“The growth of American Soccer”

By Mateo Wilson

From the Pele days of the NASL (North American Soccer League) to the foundation of the MLS and the 1994 FIFA World Cup to this generation of the USMNT (United States Men’s National Team) and Lionel Messi’s decision to come to play for Miami, Football (Soccer) in the United States has grown a lot. The growth of soccer in the US has been something American soccer fans in the early 1970s could’ve only dreamed of. 

The NASL was the first Top-Flight (high-ranking) soccer league in the United States that was sanctioned by FIFA. The NASL was created from a merger between the USA (United Soccer Association) and the NPSL (National Professional Soccer League). It was the first soccer league to get national attention, even if most fans just came to watch Pele play for the New York Cosmos. Despite its initial success, the NASL expanded too quickly, collapsing in 1985

In 1988 the United States Soccer Federation wanted to host the FIFA World Cup. FIFA, however, would not accept the offer unless the US did one thing. The thing that FIFA wanted the US to do was to create a high ranking professional league. The US succeeded in doing so in 1993, one year before the World Cup, leading to the country’s successful bid for the 1994 World Cup. In 1996 the first Major League Soccer season began. If you think the first ten years of MLS were pretty, well, you’re wrong. Within the first five years, the league was struggling both financially and to get fans in the stands. It was so bad that in 1999 they fired their old commissioner and hired a new one. However,  2007 ushered in a new era for the MLS. 

Now, you might come all the way here and ask me: What good could’ve possibly come to MLS? I mean, in 2001 the league almost collapsed. Right, but the league did everything they could to prevent it from folding and in 2007 a new rule was added, the Designated Player Rule or Beckham Rule. This is a rule that is complicated, so I’m going to explain as best as I can: In the early days of the league, leadership implemented a salary cap limiting teams from spending more money than another club. However, the Beckham Rule  allows teams to sign three players that can go above the salary cap. This rule made it easier to sign players like Lionel Messi to Miami. A lot more on that later. Beckham was allowed to buy his own team once he retired. Again more on that later. Anyway the rule made it easy to sign players like Wayne Rooney, Landon Donovon, Clint Dempsey, and could make it easy for a player like Mbappe to come to MLS.

When David Beckam left, he used his option to buy an MLS franchise. That franchise became Inter Miami and in 2020 his team debuted. It took him seven years to find a stadium that could be built. It took him some time to find success, but in 2023 Messi changed the course of this entire league's history. In the early part of 2023 Messi was undecided on his next club. He had offers from FC Barcelona, a billion dollar offer from Saudi Arabia, or to help grow the sport in the United States. He waited until June 7th, 2023 to announce that he was coming to Miami. In his first 7 games he helped Inter Miami win their first trophy, The Leagues Cup.
The landscape of American soccer has changed all for the better. The game in America has gone through ups and downs. Overall this is a great time for a fan of American Soccer.             

Reading links: 

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-statement-on-lionel-messi-and-inter-miami-cf- MLS June 8, 2023 

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/27/the-rise-of-major-league-soccer.html

https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/38210150/mls-poised-step-catch-european-leagues-August 17, 2023 

Video links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5eD7a97DVE- November 26, 2021          

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC2tsej7OYg-August 15, 2023