GLENDALE, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 3: Cavan Sullivan #8 of the United States celebrates after scoring a goal during a game between Mexico and United States at State Farm Stadium on October 3, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Vanessa Luna/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
ISI Photos via Getty Images
After the U.S.’s perfect run of international friendlies, Major League Soccer has the chance to turn national team momentum into club loyalty, ticket sales – and a stronger identity as a talent incubator.
The challenge for MLS now is straightforward: Turn four wins by the U.S. men’s national team into a reason for fans to watch their league.
After a perfect 4-0 run of friendlies featuring a youthful group of MLS players, the league has a compelling story to tell. Cavan Sullivan and Julian Hall, two of the most closely watched American prospects, are no longer simply names for hardcore soccer followers to track. They are part of a broader narrative about the domestic league’s ability to develop players who can perform at international level.
As those players returned to their MLS clubs, the league now has the chance to market something more valuable than a collection of individual performances: A direct connection between the future of the U.S. national team and the product on display at local stadiums.
For a league competing for attention in a crowded American sports market, that connection could become a significant commercial asset.
The numbers give MLS a strong foundation for that pitch. The United States beat Peru (4-1), Chile (4-2), Mexico (3-0) and Canada 1-0, scoring 12 goals and conceding just three. Thirteen players earned their first senior national-team minutes during the four-game window, while teenagers accounted for seven of the team’s goals.
“We need to protect them. We need to support them,” U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino said. “Our responsibility now is that this group of talented players grows in the right direction.”
The victory against Mexico provided the clearest sign that the U.S.’s future is bright. It was also a great marketing opportunity. Hall, 18, scored his third goal in as many international games, while Sullivan, 17, became the youngest scorer in U.S. men’s national team history. Their performances gave American soccer two fresh, instantly marketable faces.
Sullivan plays for the Philadelphia Union, while Hall represents Red Bull New York. Both clubs now have a story that extends beyond their league standings: Fans can watch players who have already demonstrated that they can influence games for the national team.
“When you think about this young generation of players that are coming through, they took their opportunities and showed everybody, I think the potential and the excitement that is there moving forward,” said Red Bulls coach Michael Bradley, a former U.S. midfielder. “And now it’ll be up to them to continue to push and continue to improve and continue to show that they are guys who need to be there going forward, who can be trusted when games get big.”
The missing link is the idea that on-field promise must translate into sustained interest from fans. In fact, it’s a different proposition from selling MLS primarily through established international stars like Lionel Messi. Global names can draw casual viewers and generate interest, but young domestic players offer a continuing storyline, one that fans can follow from club development to national team selection.
The league does not need to choose between those approaches. It can use the attention surrounding the national team to make its existing club product more compelling, presenting MLS as both entertainment in its own right and a place where the next generation of American stars is taking shape.
Marketing built on player pathways
MLS already has the infrastructure to support this vision. Its MLS NEXT youth development system, MLS NEXT Pro and first-team clubs form a pathway that can turn a promising teenager into a professional and, potentially, an international star.
The league reported last month that 162 MLS NEXT alumni were on MLS rosters for the 2026 season and that 30 homegrown players had made their league debuts. It also said minutes played by homegrown players had increased 82% since 2024. At the 2026 World Cup, five MLS NEXT alums appeared on rosters representing five different countries.
“MLS NEXT continues to set the standard for youth player development in North America,” said Ali Curtis, president of MLS NEXT Pro and Executive Vice President of MLS Sporting Development. “We’re incredibly proud of the league we’ve built, and we remain committed to supporting young players with the opportunity to grow, compete and take meaningful steps forward in their journey.”
Sullivan and Hall are particularly effective examples because their journeys are easy for fans to understand. Sullivan progressed through Philadelphia’s academy and second team before reaching the first team. Hall developed through the Red Bulls’ youth system and earned opportunities with the senior club.
The message is clear: MLS is not just a destination for established pros. It can be a place to develop, earn first-team minutes and reach the national team. That narrative could help clubs build relationships with local youth soccer communities, attract families to games and create more enduring connections with supporters who want to follow a player’s career over several seasons.
It also gives the league a commercial argument for investing in development. A homegrown player who becomes a national team regular can generate attention for a club, create merchandise opportunities and strengthen its identity in a way that extends beyond a single result.
Building club engagement
MLS has already shown that it understands the importance of converting broader soccer interest into club engagement. This past summer, following the World Cup, the league launched its largest coordinated marketing campaign in its history, titled, “Thanks World, We’ll Take It From Here.”
The marketing plan connected the tournament’s global audience to the league’s weekly matches, local rivalries and stadium experiences. The campaign provided a blueprint for what clubs can do with the latest national team success. The Union heavily promoted Sullivan’s return over the last few days in its online marketing pitch, while the Red Bulls also spotlighted Hall.
The short-term goal is to give fans a concrete reason to attend a game, rather than merely celebrate an international result from afar. A highlight clip might earn a few seconds of attention, but teams home that its homegrown players can give fans a reason to buy a ticket.
Sustaining momentum has been the league’s biggest challenge. There is a big difference between generating interest and creating loyal customers. National team audiences are not automatically MLS fans. Some will follow the United States only during major tournaments, while others may prefer to watch European clubs on TV.
Furthermore, MLS faces the challenge of maintaining the excitement around young prospects as they encounter inevitable dips in form, competition for playing time and the inevitable transfer to a European club.
As a result, the league needs to market more than potential. Its sales pitch must make the club experience attractive in its own right, combining compelling soccer with cheap tickets, local rivalries and stadium atmosphere.
Nonetheless, MLS Commissioner Don Garber said the post-World Cup bump is already taking place and predicted that Sullivan could be playing at the highest level in less than a decade.
“What’s Cavan Sullivan … going to look like when he is 26? He’s probably playing for the top one or two teams in the world and winning a Champions League trophy and lifting a trophy for the United States,” Garber said. “What does that mean for Major League Soccer? I think it’s going to mean we’ll be a very different league.”
Leave a comment