Major League Soccer (MLS) is the top-flight professional soccer league in the United States and Canada and is one of the leading professional sports properties in North America. MLS was founded in 1996, following the United States' hosting of the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and began its inaugural season with 10 clubs. The league's first match was played on April 6, 1996, between the San Jose Clash and D.C. United. Since its launch, MLS has expanded substantially in both geographic reach and organisational scale. In the 2026 season, MLS consists of 30 clubs, divided equally between the Eastern and Western Conferences, with 15 clubs in each conference. Each club plays a 34-match regular season, with the season culminating in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs and MLS Cup championship match. The league has invested heavily in the development of soccer infrastructure throughout the United States and Canada. MLS reports that its clubs operate professional training centres and academy programmes, while more than 650 Homegrown players have entered the league through club development systems. Since its creation, ownership groups have invested more than $11 billion in soccer-specific stadiums, elite training facilities, youth academies and community infrastructure. MLS also operates and supports major competitions and football properties beyond its regular season, including the Leagues Cup in partnership with Liga MX and MLS NEXT Pro. Its commercial and media operations have expanded significantly, with MLS matches distributed internationally and the league's primary match platform now operating through Apple TV under a long-term partnership. The organisation is headquartered in New York City. In May 2026, MLS officially unveiled a new global headquarters at 2 Penn Plaza in Manhattan, a 126,000-square-foot facility designed as a central hub for league operations. LinkedIn currently classifies Major League Soccer as a privately held spectator-sports organisation with 201–500 employees and headquarters in New York City.