MLS All-Stars 30 years later: How the league moved the ball forward

It’s a rare all-star game that reflects a league’s evolution, but that’s what this year’s MLS showcase offers. On July 23 at 9 p.m. ET, two dozen MLS players will step onto the field at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, and offer a snapshot of the league’s progress.

Though the MLS All-Stars may not defeat their counterparts from Mexico’s Liga MX – broadcast live on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV – the league’s upward trajectory is clear. Since its inaugural season in 1996, just two years after the United States hosted the 1994 World Cup, MLS has steadily grown alongside the nation’s rising interest in soccer.

Over the past three decades, global icons such as Carlos Valderrama, David Beckham, Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimović have brought star power and credibility to the league, helping shape its identity and elevate its global standing.

But none has been as transformational as Lionel Messi, who is on this year’s all-star roster. In July 2023, he joined Inter Miami, a club that played its first game in 2020. The Argentine World Cup champion not only quickly improved the team’s profile and record, but he also elevated global awareness of the MLS because of his worldwide celebrity.

How much has the MLS grown since its debut in 1996?

Even before Messi’s arrival, MLS had been on the upswing. With 12.2 million fans attending games last year, MLS was the second-highest-attended global soccer league in the world, behind only the English Premier League.

MLS has a far reach with teams across the U.S.

Since 1996, the league has tripled in size. San Diego FC became the 30th MLS club before the 2025 season, compared with just 10 clubs when the league debuted.

The number of soccer-specific MLS stadiums is growing

All 30 MLS clubs have their own facility, and 26 are soccer-specific. Three franchises will open new stadiums in the next three years (Inter Miami 2026, New York City FC 2027 and Chicago Fire 2028). It’s a far cry from 1996, when there were no stadiums and no club training facilities.

Some MLS franchises crack $1 billion mark

Another significant area of growth has been franchise value: Five MLS teams are valued at more than $1 billion, and 14 others are among the top 50 most valuable soccer clubs in the world, according to Sportico.

Los Angeles FC ($1.28 billion), Inter Miami ($1.19 billion), LA Galaxy ($1.11 billion), Atlanta United ($1.08 billion) and New York City FC ($1 billion) are the most valuable MLS franchises.

MLS has succeeded in drawing international talent

When the league made its debuted 1996, most of the 239 active players were American. The majority today are still American, but the league is drawing more international talent.

MLS Cup championships by team

D.C. United won the MLS Cup in the first season; since then, 15 teams have won the title:

“I think our league is going to continue to grow,” Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber told USA TODAY Sports before the season. “Every time I’m asked that question, and I say, ‘Here’s what it will look like five years from now.’ I underestimate where we’re going to be.

‘At some point we’re going to be celebrating just generations of Major League Soccer for fans here in the United States, Canada and around the world that love our league.’