You Should Watch Major League Soccer

Over the course of the last two months, the American people have finally been introduced to soccer via our hosting of the World Cup. Soccer fans came from all around the world to catch games, support their national teams, and explore the United States. With all of it finally over as of July 19th, new American fans of the sport might be asking what’s next? Spain, Portugal, and Morocco are set to host the upcoming World Cup in 2030, but in the meantime, club soccer is your best bet. Of course, you could tune into the Premier League out of the UK, often considered the most prestigious soccer league, or you could watch Lamine Yamal play in the Spanish La Liga for FC Barcelona, or you could tune into something a little closer to home –  MLS.

MLS, or Major League Soccer, is the premier American soccer league. It was founded in 1993 and held its first match in 1996, following America’s hosting of the 1994 World Cup. MLS has historically struggled to find fans of the sport in the United States, with soccer being one of the least popular US sports historically. However, this isn’t the case anymore. Among Gen Z, soccer ranks above baseball in popularity, and big names joining MLS, such as Lionel Messi (who plays for Inter Miami), have led to an uptick in MLS viewership and popularity.

New York has two MLS teams, both with current or historic ties to Rockland County. The New York Red Bulls used to have their training grounds in Orangetown, and NYCFC, the New York City Football Club, still does. Both the Red Bulls and NYCFC have stadiums in the Tri-State Area, with the Red Bulls playing at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, NJ, and NYCFC set to play at the brand new Etihad Park in Queens in 2027.

For Rocklanders, it could go either way on which team one might support. I personally go for the Red Bulls, with the benefit of that being that the stadium is much easier to get to from Rockland both by car and public transit. Trains from all five of Rockland’s train stations take you into Secaucus, and from there you take the NEC line to its stop at Harrison and then walk to the stadium. As of right now, NYCFC will play its home games at Yankee Stadium, as it has for the past couple of years. Their new, soccer-specific stadium is set to have its first match played in July 2027. To get to Etihad Park, you would head into the city on your typical route and then catch the 7 train to Mets-Willets Point. For this season, however, all you need to do is head over to Yankee Stadium.

I’ve been to Sports Illustrated Stadium and have been following the New York Red Bulls for a couple years now. Big names have gotten involved such as David Beckham, Will Ferrell, and of course Lionel Messi. Even with the World Cup having come and gone, there’s still plenty of Soccer to watch. The current MLS season started the same week the World Cup ended which means you haven’t missed a thing. If you found yourself enjoying soccer during the World Cup and in want of more, then consider Major League Soccer.