Four hundred and seventy-four. That’s how many days are between the start of the 2025 MLS season and the 2026 FIFA World Cup kickoff in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
It’s not long. The World Cup returns to North America for the first time since 1994, and the situation for the game in the three countries could not be more different.
Soccer is about to explode. There’s seldom a person involved in the game in North America that would disagree. Over the next 474 days, the sporting landscape will change drastically, elevating soccer to a place it’s never been.
This weekend, 30 MLS clubs spanning every corner of the United States and into Canada will kick off the league’s 30th season and the final campaign before a World Cup year. Liga MX is also underway and the top-tier Canadian Premier League will kick off in April.
When the 1994 World Cup landed on American soil, that league was just a dream—a box that had to be ticked to host the tournament. Now, it’s battling with the world’s elite, hoping the 2026 tournament can propel MLS and soccer into uncharted territories, rivalling the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL followings.
It seems like a lot of pressure in less than 500 days, but it’s deserved. 2025 is the biggest year yet—it’s what will make 2026 and the years that follow.
Between Saturday’s first MLS matches and the World Cup, MLS will likely see some of the final moments of Lionel Messi’s career and potentially shift to a long-rumored winter schedule.
The FIFA 2025 Club World Cup will also be held in the USA, with Inter Miami and Seattle Sounders competing, adding another layer of excitement. The USL is also on the verge of launching a new top-tier men’s division, which could rival MLS and potentially add promotion and relegation to the North American picture.
