MLS’s Path to the Top: Building MLS2 and a True Promotion–Relegation Pyramid

USL Acquisition and Unified Governance

The first bold step for MLS should be to acquire USL in its entirety and manage professional soccer under a single governing body.

• Today, USL exists as an independent structure, disconnected from MLS.
• A unified model would centralize financial power, standardize infrastructure requirements, and create predictability for investors.
• Most importantly, football decisions must be guided by football intellect. Investors provide resources, but the game itself must be directed by those who understand it.

Today, Liverpool’s club valuation stands at around £6 billion. Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are equally among the most valuable clubs in the world. Yet even these giants can be relegated if they fail on the pitch. No club is truly safe. This is precisely why European football has become the most competitive sports ecosystem globally—because nothing is guaranteed. MLS must adopt this same competitive spirit.

Structuring MLS1 and MLS2

Within a five-year strategic plan, MLS should quickly expand to 32 clubs:

• Eastern Conference: 16 clubs
• Western Conference: 16 clubs

In parallel, MLS2 should be established:

• Eastern Conference: 16 clubs
• Western Conference: 16 clubs

This creates a total of 64 clubs within a single pyramid. MLS2 would largely be composed of USL clubs, provided they meet infrastructure and academy standards. The message must be clear: if you want to be part of this league, you must meet a certain level of quality.

Promotion–Relegation Model

By the fifth year, a promotion–relegation system should be introduced:

• MLS1 East & West: The bottom club from each conference is relegated (2 total).
• MLS2 East & West: The champion of each conference is promoted to MLS1 (2 total).
• Optional: A playoff between the second-to-last MLS1 club and the runner-up in MLS2.

This guarantees at least four clubs change divisions every year, keeping the league vibrant and competitive.

Five-Year Roadmap

1. Year 1 – Acquire USL, bring all professional soccer under MLS governance.
2. Year 2 – Standardize infrastructure, academies, and financial regulations.
3. Year 3 – Expand MLS to 32 clubs (East 16 – West 16).
4. Year 4 – Officially launch MLS2 (East 16 – West 16).
5. Year 5 – Implement promotion–relegation.

Strategic Benefits

• Competitive Integrity: No club can feel safe; every point matters.
• Football Quality: Competition attracts better players, better coaches, and larger crowds. Quality is never a coincidence.
• Investor Protection: A financial safety net reduces losses for relegated clubs.
• Global Image: MLS positions itself alongside the world’s most competitive football leagues.
• Long-Term Sustainability: U.S. soccer evolves from a development league into a truly global football destination.

For me, football is not just about the 90 minutes on the pitch. When structured properly, it has the power to reshape a nation’s sporting culture and give young players the platform to achieve their dreams. The potential of soccer in the United States is enormous, but it requires bold decisions to unlock it.

If MLS takes this step within the next 5–10 years, it can shed the label of being a “retirement league” and instead become one of the most competitive stages in world football. My vision is to be part of this transformation—guided by football intellect, opening pathways for young players, and nurturing the quality that only true competition can deliver.

Quality is never a coincidence.