MLS 2024. What you need to know about the tournament? Format, favorites, transfers, news

This week, in the night from Wednesday, February 21st to Thursday, February 22nd, marks the commencement of the premier football tournament in the United States and Canada – the Major League Soccer (MLS).

The attention of the average viewer has only recently been captivated by this league, with the emergence of star players in American teams, and Lionel Messi's transfer has become the primary reason for fan interest.

However, the MLS format diverges from traditional tournaments. Thus, the DailySports team has curated all the necessary information for you.

Format of Competition

Unlike many leagues, particularly in Europe, the football season in the USA commences in the early months of the year, typically in February-March, concluding by mid-autumn, allowing teams to complete playoff matches by year-end.

Twenty-nine teams participate in the tournament, divided into two groups – the Western and Eastern Conferences. The Western Group comprises fourteen teams, while the Eastern consists of fifteen.

Each of the twenty-nine teams engages in 37 matches following an unbalanced schedule. Teams play at least two matches against each of the eleven members within their conference, and at least one match against each member of the opposing conference. The remaining matches are arranged by the league, with one team from each conference playing two matches against its counterparts and one match against a member from the opposite conference.

At the season's close, the team with the highest point tally receives the Supporters' Shield trophy. Subsequently, the MLS Cup playoffs commence.

Sixteen teams participate in the playoff stage. The top seven teams in each conference receive direct entry into the MLS Cup, while the remaining four, ranking eighth and ninth in their groups, compete for the remaining spots.

Mid-season, a break in the match schedule allows for the traditional All-Star Game, where a selection of the league's best players competes against an invited team from another league. Over the years, invited teams have included clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Arsenal.

MLS teams from the USA secure four spots in the CONCACAF Champions League: the MLS Cup winner, the Supporters' Shield recipient, the conference champion opposite the Supporters' Shield winner, and the winner of the US Open Cup.

Additionally, one Canadian team earns a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League by winning the Canadian Championship.

List of MLS 2024 Participants

Western Conference

• Dallas
• Houston Dynamo
• Los Angeles Galaxy
• Real Salt Lake
• San Jose Earthquakes
• Colorado Rapids
• Sporting Kansas City
• Seattle Sounders
• Portland Timbers
• Vancouver Whitecaps
• Minnesota United
• Los Angeles
• Austin
• St. Louis City

Eastern Conference

• New England Revolution
• DC United
• Toronto
• New York Red Bulls
• Columbus Crew
• Chicago Fire
• Club de Foot Montreal
• Philadelphia Union
• Orlando City
• New York City
• Cincinnati
• Atlanta United
• Nashville
• Inter Miami
• Charlotte

Key Dates

The inaugural match of the new season will be, undoubtedly, Inter Miami's game. Messi and the team will face Real Salt Lake, with the showdown taking place at the home arena of David Beckham's team, the Lockhart Stadium. The match is scheduled to commence at 2:00 Central European Time.

The All-Star Game in 2024 will take place on July 24th at the Lower.com Field stadium, the home venue of the reigning MLS Cup champions, Columbus Crew.

The tournament will conclude on October 20th, with last year's MLS Cup finalists, Los Angeles, visiting San Jose.

Tournament Favorites

The title of Supporters’ Shield champion in this season will be contested by Cincinnati, who amassed the highest point total in the regular championship but were defeated in the playoffs by Columbus Crew.

Houston Dynamo holds the US Winter Cup, while the star-studded Inter Miami holds the Leagues Cup.

David Beckham has assembled an excellent team. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets are sure to showcase their prowess and reminisce about their past glories at Barcelona.

It is probably because of the line-up that Inter Miami are considered the main favourites for the championship this season, with bookmakers giving odds of 5.

Last year's MLS Cup finalists Los Angeles are in second place. On this team the odds are 8.

Bookmakers give slightly higher odds on the victory of Columbus Crew and Cincinnati. On the championship of these teams the odds are 9 and 13 respectively.

