This weekend isn’t just another kickoff for Major League Soccer.
The 2026 MLS season launches at the doorstep of the FIFA World Cup 2026, the biggest sporting event on the planet, hosted right here in North America. This elevates the typical 37 weeks into a high-stakes moment where brands can be part of introducing soccer to new audiences while deepening connection with fans who’ve been here all along.
The World Cup not only engages existing soccer fans. It creates new ones. Every four years, millions of casual fans enter the category for the first time, tuning in to support their country, drawn by hype and buzz.
That makes 2026 a massive discovery moment for the sport of soccer. Soccer is thrown to the forefront of American culture where avids, casuals, and even non-fans are paying attention.
And the biggest mistake brands can make is treating all these soccer consumers as one group. Making an impact requires audience mapping with three distinct segments brands must plan for:
These are your core MLS supporters: season ticket holders, club loyalists, and culturally fluent fans who have been here all along. They value building their local clubs over one-off player signings, indicated by a strong over-index in following teams vs. the league or players themselves (EPIC).
They value:
They reward brands that show up consistently, not opportunistically.
These fans already love soccer, just not necessarily MLS.
They’re 19% more likely to follow multiple European and international leagues (EPIC), they track star players across clubs and leagues, and often see MLS as a step down from the global game. The World Cup pulls them in emotionally, but their standards are high.
They care about:
For marketers, this group represents a critical bridge audience. Reaching these soccer purists means content and activation that focuses on:
This is the growth audience:
Brands can step in and provide:
Brands that only speak to avids will miss scale. Brands that only chase casuals will miss credibility. Brands that ignore international diehards will miss influence.
Soccer isn’t just another sport in 2026. It’s more like the Summer Olympics, a cultural moment that connects summer entertainment, national pride, family viewing, and community gathering.
But this isn’t a one-off spike every four years. It’s a springboard for a 30-year-old league already experiencing meaningful momentum, and brands that win understand that being part of soccer’s growth matters more than simply advertising around it.
We’ve seen this firsthand through league partners we work with, whose MLS integrations have gone beyond logo placement to show up in ways that add value to the fan experience, from in-stadium experiences to digital storytelling that brings them closer to the clubs and players they love. Those efforts didn’t just drive awareness; they helped foster deeper emotional engagement and stronger brand trust among highly invested fans.
That’s the shift marketers need to embrace in 2026.
The opportunity isn’t passive media exposure. It’s building partnerships rooted in resonance where brands earn relevance by adding value to the fan experience itself.
Brands that show up authentically and design for both avid supporters and first-time viewers won’t just benefit from the World Cup halo. They’ll convert attention into loyalty and help shape soccer’s next era in North America.
