5️⃣ reasons to be excited about MLS this season | OneFootball

The 2025 MLS season is just around the corner and there are plenty of narratives to get the juices flowing as we get underway.

From big spending in the transfer market to high-profile intra-league moves, here are five reasons to get excited about the 2025 MLS campaign!

MLS clubs have ramped up their transfer spend this offseason

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Slowly but surely, MLS is becoming a major player in the global transfer market.

On numerous occasions this offseason, a new league-record transfer fee was spent. First it was FC Cincinnati spending $16.2m on Togolese striker Kévin Denkey, only for their fee to be smashed by Atlanta United spending $22m plus add-ons on for Middlesbrough forward Emmanuel Latte Lath weeks later.

According to FIFA's spending metrics, transfer spend from American clubs on international transfers (the large majority of which comes from MLS) has skyrocketed this year. In January of 2024, American clubs spent a reported $49.3m, while in January of 2025 they spent a whopping $145m.

It still may pale in comparison to the spending of Europe's top leagues, but MLS is certainly climbing up the ladder, and the product on the pitch will only get better.

The race for trophies feels as open as ever

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With the aforementioned increase in spending, an increase in disparity between the top and bottom of the table may increase as well. Right? Well, that may be wrong.

MLS prides themselves on parity throughout the league. Any team can compete on any given day. Ahead of the 2025 season that is looking like the case once again.

The likes of Chicago, San Jose, and Austin (who all finished outside of the playoff spots last season) have made major moves to improve at both a managerial and playing-squad level.

Meanwhile, MLS Cup holders LA Galaxy have seen a number of key players depart or in the case of Riqui Puig, suffer a season-ending injury. As a result the Western Conference should be wide open.

While the idea of 14 teams making the 'official' playoffs has soured many MLS fans view on the competition levels, this season more than most, feels like there may be more solid teams than usual.

The new intra-league transfer market has spawned new drama

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With MLS' roster and transfer spend rules that are largely considered to be confusing and bizarre, big-money intra-league transfers were almost non-existent.

But this offseason the league took the big step in instituting a new cash-based internal transfer market, on par with the global transfer market that most fans are familiar with.

As a result, we have had a number of dramatic transfer sagas, something MLS has been missing for years.

The biggest came with Lucho Acosta's public desire to leave FC Cincinnati, leading to very strong reports that Cincinnati would replace Acosta with want-away Portland superstar Evander.

Acosta found a new home with FC Dallas, while Evander is expected to complete his move to Cincinnati in the coming days.

When such high-profile superstars are completing transfers within the league, all sorts of drama is drummed up. Now we can't wait for Evander to make the trip to Portland in August to potentially line up against his former team!

We get another year of Leo Messi

📸 Manuel Velasquez - 2025 Getty Images

There is simply never a bad time to watch Lionel Messi take the pitch, unless he is lining up against your team.

It's now the third season of the little magician at Inter Miami, and with the ultimate prize of MLS Cup still evading the south Florida club, Messi and his mates still have plenty to accomplish.

The Messi years are dwindling, so we must cherish them while we still have them, and luckily we get him live and direct in MLS.

To add to the drama, Messi's former Barcelona's teammate Javier Mascherano has taken over as Miami boss despite having little to no previous managerial experience.

There is plenty to watch in Miami this season.

A change in schedule means more games are accessible for fans

📸 YASUYOSHI CHIBA - AFP or licensors

One major complaint MLS fans have had in recent seasons is the lack of variety in match windows, meaning most of the weekend's games are played at the same time.

As a result, fans often struggle to watch matches outside of their own team, a frustrating environment for those trying to catch the action from other games.

However, for the 2025 season MLS has added more match windows, with games being played on both Saturday and Sunday, plus a handful of Friday night matches.

It can only be a positive when exciting matches are more accessible for the average MLS fan!

📸 Kevork Djansezian - 2024 Getty Images