exist to make profits as a spectator sport - or did you think franchises receive all this investment money out of the goodness of their hearts to pay the poor players so they can have a nice place to go play? *it is quite clear that the Team will suffer more than the fans because the team will lose the privilege to play in the MLS and not the fans.* No, the fans will lose the privilege of having a top league team to go see every week... after building the expectation of top league play, why on earth would a team punish the fans right along with the offending players? Makes absolutely no sense... the other US sports leagues don't do this kind of nonsense and look how much more popular and profitable they are overall compared to MLS. They do it by not taking the fans (and their business) for granted by saying to them "Well people, your team really tanked this year... so next season, you won't be seeing your local team playing against the top league stars you're accustomed to but enjoy your no-name future competition!" The first thing any fan of that team who spent his hard-earned money on tickets regularly would say is "It's not *my* fault the team did so badly!" and they'd be totally right. *MLS is forgiving them because MLS keeps the same teams and never drops any of them out of the league despite being the bottom last it still doesn't matter because teams in the MLS know they can never drop to a lower league thanks to the MLS System and that's why they don't care about their performance because they have nothing to lose* MLS isn't "forgiving" anybody... those teams *paid* to be part of MLS and to acquire the type of massive funding necessary to field competent players and coaches - so the team isn't going anywhere, why should it? Because of what the players and coaches failed to do on the field in any given year? That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever under this system... players and coaches are the ones who must *prove* they belong on a top league team, so they stay or go based on what *they* do - but the team itself stays put to try for another season the following year. *and that's the main difference between the MLS and other leagues around the world where they know they have to fight otherwise they will end up in one of the 3 main spots for relegation.* Which is logical to use when soccer is head and shoulders above any other sport in popularity and is the national obsession there... Fans have no other choice *but* to keep supporting their clubs no matter what division they end up in, because what other choice do they really have? Not so in America... the majority of fans actually follow multiple sports, and all of them are more popular than soccer is. This makes your local MLS team very easy to stop attending and even dropping in the midst of local competition from other sports in town because fans know they have other choices to go watch. So you can't pretend MLS should operate as if it's in Europe... it's not. *This is one of the reasons why MLS is not attractive enough because the Competition is missing there is no fear of losing because all of them know they still can win this thing the next year without having to worry about their place in the table this year.* From the perspective of a player or coach who is having a terrible season, you *do* fear losing because your job is directly on the line... Sure, the team itself may succeed very well the next season... but it might accomplish that *without* your services as a player or coach - with a new bunch of players who fared better than you. I remember back in the 90's, there was a new expansion team called Chivas USA based in Los Angeles... being a new team in the league, they had a *very* rough time and lost almost all their matches for the first few months of the season and were in dead last place in the standings The team continued to be reported on and interviewed during this time period, I read most of them because I was interested in what they were thinking... *none* of the players and coaching staff were in any kind of "relaxed" mood just because Chivas USA was still going to be in MLS the following year - they were all very tense and nervous as hell because they understood their performance and finishing last would haunt their future viability as professional players. It takes a special kind of mentality as a player to reach the highest level of any sport... your attitude *better* be on fully winning every time no matter what, or else you'll never go far in sports. So I don't understand this notion that a player will somehow reach the highest ranks the suddenly "turn off" this drive and stop caring if does his absolute best just because his team will still be around next year no matter what.

[@makejudgethecaption4369]

I don’t think soccer will overtake baseball. Maybe hockey but this is exponential growth, meaning eventually the growth is bound to slow down soon because the more fans there are, the less fans there are to join.

[@bananaboiii7991]

Agreed. Baseball is to big to fall to the number 4 spot.

[@ange1098]

You mean rounders 😂

[@kevin-de2ob]

​@@bananaboiii7991 young people no longer like baseball

[@alphabarre9096]

It's just a wishful thinking or delusion from these euro people 😂

[@joem-tl1vl]

@@kevin-de2ob The people I see playing it are mainly the children of immigrants from Europe and Latin America, but Baseballs popularity depends on region and if they have a good team or not.

