With the World Cup set to take over North America this June, one of the biggest beneficiaries will be Major League Soccer. In this column, I will examine how the league’s rising player quality is helping MLS move beyond its ‘retirement league’ label.
MLS is a fairly new league, its first season taking place in 1996 with only 10 teams. Since then, the league has expanded to 30 teams, with its most recent expansion side, San Diego FC, being added in 2025.
Like the NFL, MLS utilizes a salary cap. Certain loopholes within the cap, however, allow clubs to take different approaches for roster building. On one side, you have the high-profile clubs like the LA Galaxy and Inter Miami CF that are not afraid to spend tons of cash on players. On the other side, there are teams like St. Louis City SC and CF Montréal that are more frugal with their money. So, how do these teams compete with some of the league’s biggest spenders?
The answer is simple: Invest in academy development and play the kids.
Such a strategy wasn’t always the league’s main tactic. For a very long time MLS was not seen as a premier hub for youth development. To describe their previous strategy, critics coined the term ‘retirement league’ — a league that would only attract and sign old superstars at the end of their careers. As a huge MLS fan, I must say that this assumption was likely true.
Signing marquee stars has never been a problem for MLS. Footballers such as David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Lionel Messi and many more have graced the league with their global influence and skill. Today, however, most clubs are focused on developing the next crop of players, either by trying to sign emerging quality players from abroad or by locking down local talent to first-team deals. This shift has been largely successful. Players like Alphonso Davies, Jhon Durán and Brenden Aaronson earned hefty transfers overseas, while rising prospects like Cavan Sullivan, Owen Wolff and Zavier Gozo highlight the next generation of American soccer.
Yes, MLS teams do still sign aging superstars, and in doing so they continue to grow the league. However, it is no longer fair to label MLS a ‘retirement league.’ With the new 2026 MLS campaign underway, there has never been a better time to watch the mix of global superstars and rising prospects as we await the World Cup.
