The FIFA Club World Cup proved MLS clubs must increase spending
“We all know what holds the league back on the international stage,” journalist Favian Renkel lamented on X following Inter Miami’s 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in a FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 matchup.
“There was no disgrace in MLS clubs' performances in the CWC. But now MLS needs to decide if it is a priority for the league to have clubs that can compete better at this level. If it is - there are obvious steps the league needs to take,” argued Simon Evans, another prominent journalist.
MLS teams did a respectable job overall competing against the best teams in the world? Messi’s Inter Miami managed to defeat Portuguese powerhouse Porto and frankly should’ve beaten Palmeiras before succumbing to the Champions League winners. The Seattle Sounders gave Botafago all they could handle but the sheer firepower of the Copa Libertadores champions proved too much for Brian Schmetzer’s men. League analyst Matt Doyle described them as ”Essentially, a team with 15 DPs.”
15 DPs versus the maximum 3 allowed by MLS. Tells the story, doesn’t it?
Major League Soccer has made enormous strides in three decades. The American league is a player in the world market thanks to a fully-planted infrastructure featuring gleaming stadiums and academies increasingly churning out top talent. It’s a legitimate contender to Liga MX, a league with significantly more history. Most importantly, the quality of play has grown by leaps and bounds.
Time and time again however, MLS has fallen flat on its face against the best in international competition. It’s become painfully obvious the salary cap restrictions produce imbalanced squads that feature quality players but lack the depth necessary to compete on the continent much less internationally.
During the last 17 years of the CONCACAF club competitions, an MLS side has won exactly once, in 2022 when the Seattle Sounders smashed Pumas 5-2 on aggregate over two legs. That’s…laughably bad. No excuses.
At the time Seattle’s comprehensive victory instilled belief that the quality of the league had turned a corner, but such illusions were obviously premature.
In the past I’ve been reluctant to criticize spending. As it turns out, slow and steady growth actually makes an awful lot of sense.
Though it might not be what fans want to hear, the salary cap rules have had numerous benefits over the years, bringing costs down while helping the league developing young players The quality of play has continuously improved. When front offices spent big money, they usually wasted it. And let’s not forget, soccer in America wasn’t always a guaranteed bet.
To echo a Jack White song however, that was then and this is now. The archaic salary cap rules these days are doing more harm than good. MLS clubs now employ robust scouting networks and analytical experts and subsequently are far more efficient at signing players.
While the quality of play has improved, how much more juice can the league squeeze out of a setup which only allows teams to sign 3 DPs at a time? The Designate Player rule has been around almost two decades. It’s been due for an overhaul.
Ultimately the blame for the league’s reluctance to spend more lies squarely with the collective ownership of the 30 clubs, who by committee have rejected proposals to increase spending time and time again. For every ambitious owner like Joe Manseuto of the Chicago Fire or Jorge Mas at Inter Miami, there’s a Stan Kroenke or a Joey Saputo who like things just the way they are.
Do I blame them as individuals? No. A healthy chunk of the league’s teams are turning a profit. A quick glance at Barcelona, Manchester United, the Saudi League (!) suggests that many elite clubs double as money pits.
However, I also don’t blame many American soccer fans as individuals for choosing to turn their nose up at MLS. How the aforementioned Kroenke operates his Colorado Rapids vs. Arsenal Football Club is night and day.
And don’t get me wrong: I’m no fan of the glory hunting Eurosnob mentality, which by and large involves fans exchanging the true glory of local fandom for the cheap substitute of rooting for elite teams abroad.
Regardless, whether we’re talking about Eurosnobs, Liga MX fans, the casual sports, the question has to be asked: If the owners, who btw are some of the wealthiest, connected group of individuals on the planet, can’t be bothered to care enough to invest in a quality product, why should the naysayers care?
Perhaps the owners would benefit from channeling the spirit of the league’s founders who bet on soccer as much as they invested in it? It’s a thought.
Until then, MLS will continue to be perceived as a league barely scratching the surface of its full potential.