[@Tony32]

"The world cup is now bigger than the Super Bowl on a global basis" Should we tell them? 🤣🤣🤣

[@cieslik7564]

Couple years before i wrote that MLS nad Miami got bright future. Now after Messi and new Word Cup it will go other space. So excited for you.

[@JorgeM270]

MLS passing MLB anywhere in the medium term future is naive. Keep in mind, MLB is ahead of the NBA in revenue, it's the second most lucrative league in the world. Baseball is just ingrained in American culture. People who aren't baseball fans still go to baseball games just to hang out.

[@davon7100]

Exactly MLS is even behind Liga MX and EPL in the US. More people in the US can name European Champions league teams than MLS Teams.

[@alvreyes28]

Exactly! My kid is 3 and they teach him soccer at the daycare but all of a sudden he's now more interested in Baseball. It just comes naturally. A lot of kids play soccer when kids but most of the time they change to Baseball, Basketball or Football. And honestly, I know many soccer fans and they dont even watch the MLS. They watch European leagues.

[@youcantalwaysgetwhatyouwan6687]

MLB is boring.. MLB played 162 games while NBA only played 82 games with smaller venues

[@BrianRouse]

We traveled to watch St. Louis play Nashville and GEODIS Park was awesome. The fans were nice to us and the food was good. Even though we lost it was a fun experience.

[@mitchy14]

Great vid Frank

[@supercrash804]

Joe Burrow

[@jamesnunez9082]

The MLS brand might grow sure. But the quality will always remain stagnant until they decide for promotion/regulation, but we all know that will never happen.

[@davepazz580]

Kicking out one bad team and replacing it with another bad team every year isn't the greatest of ideas...

[@myfasmarine]

@@davepazz580 and yet that format has made football/soccer the most popular sport around the world and MLS isn’t even the most popular soccer league in the US. After 29 years of existing it’s only 3rd most popular soccer league in its own country.

[@davepazz580]

@@myfasmarine Only in countries where soccer is the absolute most popular sport (or very close to it)... fans really have no other choice *but* to keep following their local club and be on the edge of their seat from top to bottom because they don't have multiple, far more popular choices in sports to follow in town. In the US, you simply go follow another league when your soccer team is no longer a top league product... it quickly becomes yesterday's news. Fans of the N.Y. Yankees (for example) don't say to themselves "Wow, I'm sure glad my team beat that AAA minor league baseball team to earn the right to play in MLB last year!" Nobody gives 2 sh*ts about minor league when you're a major league team fan... N.Y. Yankee fans simply know they have top players playing against other top players... no need to kick out teams to determine that.

[@ampolcyn1]

@@myfasmarineI love how Europeans get made when Americans suggests Changes to their leagues but are just fine saying that American Leagues should be like European leagues.

[@arianh9380]

I think what would help the league a lot would be to scrap the whole playoffs thing. Just operate like the premier league, serie a, la liga etc. where the team with the most points wins the league.

[@Plupert]

We have too many teams for that unfortunately. In order to make that system fair every team would have to play each other home and away. 29 teams in the MLS so 28 opponents home and away is 56 match weeks. Way too much. I wish the MLS stopped making new teams 10 years ago.

[@kiroolioneaver8532]

@@Plupert Not just too many teams but it's literally a continent-sized league. If you play season/franchise mode any North American sports video games (MLB The Show, Madden, NBA 2K, NHL) and play every game and play Flight Simulator 2020 for all the road games, you'll get an appreciation for the sheer grind of travel that Europeans (they literally can bus to games and sleep in their own beds at the end of the day) don't have to deal with lol

[@Plupert]

Yeah it’s really stupid. Best solution I can think of is split the league in half by conference have all those teams play each other H/A and have the best two play a “final” to determine the league winner. But then half of the league would never play the other half of the league. Yeah you could have a few inter conference games but how do you make that fair with strength of schedule, travel, etc.

[@kiroolioneaver8532]

@@Plupert Yeah I like that model. Do it how like the American and National League used to do it before interleague play. I think what makes up for the other teams not meeting each other is the cup competitions (US Open Cup, Canadian championship, the tournament with the Liga MX teams).

