Let's be honest.
For many in Norway, Major League Soccer is still a league that is not taken seriously. A league that you might turn on late one night, or scroll past without thinking much about it.
But it's also because few people really know the story.
Because this is not a league that has just “become big.” This is a league that initially had no right to exist, that was close to disappearing, and that today stands stronger than ever.
A league that wouldn't survive
MLS came into being because it had to. When the United States was awarded the World Cup in 1994, FIFA demanded that the country establish a professional league. The result was its launch in 1996, with ambitions far greater than the foundation on which they were built.
The start was anything but glamorous. Interest fluctuated, finances were tight, and just a few years into the project, the cracks began to show. By the early 2000s, the situation was so dire that several clubs were closed down, and the league was teetering on the edge of a precipice.
It's easy to forget today, but MLS was on its way out before it had really gotten started.
The moment that changed direction
Then, in 2007, something happened that would change everything.
David Beckham signed for LA Galaxy, and suddenly the entire football world turned its attention to the United States. But it wasn't just Beckham himself that was important, it was what the signing represented.
MLS introduced a new way of thinking about the league. They opened the door to stars, but without relinquishing control. Salary structure, financial discipline and long-term planning remained priorities. This is where the foundation was laid, not just for growth, but for sustainability.
The growth that can no longer be ignored
Since then, MLS has grown, slowly but surely. Not through one big explosion, but through a steady development where the league has gradually built itself up stone by stone.
Today, stadiums across the United States are filled to capacity. Millions of people follow the league, and previously unknown clubs are now valued at billions. What was once an experiment has evolved into an industry.
And perhaps most interestingly: the growth has come without the league losing control of itself.
A new chapter – and a new audience
When Lionel Messi arrived in MLS in 2023, the development took another step. Attention exploded, stadiums sold out, and the league gained an audience far beyond the American market.
But it's important to understand one thing: MLS didn't start growing when Messi arrived. It was already on the rise. Messi wasn't the start, he was the confirmation.
A league that dares to be different
What really separates MLS from European football is not the level, but the identity.
This is a league that has chosen its own path. With playoffs, salary caps, and vast geographical distances, it creates matchups that rarely follow a script. Favorites stumble. Matches open up. The pace takes on a life of its own.
That makes MLS difficult to predict, frustrating at times, but also extremely entertaining.
Therefore, we follow
At 90minutefamily, we have chosen to take MLS seriously. Not because it is easy, but precisely because it is challenging. This is a league that requires you to look a little closer, read a little more and understand a little better.
We have followed the development closely, been in dialogue with stakeholders around the league and seen how it has moved from the outside in. And the more you look into it, the clearer it becomes:
MLS is not what many think it is.
Started as a requirement
Major League Soccer started as a requirement. It almost disappeared before it really took hold.
Today it is a growing league, with increasing global interest, high profiles and a clear direction forward.
It's not perfect.
It's not fully developed.
But it is moving.
And perhaps most importantly, it is far better than its reputation.
