CFB analyst explains why MLS is ‘going to struggle in the US market’ unless one thing changes

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Soccer became more popular in North America over the summer thanks to the 2026 World Cup.

The USMNT did not have the most impressive tournament, but the sport itself gained quite a lot of attention.

For example, the 2026 final between Spain and Argentina was the most-viewed non-Super Bowl sporting event on Fox and Telemundo since the 1994 Winter Olympics.

However, club soccer in America, namely the MLS, still has some way to go before it reaches the heights of other countries’ top divisions, such as the English Premier League.

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MLS told they need ‘CFB quality fans’​

On that front, CFB analyst Wilson F. Ball has outlined one of the problems MLS is facing.

In his opinion, he thinks the sport is going to struggle to grow due to the type of fans it attracts compared to teams in leagues such as the Premier League.

The MLS recently mic’d up some fans during a game and shared their comments online, which Ball was responding to.

The analyst suggested that the MLS instead needs to get ‘CFB quality fans,’ otherwise, it will struggle.

He tweeted: “Until MLS gets CFB quality fans it’s going to struggle in the US market. The reason the EPL is so interesting to Americans is because the English have those type of fandoms.

“Side note: the NHL recently has struggled with this issue outside of Canadian markets.”


How American soccer fans act, and some of their chants, has always been somewhat amusing to European supporters.

But it remains to be seen how the MLS could attract a different type of fan, more similar to what we see in England and elsewhere, where there is clearly a lot more raw emotion and passion on display.

Read more:

• World Cup tourist confirms plans to return to the USA and follow another sport
• When Lionel Messi is expected to be ‘at 100% and available’ for Inter Miami after World Cup
• How Gianni Infantino might have found a loophole to extend his FIFA presidency

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