[@alexmeyjes5533]

I too am optimistic though I am 70 ... I do remember though, the same things were being said in the early and mid 70's > We had an aging Pele , still the best in the world then , now we have an aging Messi , still the best in the world now . I just hope there will be fewer set backs this time around

[@lgarcia67]

It has been well managed. Stadiums have been sized according to demand and not a monstrosity half full. The games I have seen are super fun and vibrant. With them giving the media rights to apple they are setting themselves for the future. The new generation only watches on phones, computers, and tablets. They don’t care for nbc, cbs, or abc. They have capture the audience they need, not the old audience. Good for them, great vision.

[@gxguy2906]

Soccer will be bigger than NFL as it should be. Soccer is here to stay. Tons of kids are playing soccer now. We even have turf fields popping up in poor neighborhoods here in Saint Paul, Minnesota which used to be only available in rich neighborhoods. We don't have to play soccer on the unused baseball fields anymore.

[@kiroolioneaver8532]

The one thing holding soccer back in my opion is the reluctance to change rules for entertainment value (which is what all the big North American sports the NFL, NHL, NBA, hell, even now MLB do; think the introduction of the three pointer, the pitch clock, etc.). Soccer is big in much of the world because there's no competing sports. In countries where soccer has to compete (Japan and the Caribbean with baseball, South Asia with cricket, New Zealand with rugby, Australia with Aussie Rules and so on) it has a much harder time. Whenever suggestions have been made to change soccer (i.e. putting a stop watch clock, etc.) there's massive resistance.

[@alvreyes28]

Soccer has always been played by kids in the US. They grow and always choose one of the 3 main sports. My kid is 3 and plays soccer here in NY but now he's getting more interested in Baseball.

[@gxguy2906]

@@kiroolioneaver8532 No there should not be a change to the beautiful game to turn it into a full commercial product like other sports. I don't want to watch 30 seconds of sport and the 1 or 2 minutes of commercials. If you're a true soccer fan and know how the game work you will appreciate this. It's getting better now with goal-line technology and VAR is still pretty much in progress. Since covid, they're also allowing up to 5 subs as well.

[@gxguy2906]

@@alvreyes28 I agree with that. One of the reasons is that the other sports have better college scholarships or NCAA for American athletes. Kids that want to go to college and be professional athletes will choose other sports due to the better scholarships being offered. At the same time the college scholarships program just simply can't work for Soccer. We have 21 years old college graduates and still a rookie in MLS while in South America and Europe, their 17 or 18 years old are already world-class players or have way more potential to be world-class.

[@jagdawgii929]

this is pure copium, you literally just dont understand how big the 4 major sports in the US are

[@luciovero9045]

what is the superbowl ??

[@feizai245]

"The World Cup is now bigger than the Super Bowl on a global basis" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣Americans have a good sense of humor, you gotta give them that. LOL.

[@romnflrs]

I’m sorry but the MLB makes the most money has the most attendance and is changing the game it’s americas sport either one or two no one is overtaking them, the nba maybe the mls can overtake but never the mlb

[@jagdawgii929]

way too much money and popularity, even if social media loves to hate on it, soccer will never overtake baseball in the US. its so obvious

[@armstrongtata7557]

Informative and a very good watch. And people around the world will be jealous MLS has Messi.

[@juicyfartsofjimcornette1154]

People around the world are also laughing how stupid you are if you think a 35-year old is going to turn the dumpster fire that is MIAMI around! The Chargers had a great chance of winning Super Bowls with Dan Fouts and Philip Rivers as their QB's and that didn't happen either!

[@myownlilbubble]

Jealous🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@davon7100]

Messi will be 36 when he starts with Miami. Really who cares? He gonna play a few games than retire or go back to finish his career in Argentina.

[@poptraxx418]

Messi will only play like 2 seasons tops and retires and the MLS will be dead again

[@bretroman3878]

MLS was moving along before Nashville FC 🤣🤣