The Harsh Lessons MLS Learned at the Club World Cup | OneFootball

The FIFA Club World Cup was a major wake-up call for Major League Soccer — a clear sign that the league needs not only to raise its salary cap, but also reconnect with the broader soccer world. Competing in meaningful competitions like the Copa Libertadores, while dramatically improving scouting, coaching, and player development, is no longer optional. It’s essential.

Everything catches up with you eventually — and for MLS, the Club World Cup was a punch in the face. For nearly 30 years, MLS has been “building something.” At first, it was about survival. Then, it was about becoming a “league of choice.” But lately, it feels like the league has stalled — or even taken steps backward.

Instead of raising its level to consistently win the CONCACAF Champions Cup, MLS created the Leagues Cup, its short-term answer to “competing” with Liga MX. Yet, the competition’s significance for Mexican sides remains debatable. Beyond appearance fees, the motivation for Liga MX clubs is still uncertain.

While MLS clubs have reached the CONCACAF Champions Cup final on multiple occasions — and the Seattle Sounders did break through to win in 2022 — let’s face reality: that victory was the exception, not the rule. Liga MX clubs, with their bigger budgets and higher day-to-day demands, have dominated the region. Since 2006, they’ve won every single edition of the Champions Cup save for the Sounders’ 2022 title, and you’d have to go all the way back to 2000 to find another MLS club that won the competition. Even Costa Rican clubs managed back-to-back wins in 2004 and 2005 before Liga MX took over.

Despite that solitary win in the last eight years, three MLS sides showed up at the Club World Cup: the Sounders earned their spot, LAFC found a backdoor via a loophole, and Inter Miami was invited largely to sell tickets and attach Lionel Messi’s name to the event.

The results spoke for themselves: one win, six defeats, and three draws. Inter Miami’s lone win against an abysmal FC Porto was thanks to the remaining magic of Lionel Messi and other foreign imports. In fact, Cristian Roldán was the only American to score a goal for an MLS team in the entire tournament. The rest came from imports — a telling sign of the league’s over-reliance on foreign talent and the continued lack of elite American-developed players.

If MLS is smart, this Club World Cup should be a pivotal lesson. The training wheels need to come off. It’s time to push the league to stand on its own and truly compete with the best clubs in the Americas.

Brazilian Clubs Are the Blueprint

The notion that MLS will become the “Premier League” of North America in five or 10 years is unrealistic — yet it’s been repeated for decades. The “spend more and the world’s best players will flock here” narrative oversimplifies the deeper structural and cultural gaps.

MLS clubs struggle to consistently compete in the CONCACAF Champions Cup — arguably the weakest region in the world. With salary caps under $6 million and a tangle of roster rules, MLS has improved as a viewing product, but quality remains wildly uneven. Messi’s or Zlatan Ibrahimović’s world-class brilliance gets lost when they share the pitch with teammates who make comical defensive mistakes.

If MLS wants a genuine roadmap, look to Brazil. Yes, the baseline Brazilian player is far ahead of the average American, but Brazilian clubs have also mastered smart spending. They know when to pull the trigger on marquee signings and when not to. They keep themselves sharp through highly competitive domestic leagues, cups, and, crucially, the Copa Libertadores.

Teams like Palmeiras and Flamengo have used the Club World Cup as a showcase, not an embarrassment. Their results have boosted the reputation and marketability of the Brazilian league, attracting lucrative sponsorships, transfer profits, and a pipeline of talent. Competitive environments breed competitive teams — a lesson MLS must take to heart.

Raise the Cap — But Spend Wisely

At the risk of beating a dead horse here: The league needs to raise its salary cap, period. Many MLS owners already support this idea. Inter Miami’s Jorge Mas has gone on record saying, “money is not an issue.” He wants to spend more.

That’s great — but how you spend is just as important as how much you spend. Inter Miami itself is a cautionary tale. They’ve thrown massive money at aging legends and underwhelming young signings alike. The backbone of their roster is well past 35, and millions have been wasted on players like Facundo Farías, Tomás Avilés, and Marcelo Weigandt — none of whom have moved the needle.

Toronto FC recently saved itself from its self-inflicted wounds by cutting ties with Federico Bernardeschi and what may be the worst DP signing in MLS history, Lorenzo Insigne. Now they have a chance to spend those freed-up funds wisely — but will they?

If there’s one lesson, it’s this: the real gaps are often in the back half of the roster. MLS teams need to invest in defensive midfielders and defenders. It’s useless to score three goals if you give up four. A bigger cap would allow teams to build squads with balance — a real spine, not just a few headline signings.

And let’s not forget fit. Olivier Giroud, one of the best goalscorers of his generation, was wasted at LAFC. They brought him in for name value rather than tactical need. They didn’t build around his strengths, and it left both club and player with a sour taste in their mouths.

Executives and Coaches: Time to Level Up

MLS remains a league where many executives and coaches are learning on the job. Tactical acumen is still patchy. Development pathways for American players are inconsistent. All of that can improve only when the overall talent pool improves — and when decision-makers make smarter calls.

For executives, the lesson is clear: this league can no longer afford “safe bets” and short-term marketing splashes. Scouting must be aggressive, global, and modern. Analytics and player development should be front and center. Poor roster decisions don’t just waste money — they slow down the entire league’s progress. The next generation of MLS leaders must think bigger: plan for long-term competitive success, not just short-term buzz.

A sustainable winning culture needs a foundation of smart spending, intelligent recruitment, and coaches who can adapt and grow. It means learning from clubs abroad that have turned competitive disadvantages into strengths through relentless improvement and clear identity. Few clubs in MLS truly have an identity to speak of, something that has become much more apparent with the last batch of teams that expanded into the league.

No More “One Day” — The Future Is Now

Fans, players, and the world are tired of hearing “one day.” If MLS wants to make the leap, it must finally put its money — and its ambition — where its mouth is.

Winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup consistently should be the first step. But a bold, strategic entry into the Copa Libertadores — one of the world’s best and toughest club competitions — would be a statement. Facing clubs from Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, and Chile would test MLS at levels it rarely experiences. That exposure would push players, coaches, and executives to raise their game — and signal that the league is serious about being more than just entertainment on a Saturday night.

An improved, more competitive MLS will naturally attract fans, TV deals, sponsors, and top players. It will shake off the perception that MLS is where careers stagnate. It will open doors for young talent to shine on bigger stages, not fade into obscurity.

The kid gloves need to come off. The ball is in Major League Soccer’s court. The question is simple: does it want to truly get into the game — or stay stuck as a showpiece for soccer-flavored entertainment?