17% of Americans are now fans of Major League Soccer (MLS), eclipsing the English Premier League (16%) and La Liga (14%) as the most popular soccer league among Americans, a new YouGov report finds.
Drawing on data from surveys of more than 13,000 MLS fans, YouGov’s League goals: MLS report 2024 reveals the demographic profile of MLS fans, their favorite fashion brands, views on social & political issues, and more.
Key findings in the report include:
- Inter Miami CF is the most popular MLS team (18% of MLS fans support Inter Miami CF)
- Lionel Messi is the most popular player in the league. 22% of MLS fans support him, which is 16 percentage-points more than any other player
- MLS fans are twice as likely to have an Apple TV+ account than the general population (22% vs 11%)
- MLS fans are more likely to be young adults aged 18-29 (35% vs 20% gen pop) and to have children under the age of 18 (40% vs 26% gen pop)
- Nike and Adidas overindex with MLS fans with 55% of the league’s fans considering Nike and 53% considering Adidas for fashion purchases
- Following a 10-year sponsorship that concluded in June 2024, Heineken is the most considered beer or hard seltzer brand among MLS fans (35% of 21+ fans consider Heineken)
“While Lionel Messi has helped drive interest in the MLS, our research shows that the popularity of the league extends beyond one star player and that this unique audience is highly engaged in the league as a whole,” said Nicole Pike, Global Head of YouGov Sport. “The fanbase has a passion for political and social issues, gaming, high-end fashion brands, and more. These interests highlight the expansive impact the MLS can have for league sponsors, as well as more broadly in American culture.”
Leveraging YouGov Profiles and custom survey research, the report delves into the key characteristics of MLS fans, including their geographic distribution, income levels, education, and interests beyond soccer.
YouGov’s report is available for download here.
YouGov is an international online research data and analytics technology group. Our mission is to offer unparalleled insight into what the world thinks.
Our innovative solutions help the world’s most recognized brands, media owners and agencies to explore, plan, activate and track better marketing activities.
With operations in the UK, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, India and Asia Pacific, we have one of the world's largest research networks.
At the core of our platform is an ever-growing source of connected consumer intelligence that has developed daily over our 20 years of operation. We call it living data. All of our products and services draw upon this detailed understanding of our 27+ million registered panel members in over 55 markets to deliver accurate, actionable consumer insights.
As innovators and pioneers of online market research, we have a strong reputation as a trusted source of accurate data and insights. Testament to this, YouGov data is regularly referenced by the global press, and we are the most quoted market research source in the world (Meltwater 2022).