MLS traditions - All American, All spectacle, All-Star.

Major Soccer, Minor Tweaks. 

The MLS (Major League Soccer) is the highest division of the North American Soccer Pyramid. Thirty teams play in the MLS, 27 North American and 3 Canadian. 

The MLS as we see it today was founded in 1993, (though the first official season wasn't played until 1996), following an eight-year purgatory without a first division league of soccer in America since the North American Soccer League folded in 1985. The MLS was formed due to the US' successful bid to host the 1994 World Cup. Ten teams took part in the inaugural season, with D.C United triumphing after defeating LA Galaxy in the MLS Cup Playoff Final. 

The MLS wasn't an instant success in America, having to battle for the nation's attention against heavy sporting hitters such as the NBA, NFL, NHL and NBA. The league struggled in its formative years leading to the folding of two separate teams and the loss of millions of dollars. 

Fast forward to 2025 however and the MLS seems to be in the best position it has ever been in, with 22 separate purpose-built soccer stadiums featuring in the league, the second-highest attendance for a footballing league worldwide in 2024, and the greatest player of all time, Lionel Messi, as the face of the franchise. 

Football fever in the US doesn't seem to be slowing down either, with the recent inaugural Club World Cup being hosted in the Land of Liberty, and the World Cup set also to be played there alongside Canada and Mexico in 2026. 

Football, or as they would call it, 'soccer', at its core, is a simple game, the rules of which are often cemented into how the game is played. To change these rules would change the game entirely; therefore, things can't be done too differently from how they always have been. That being said, the MLS has historically included interesting additions and tweaks of already established footballing conventions. 

Today, I won't be discussing the history of the MLS or how the future could look for Soccer in America. Instead, I will be looking at some of the unique footballing traditions that are and have been a part of the MLS, and if, in an ideal world, I'd like to see them in European football.

The 35-yard Penalty Shootouts.

The '1990s MLS penalty Shootouts', as they're more widely known, actually began in 1977, ten years into the existence of the aforementioned NASL. Instead of the widely recognised 'normal' penalties that we see today and have seen for many years, penalty shootouts in the NASL mimicked one-on-one scenarios that we might see in games, such as the penalty shootouts deployed in field hockey games. Players would start from the 35-yard line and dribble towards the goal where the goalkeeper was stood, goalkeepers were allowed to come off their goal line and out of their box if they so pleased, and players had five seconds to release a shot. I've attached a link from the MLS YouTube channel for the visual learners - Best Old School MLS Shootouts. 

This decision to drastically change what was an already established part of the game was made in an attempt to make soccer in America more exciting and viewable for the American public. 'Normal' penalty kicks were considered unfair in favour of the kick taker, and overall predictable. Ted Howard, the NASL assistant commissioner at the time, retrospectively stated that "people were just disenchanted with the penalty-kick rule because it just didn't feel fair" and argued that the new penalty kicks "would sort of simulate the defensive pressure you'd feel on that breakaway. Truly, it felt like a moment in an actual game".

The penalty shootout was a staple of the NASL and was used within the league right until the league folded in 1985. When the first season of the MLS kicked off in 1996, the one-on-one penalty was again utilised in the instance that a winner could not be found in 90 minutes. The one-on-one shootout was eventually abandoned in 2000, a week before the MLS Cup final of the 1999/00 season, due to concerns that back-to-back physical one-on-one situations could risk injury. The league announced the end of the shootouts and stated that if the MLS Cup final were to be a draw at the end of 90 minutes, then two 15-minute periods of extra time would be played, and if needs be, a traditional penalty shootout, the same format we see today. 

(Credit: MLS. Chicago Fire vs Dallas Burn April 10th 1999)

There are overall mixed opinions surrounding the one-on-one penalty. Some see it as the Americanisation of the game and dismiss the argument that it should be reinstated and implemented elsewhere. However, the 35-yard shootout does have its supporters, and some rather notable supporters at that. Johan Cruyff, a pioneer of the modern game both for his playing and managerial days, famously urged Europe to adopt the system. Marco Van Basten, Cruyff's former Ajax teammate also campaigned for the rule change in a 2017 pitch to FIFA, arguing that it gives the player "more possibilities: he can dribble, shoot, wait and the goalkeeper responds.". Furthermore, former USMNT stars such as Alexi Lalas and Jozy Altidore have also voiced their interest in the shootout style returning.

Looking at the discourse surrounding the archaic penalties online, it seems to be the case that people would like to see more of them. Every once in a while videos float around of the old MLS Shootouts and the comments are filled with interest, enthusiasm and calls for the penalty style to return. 

Would I like to see the penalty variant in Europe and beyond? 

