NFL plans more games abroad than ever before, so why not MLS? The Soccer League already has several teams owned by NFL billionaires and should consider playing competitive MLS games abroad.
For example, who is looking for Miami vs La Galaxy at the renovated Camp Nou in Barcelona?
Instead of worrying about foreign teams playing competitive games on the US soil, MLS should include the threat and do the same thing abroad. More specifically, MLS must play Messi abroad before he hangs his boots. Otherwise it may be too late.
Garber is losing a clue about playing MLS games abroad
Talk to Front Office Sport Last month Garber admitted that MLS is looking at many opportunities for the future. “We should think about international exhibitions similar to what the NFL does abroad, or what some of the European football leagues want to do around the world,” Garber asked.
English football teams already have their Premier League summer series in the United States. There has been plenty of talk about Uefa playing Champions League matches in the states. In addition, Laliga continues to try to get permission to play competitive league matches here to get a superior advantage compared to the Premier League.
Garber is not a stranger to NFL’s world. He worked for 16 years at the NFL before becoming MLS Commissioner. By playing competitive games around the world, NFL is growing in popularity abroad, which I wrote about in November when I participated in an NFL game in Germany.
If you look at the upcoming schedule for NFL games abroad, it is quite impressive. Only 2025 has NFL planned seven league matches abroad
- 1 game in Sao Paulo, Brazil
- 2 matches at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England
- 1 game at Wembley Stadium in London, England
- 1 Game in Berlin, Germany
- 1 game in Madrid, Spain and
- 1 game in Dublin, Ireland.
By 2026, the NFL has already planned a game to be played in Australia, while many more games are expected to be announced soon.
How is it fair that the NFL can go into foreign countries to play games when other football leagues are not allowed to do the same?
Last year, relevant Sports reached an agreement with FIFA that involved to release the world’s governing bodies from its trial against US football. It opens the door to a possible decision by FIFA that it will allow foreign leagues to play competitive games in the United States. Vice versa, it would allow MLS (and other leagues) to play some of their games abroad as well, if they so desired.
Now it is time for MLS to put their wheels in motion to take advantage of this probable development. Otherwise, it may be at risk of staying.