MLS 2024 favourites according to bookmakers

1. Inter Miami - 4
2. Los Angeles - 8
3. Columbus Crew - 9
4. Cincinnati - 13
5. Philadelphia Union - 15
6. New York Red Bulls - 15
7. Seattle Sounders - 17
8. Orlando City - 20
9. Nashville 25
10. New York City - 25
11. Atlanta United - 25

Team and Player Valuations

David Beckham has indeed assembled an extraordinary team, although not all players feature among the most expensive in the MLS. Nevertheless, this does not hinder Inter Miami from topping the list of the league's most valuable teams. The total worth of the team is estimated at €85.13 million. Following closely, Atlanta United secures the second position, with a valuation over €20 million lower, standing at €61.3 million according to Transfermarkt data. Rounding up the top three leaders is Seattle Sounders, with a valuation of €55.2 million.

Top Valued MLS Teams 2024 at the Start of the Season:

1. Inter Miami – €85.13 million
2. Atlanta United – €61.3 million
3. Seattle Sounders – €55.2 million
4. Philadelphia Union – €53.83 million
5. Dallas – €49.33 million
6. Orlando City – €48.75 million
7. New York City – €49 million
8. Columbus Crew – €44.6 million
9. Chicago Fire – €44.35 million
10. Nashville – €43.85 million

It's noteworthy that New York City is the youngest team in the league, with an average player age of 22.3 years. Conversely, Austin boasts the oldest team, with an average age of 27.7 years. Inter Miami ranks eighth among the youngest teams, with an average age of 24.6 years, under the stewardship of David Beckham.

Undoubtedly, the most expensive player in the MLS is none other than Lionel Messi. According to Transfermarkt data, the contract value of the Argentine forward amounts to €35 million.

While Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets were once commanding hefty sums, the valuations of their contracts have significantly decreased. Suarez's contract is currently valued at €4 million, while Alba and Busquets stand even lower at €3 million each, as per Transfermarkt data.

Following Messi in valuation within Inter Miami is Chilean-Argentinian defender Tomas Aviles, with his contract assessed at €5 million.

Top Valued MLS Players at the Start of the Season

1. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) – €35 million
2. Thiago Almada (Atlanta United) – €27 million
3. Facundo Torres (Orlando City) – €14 million
4. Juan Camilo Hernandez (Columbus Crew) – €13 million
5. Hani Mukhtar (Nashville) – €12 million
6. Sebastian Driussi (Austin) – €12 million
7. Ricardo Pepi (Los Angeles Galaxy) - €12 million
8. Hugo Keipers (Chicago Fire) – €11 million
9. Deni Bouanga (Los Angeles) – €10 million
10. Talles Magno (New York City) – €10 million

Transfers

The transfer window in the USA significantly differs from that of European leagues. It opened on January 31st and will continue until April 23rd. This means that teams can still make signings during the first two months of the season.

Many clubs have already acquired new players and strengthened their squads ahead of the season start. The most expensive acquisition to date is the signing of forward Hugo Keipers, who moved from Gent to Chicago for €12 million. Following closely is Gabriel Peck, who transferred from Vasco da Gama to Los Angeles Galaxy for €9.3 million. Rounding up the top three leaders is Dallas' acquisition, forward Petar Musa, who joined from Benfica for €9 million.

Top 10 Most Expensive MLS Transfers

1. Hugo Keipers (Gent → Chicago) – €12 million
2. Gabriel Peck (Vasco da Gama → Los Angeles Galaxy) – €9.3 million
3. Petar Musa (Benfica → Dallas) – €9 million
4. Jovan Miyatovich (Crvena Zvezda → New York City) – €8 million
5. Agustin Ojeda (Racing → New York City) – €9.3 million
6. Pedro de la Vega (Lanus → Seattle) – €7 million
7. Omar Campos (Santos Laguna → Los Angeles) – €4.6 million
8. David Martinez (Monagas → Atlanta) – €3.2 million
9. Bartosz Slisz (Legia Warsaw → Los Angeles Galaxy) – €3.2 million
10. Emil Forsberg (RB Leipzig → New York Red Bulls) – €3 million

New Additions to MLS 2024

The MLS introduces new rules this season aimed at reducing game time loss.

The first change concerns player substitution during matches. Players exiting the field will now have 10 seconds allocated for departure. If a player fails to leave the field within the designated time, the substitute entering the field in their place must remain off-field for an additional minute. However, this rule does not apply in the case of goalkeeper substitution or injury.

Another rule relates to player injuries. If an injured player fails to leave the field within 15 seconds, they will be allowed to return to the game no sooner than two minutes later. This rule does not apply if a red or yellow card was issued for the foul.

Additionally, referees will announce VAR decisions throughout the stadium during matches.