The U.S. has definitively shown it is a soccer country during the FIFA men’s World Cup, MLS commissioner Don Garber said, providing a fertile foundation for the pro league following the tournament’s conclusion on Sunday.
Speaking with Front Office Sports, Garber said that any remaining questions about the viability of soccer in what remains an American football-first country have now been put to rest.
“We proved that we are a soccer nation over the last month,” Garber said. “We proved that we can build the most valuable commercial market in the world [for soccer].”
MLS has already started its marketing toward newly arrived soccer fans, initiating a large-scale campaign this week that involves every facet of the league.
Beyond any specific tactics, though, Garber said soccer’s place in the U.S. sports hierarchy has fundamentally shifted after the historic gains the World Cup has provided over the last five weeks.