No. Which is a shame, as I actually think they're a fun spin on the traditional penalty shootout. I ultimately think that the traditional penalty shootout system utilised today is perfect. I enjoy the tension it brings; the importance placed on one singular strike of the ball and not a run from the 35-yard line. Penalties are routine; you can expect what's going to happen. One may call this monotonous but I'd argue that's the point; it amplifies the tension, so when something unordinary happens such as a John Terry slip or a Roberto Baggio crossbar hit, it's all the more interesting. 

I would be even further against the idea if the one-on-one penalty shootout were to replace extra time. For me, extra time is one of the most interesting and exciting periods of a football game. Thirty minutes of extra play, which on paper is a long time but goes by so quickly. It really shows the psychology of teams and managers alike; do they make potential penalty-taking substitutes? Do they waste time to get to penalties? Do they go all out to end the game in 120? Heads start to go, bodies start to break down, tactics go up the wall. We've seen countless iconic extra-time moments, even as recent as the season just passed, such as Kobbie Mainoo's 120th-minute leveller and Harry Maguire's 121st-minute winner for Manchester United against Lyon in the Europa League Quarter Final. So many future iconic moments would be lost. 

I understand those who would argue for the return and expansion of the 35-yard penalty, as it's something new, a fresh version of an already established convention that wouldn't alter the base game too much. However, I personally just enjoy the extra time and penalty system we have in place too much already. And if it ain't broke...

The MLS All-Stars. 

The first All-Star game was played in the summer of the inaugural 1996 season of the MLS. The game was played between two teams of MLS players, one team made of the best players in the Eastern Conference, the other the best players from the Western Conference, both squads picked by coaching staff from the respective conferences. This format emulated the NBA All-Star game, a tradition that has been running since 1951. The inaugural match was held in the Giants Stadium, New Jersey, with the final score 3-2 to the Eastern Conference All-Stars. Including the opening match, a version of the MLS All-Stars has played every year consecutively (apart from 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic) for a total of 29 games, 28 of which have been played somewhere in the US, with the 2008 game against West Ham United being played in Toronto, Canada. 

 (Credit: MLS. The inaugural East vs West All-Star game)

The East vs West format was used six times for the MLS All-Star game, in 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2004, with the East winning four, the West winning one and one match ending in a 6-6 draw. In 1998, the MLS decided to experiment, drafting two teams composed of players from the MLS, with one team having a squad made of the best American players in the league, and the other, the best international players in the league. The game finished 6-1 to the MLS USA team. The next game to deviate from the East vs West format was in 2002, in a game between the MLS All-Stars and the USMNT, ending in a 3-2 win for the MLS All-Stars. The next year was the first year the MLS All-Stars played an external team not affiliated with American soccer, when they took on CD Guadalajara of Liga MX, triumphing over them 3-1. 

Since 2003, the MLS All-Stars have played against teams such as Bayern Munich, Celtic, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Roma. Since the Covid-19 disruption in 2020, four out of the five matches have been played against the Liga MX All-Stars, a team compiled from the best players in Mexico's top division, including the most recent match in July of 2025, which ended 3-1 to the MLS All-Stars. 

In terms of eligibility, the roster is not just chosen based on coach recommendations anymore. The squad is chosen via a combination of fan votes, coach nominations and commissioners pick. Players who refuse to play, after being selected, are suspended for one league fixture. 

Running alongside the All-Star match is the MLS Next All-Star Game, which has been played since 2014. From 2014 to 2019 the match was known as the MLS Homegrown Game, with the pool of potential players all needing to be signed to 'Homegrown contracts'. Homegrown contracts were introduced to the MLS in 2008 whereby youth team players could be given first-team contracts providing they originated from a team within 75 Miles of the stadium of the MLS team they play for and had spent at least one year in the team's academy. International players can also qualify as 'Homegrown' if they were a part of an MLS team's youth academy in the year before they turn 16. Prior to the Homegrown Player Rule, players would be assigned to teams through 'pooled allocation processes', for example, the MLS Superdraft. 

The first Homegrown game was against the Portland Timbers' under-23s side, which ended in a 0-0. In the five years that followed, The Homegrowns played against four different Liga MX under-20s sides, and the Mexican national team's under-20s side, drawing two, losing two and winning one. 

Much like the senior team's All-Star game, the Homegrown Game of 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, unlike the senior side, the 2021 Homegrown Game was also cancelled due to the pandemic. In 2022 the match returned with a new name and new format. The game was now to be called the MLS Next All-Star Game and feature players from the MLS Next Pro league (MLSNP) following the league's launch in the same year.

The MLSNP is part of the third tier of the US league system, along with the USL League One and National Independent Soccer Association. The league began with 21 teams, but now includes 29, 27 of those being reserve sides of MLS teams, such as Chicago Fire II and Orlando City B. The MLS Next All-Star Game has included players, almost exclusively, from the MLS reserve sides. 

