MLS has come a long way since starting as a 10-team league in 1996. After periods of growth, contraction, and rebuilding, MLS expanded to 28 teams for the 2023 season and has firmly established itself as one of the top soccer leagues in North America.
However, there is still a major gap between MLS and the elite leagues of Europe, especially England’s Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, Germany’s Bundesliga, and Italy’s Serie A. MLS certainly aspires to reach their level one day, but can they realistically get there? Let’s analyze how MLS currently stacks up against the top European leagues.
On-Field Quality and Competition Level
When it comes to the quality of play on the field, MLS is not yet near the standard of the big European leagues. Those leagues boast rosters full of international superstars and elite talent developed by their club academies. Their competition level is much higher given the number of matches against top opponents.
MLS, on the other hand, is still more of a blue-collar league. The overall technical ability and tactical sophistication trails behind the Premier League or La Liga. MLS academies are starting to produce promising homegrown players, but not at the same rate as Europe.
While MLS has attracted world-class players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney in recent years, most of the international stars that come to MLS are past their prime. The top Euro leagues rarely lose players in their prime to MLS.
The growning wealth of MLS has allowed more clubs to build competitive rosters with depth. The league’s parity also makes for exciting playoff races. But the average intensity and quality between MLS clubs still doesn’t match Europe’s titans on a weekly basis.
Global Audience and Revenue
The English Premier League dominates soccer viewership worldwide, earning billions in television rights deals across multiple continents. La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A also have massive international fanbases that tune into their matches each week.
MLS is still building its global brand. It earns a fraction of the TV revenue compared to the big Euro leagues. An average MLS match doesn’t move the needle in TV ratings outside North America. While MLS streams many matches for free on its website, top European matches are premium events for broadcast partners.
However, MLS teams have become more sophisticated in commercial revenues and sponsorship deals. Stadium infrastructure has improved drastically, with most teams now playing in soccer-specific venues instead of cavernous NFL stadiums. MLS has strengthened its digital presence as well, especially on social media.
But overall MLS clubs still lag far behind in terms of the money that flows through top Premier League and La Liga clubs year after year. The influx of foreign investment to acquire Euro teams – like Premier League’s Manchester City – dwarfs anything MLS clubs have seen.
Payroll and Player Compensation
MLS enforces more parity between clubs with its salary budget system and regulations. The top European leagues have no such luxury tax system or salary cap constraints. MLS team payrolls generally range from $10-20 million. Premier League clubs like Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool boast yearly wage bills over $200 million.
The minimum MLS player salary is around $65,000 per year. The average sits around $400,000. Designated Players like Carlos Vela can earn multi-million dollar salaries that rival Europe’s elite. But most MLS players earn far below the Premier League average of nearly $3 million.
While MLS salaries are rising, the pay discrepancy hampers the league from keeping rising domestic talent or attracting prime international stars. Players like Christian Pulisic leave MLS academies early for bigger contracts abroad. Serious talents like Erling Haaland aren’t tempted by MLS money – yet.
The upward pressure on salaries also puts pressure on MLS club profitability. Rising payrolls must be balanced by rising revenues – which European soccer massively outpaces. Financial Fair Play rules in Europe, inconsistent in enforcement, also exceed MLS budget mechanisms.
Club Academies and Youth Development
European clubs have decades of tradition developing talented local youth players through their academies. Players graduate through the ranks to someday represent the senior team. MLS academies are still in their infancy by comparison.
The fruits of Europe’s labor are visible on the biggest stages. Portugal’s Golden Generation led by Cristiano Ronaldo honed their skills at Sporting CP, Manchester United and elsewhere. Spain’s tiki-taka dynasty emerged from Barcelona’s La Masia. German power Bayern Munich is the homegrown engine of Die Mannschaft.
MLS academies have made strides, producing young Americans like Tyler Adams (New York Red Bulls), Brenden Aaronson (Philadelphia Union) and Gianluca Busio (Sporting Kansas City). But Europe’s elite talent factories are still far ahead. MLS clubs have incentive to play established players rather than trust academy prospects.
Homegrown player rules have created more first-team opportunities for academy talent. But MLS needs to invest even more in facilities, coaching and recruitment if it wants to rival the European systems.
Attendance, Fan Culture and Matchday Experience
When it comes to live attendances, MLS has impressively grown its crowds over the years. Atlanta United set a league record with an average of 52,510 fans per home match in 2019. Seattle Sounders average over 40,000. Several other clubs enjoy strong community support in their soccer-specific stadiums.
In terms of average leaguewide attendances, MLS in 2022 surpassed Serie A and Ligue 1, though still behind the Bundesliga and far below Premier League and La Liga standards. The atmospheres created by supporters groups matches the intensity of Europe’s famous ultras.
While MLS matches offer an entertaining experience, they sometimes lack the historical weight that comes with top European derbies and rivalries between clubs over a century old. The stadium amenities and commercialization around MLS games also feels more North American than the more traditional European matchday.
As supporter demographics skew younger and towards urban centers, MLS taps into a feverish U.S. fanbase for the live experience. But television remains king for most established European clubs and leagues.
Perception and Global Standing
There is still somewhat of a stigma that MLS is a “retirement league” where fading stars cash in one last big paycheck. While that notion is increasingly outdated, it persists abroad. MLS is still overshadowed by neighboring Liga MX in the battle for CONCACAF supremacy.
The best MLS clubs have shown they can compete with Liga MX sides and beat them for trophies like the CONCACAF Champions League. But MLS is still building its continental reputation after years of Mexican dominance. Gaining more respect in North America is one thing. Earning prestige worldwide is another.
When global soccer authorities look at plans for expanded Club World Cups and Super League concepts, MLS teams aren’t considered prime targets for inclusion like Europe’s megaclubs. MLS has risen from obscurity to emerge on the radar, but remains far away from getting a “seat at the table” alongside soccer’s aristocracy.
For now, the dream of MLS reaching the prestige and competitiveness of the Premier League or La Liga remains mostly theoretical. The league has come a long way, but still faces massive challenges of perception, player development, international appeal and financial strength in the years ahead. Reputation is built over generations, not overnight. Patience and long-term planning will determine if MLS can someday join the elite ranks.