MLS continues to make giant steps in 2024
This year saw Major League Soccer make serious inroads as it drives to consolidate its place as a top global competition.
The 2023 arrival of Lionel Messi in MLS marked a significant turning point in the league’s short, medium and long-term objectives, as explained on repeated occasions by the commissioner of Major League Soccer, Don Garber.
18 months after the Argentine arrived in Miami, the green shoots have started to appear.
And it’s not just Inter Miami that has grown with the arrival of Messi, Suárez and other top players but other big name players (Reus, Giroud, Benteke) have unquestionably helped in boosting the profile of the league globally with Garber himself delighted with how the 2024 season panned out.
The past campaign was one of the most competitive in recent times which saw Inter Miami win the Supporters' Shield in spectacular fashion but such is the jeopardy of the postseason format that the Herons were dumped out by Atlanta United as LA Galaxy ultimately won MLS Cup after a decade-long trophy drought.
The keys to MLS growth in 2024
Finalist in 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup
Columbus Crew made it all the way to the final of the regional competition and despite falling to Mexican side Pachuca in the final, this was the third time in a row that a MLS side reached the final with the outstanding task for clubs from the US/Canada to emulate Seattle Sounders in 2022 with the Lumen Field side still the only sole MLS champion.
Title in Leagues Cup
The second edition of the mid-season competition between MLS and Liga MX sides saw another MLS champion as Columbus Crew and LAFC made the final with the Crew winning out to replace Inter Miami as reigning champions.
Ten clubs in 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup
With LA Galaxy’s MLS Cup title, MLS will have 10 clubs participating in the next edition of the continental tournament with a place in the 2029 Club World Cup also at stake.
Columbus Crew, LAFC, Colorado Rapids, Sporting Kansas City, Vancouver Whitecaps, Inter Miami, Cincinnati, Real Salt Lake, Seattle Sounders and LA Galaxy will represent the MLS in the tournament which gets underway in February 2025.
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