Infrastructure, community investment makes soccer the third most popular sport in the US

Inter Miami FC Nu Stadium 

Born out of the 1994 FIFA World Cup hosted in the United States, Major League Soccer is now in its 31st season and has made good on the vision of creating a soccer nation. Soccer is now the third most popular sport in the United States over taking baseball. This progress underscores nearly three decades of investment in world-class soccer infrastructure and community development.

All FIFA World Cup 2026 host markets across the United States and Canada are MLS cities, reflecting the league’s deep integration into the fabric of the sport throughout the region. In addition, five MLS stadiums will host FIFA World Cup matches and 14 MLS and MLS NEXT Pro clubs are hosting team base camps showcasing the state-of-the-art venues built by MLS clubs and ownership in partnership with local communities. 

Since its launch in 1996 — established as part of the legacy of the 1994 FIFA World Cup — MLS ownership has invested more than $11 billion in soccer-specific stadiums, elite training facilities, youth academies, and community-based infrastructure projects across the United States and Canada. The MLS has grown from 10 to 30 clubs since its inaugural season in 1996. There are 27 MLS clubs that play in stadiums built or renovated for soccer, following Inter Miami CF’s stadium debut in April 2026. New stadiums for New York City FC opening in 2027 and Chicago Fire FC opening in 2028 are under construction, with the New England Revolution coming soon to follow.                              

The Art of the Win Case at the 

MLS x AMNH For The Win sports exhibition

Major League Soccer continued its strong momentum through the first three months of the 2026 season across viewership, attendance, and social engagement, highlighted by increases in audiences across linear and streaming platforms and the highest Opening Weekend attendance in league history.    
            
The 2026 season builds on the strongest three-year period of fan growth in league history and comes as a record number of MLS players are set to represent their national teams at this summer’s FIFA World Cup. The tournament also underscores MLS’ broader role in the sport’s expansion across North America, with 13 MLS cities serving as host markets and nearly 40 MLS stadiums and training facilities supporting the event as match venues and team base camps.

“The growth we’re experiencing this season reflects the consistency and momentum MLS has built over the last three years,” said Camilo Durana, MLS Chief Business Officer.”

MLS averaged 7.9 million live match viewers per week across streaming and linear platforms through the first three months of the 2026 season, an increase of 62% year-over-year. MLS’ audience growth reflects the league’s expanding reach across both streaming and linear television, providing fans with more ways than ever to watch matches. MLS is averaged 22,109 fans per match through May, with more than 4.8 million fans attending matches through the first three months of the season - up from 2025 and ranking as the second-highest average and total attendance figures in league history behind 2024’s record-breaking season. The Colorado Rapids, D.C. United, Inter Miami CF, LAFC, and Toronto FC set new single-match attendance records in 2026 establishing new club attendance marks this season.Durana says fans are proving that soccer and the MLS has been worth the investment, and she is anticipating that start of the season on July 16^th, in the middle of FIFA World Cup Action.

“From continued rising viewership to record-setting attendance across multiple clubs and expanding digital and social engagement, fans are connecting with the league at unprecedented levels as global attention on soccer continues to build ahead of this summer’s FIFA World Cup.”