For much of its existence, Major League Soccer has struggled with an identity problem. Established in 1995 and beginning its first season of play in 1996, the league is young compared to its counterparts across the world — it celebrated its 25th year of play just last year. Until very recently, MLS seemed unable to figure out exactly what type of league it wanted to be, but in recent years a clearer identity has started to emerge — that of a selling league.
The league’s identity crisis was due in large part to it being young, and needing to find a foothold among a wealth of older, more established leagues in the professional soccer landscape.