The 2026 FIFA World Cup gave Major League Soccer (MLS) a massive opportunity to reach new audiences. But turning those casual soccer viewers into loyal MLS fans requires more than riding the momentum of the tournament.

MLS made its largest marketing investment ever around the 2026 World Cup, coordinating campaigns across its clubs, highlighting players competing in the tournament, and launching initiatives to get new fans into stadiums.

“Awareness is like a flash in the pan; it goes away if you don't do anything with that,” said Radhika Duggal, senior vice president and CMO of MLS, during a discussion at the DPAA Global Summit held last month in New York.

For MLS, the challenge is turning a moment of national attention into sustained local engagement, ticket sales, and viewership.

MLS coordinated its biggest marketing push ever

The World Cup provided MLS with a built-in opportunity to showcase its players to a global audience.

“We had 45 players in the World Cup across 17 country teams,” Duggal said.

MLS used owned, paid, and earned media to highlight those players, their countries, and their performances throughout the tournament. But the larger undertaking was getting the league's marketing teams to work together, which was essential in a crowded media environment.

“We didn't have a hope of breaking through unless we all went together,” Duggal said. “And by the way, our 30 club teams are so, so proud of their individuality.”

The league also made a significant change to its creative strategy, offering to help clubs develop their own advertising. When Duggal floated this offer, she thought maybe a couple of teams would take her up on it. Instead, half the league’s teams—15 of them—took advantage of the opportunity to collaborate with her team on campaigns.

The investment was supported by two years of work building analytics and technology infrastructure to help MLS optimize campaigns and measure their effectiveness.

Local clubs are the key to building fandom

While the World Cup generated national attention, MLS recognized that its clubs, not the league generally, would be responsible for turning that interest into lasting relationships.

“As a league marketer, you're not trying to build people who are fans of Major League Soccer,” Duggal said. “You're trying to create the ability for our clubs and our players to really shine.”

That philosophy shaped how MLS approached its local marketing. The league worked with Fox and FIFA on soccer celebrations, including fan festivals and watch parties, but let individual clubs take the lead in branding and programming.

“They didn't say MLS anywhere,” Duggal said. “They were the soccer celebration brought to you by the club itself, and their sponsors.”

Local clubs also appeared on Fox affiliate programming with coaches and players to tell their own stories.

The league handled more of the behind-the-scenes work, including data collection and customer relationship management, while clubs focused on experiences tailored to their communities.

“The things that face off with the consumer, that's got to be all about the club, and the local experience ,because they know the consumer the best,” Duggal said.

Free matches help turn casual viewers into customers

One of MLS's biggest initiatives was designed to remove the barrier between watching soccer on television, and experiencing a local club in person.

Through its “First Match on Us” program, more than 20 clubs participated in offering free match experiences to consumers who had developed an interest in soccer during the World Cup.

“If you fell in love with the energy, and the excitement of the World Cup, come try a match and it'll be for free,” Duggal said, describing the invitation.

Clubs customized the experience for their markets, with some giving first-time attendees scarves, and encouraging supporters’ groups to welcome them.

But getting consumers through the gates was only the first step.

“All of these programs had a follow-up journey with the goal of making sure that that first-match consumer—because we are running a business—turned into a second-match paying customer,” Duggal said.

The strategy reflects MLS's belief that experiencing a match firsthand can turn casual interest into an emotional connection.

“The consumers got to know that it's going to be fun,” said Duggal. “They've got to know who they're going to root for, and then we got to get them to the match.”

Data helps MLS build relationships beyond the World Cup

MLS is using the data and technology infrastructure it developed ahead of the tournament to continue engaging consumers after their initial interactions.

That includes personalizing messages based on the clubs and players consumers follow, rather than treating everyone interested in soccer as the same audience.

“What we figured out how to do is make sure we can serve up the right message to the right consumer at the right time,” Duggal said.

MLS is also using player-focused storytelling to deepen engagement. A star player may initially attract attention, but the league wants to introduce fans to other players and clubs to broaden their interest.

“Someone who falls in love with one player, we can broaden their interest to others,” Duggal explained.

That requires ongoing coordination between the league, its clubs, and marketing partners.

For MLS, the 2026 World Cup was an opportunity to acquire new fans, but the more important work is what happens afterward: getting consumers to watch another match, visit another stadium, and develop a lasting connection to a local club.

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