The MLS is back: One of the world’s fastest growing leagues?

The MLS league is barely 30 years old and is enjoying a purple patch in terms of popularity. Football fans in Europe often associate it with somewhere that once-great footballers go to get that final big paycheck before they retire. But now, the quality is improving season after season, and people are sitting up and noticing the league.

America is well known for having a passion for Baseball, Basketball and American Football. Still, there is a place in the heart of Americans for 'soccer', too. In 2022 an MLS side won the CONCACAF Champions League for the first time. The competition is equivalent to the famous European Cup for North and Central America, so it is a big deal. Last May, the Seattle Sounders lifted the trophy and were rewarded for being the USA's first ever representatives at the Club World Cup in Morocco that year. That sent a big message to the world that the sport is growing rapidly in the country.

With the demand for more MLS games higher than ever, the league has listened. This season the league's playoff format will look different to previous years by allowing for more post-season games than ever before ahead of the Grand Final in December. It will give fans more games that matter and give the teams an even bigger challenge if they want to win the MLS Cup.

Seattle will likely be in the mix to win the cup, as will last year's winner, LAFC. It was Gareth Bale who scored a dramatic 120th-minute winner at the end of extra-time to win LA their first MLS Cup. It was also Bale's last ever game at club level. The former Welsh international retired in January 2023.

Since 2017, the MLS has been slowly adding more teams to the league to create more fixtures and cover more of the country. Nine new teams have been added