The MLS Next All-Star Game follows the same format that the senior All-Star fixture did in its formative years, being an East vs West fixture. The East Conference roster has won the inaugural and most recent game, with the West Conference roster winning the 2023 fixture on penalties after a two-all draw. 

Would these types of matches translate to the European game?

Well, in 2022, current Chelsea Chairman Todd Boehly spoke at the Salt 'Thought Leaders' conference in New York and proposed that, in an effort to raise more funds for the English football pyramid, the Premier League could "learn a lesson from American sports" with one of the transferable suggestions being a North vs South Premier League All-Star fixture. 

The suggestion was met with countrywide disagreement, with fixture congestion being the main argument against. In a press conference shortly after the Boehly proposal, then Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp spoke against Boehly, stating that "He forgets that in the big sports in America these players get four-month breaks... it's completely different in football".

However, after the initial public disagreement and accusations of Americanisation, people started to discuss the possibility. News articles, Twitter threads and Reddit discussions emerged where the consensus was usually "It's not going to happen. But if it did, who'd play? Who'd win?". There were even geographical debates, such as who the players from the Midlands teams, such as Aston Villa and Wolves would play for. Lineups were curated, game simulations were played, it seemed like there was some buzz for the idea generating. 

Ultimately, no such game happened that season, or in the two seasons since that suggestion. With the recurring fixture congestion argument and subsequent player fitness concern, not allowing the idea to sprout into a reality. 

But would I like to see All-Star games in European football? 

I don't want to discredit the fact that fixture congestion and players' physical and mental well-being is already something that, in my opinion, is being mismanaged. Adding another high-intensity game of football for nothing more than a spectacle, would not make sense.

But, if we lived in an ideal world where fixture congestion is better and players' physical health is prioritised, then yes, I would like to see an All-Star game variant. It would be interesting to see which areas of different countries would prevail, or if a Premier League XI could beat a La Liga XI or a Bundesliga XI and so on. I'm aware that it would struggle to gain the prestige of the NBA and MLB's All-Star equivalents, but I'd like to see how players react to different environments, would Bruno Fernandes become 5X the player if he had competent attackers in front of him? What would a centre back pairing of Saliba and Van Dijk look like? I could go on. 

I also think it would be interesting to see an MLS Next All-Star Game equivalent. For the Premier League, this could include teams from the PL2, which consist of the Premier League team's under-21 squads, or for La Liga it could include the club's second teams such as Real Madrid Castilla or Atletico Madrid B. I believe that, in the current footballing climate, a European MLS Next All-Star Game equivalent is much more likely to happen than a senior men's team version. I also believe that it may even be a good idea. It would let younger players create a name for themselves and test themselves at the top of the division they're currently in. Again, I can't really see either happening and I sympathise with the criticisms, but it's fun to theorise.

The Skills Challenge

The MLS Skills Challenge is a feature of the MLS All-Star event where players from both the MLS All-Stars and the guest team compete in footballing mini games such as a crossbar challenge and various passing challenges. 

The Skills Challenge was introduced in 1998, the year in which the All-Star game first deviated from the East vs West format. The MLS USA and MLS World All-Stars competed in five different skill events:

BullsEye - Four targets were placed in the four corners of the goal; each target is worth a point. Players had a minute and unlimited kicks to try and hit each target.

Long Distance Kick - Players stood in the centre of the 6-yard box and had to kick the ball as far as they could. The distance recorded was where the ball landed, not how far it rolled after bouncing.

Rapid Fire - Twelve balls were placed around the D, players had twenty seconds to score as many as they could against the opposition goalkeeper. Eight of the balls were 'normal' balls worth two points if scored, four of the balls were 'money' balls worth five points if scored. Goalkeepers could also gain points for their team based on how many saves they made. 

Power Shot - Players were tasked with hitting the ball as hard as they could into an empty net. Hardest shot won. 

Golazo - Players stood in the box, three balls were then crossed in one by one and the players were tasked with volleying the ball into the net with the most amount of 'style'. The more 'stylish' the shot the more points given. The ball didn't even have time to go in the net to gain points.

The inaugural Skills Challenge was, commercially, a success with the American fans enjoying the chance to see players partaking in interesting challenges while maintaining a fun and competitive feel between them. The above format and challenges continued until 2001, when the East and West All-Stars competed in a new set of challenges, with Power Shot and Bullseye being carried over in addition to four new inclusions:

Air Soccer - More commonly known as Football/Soccer Volleyball. Two players from each team stood on opposing sides of a net and tried to force opposition players to kick the ball out of bounds or get the ball to bounce twice in their area.

Fastest Man - Three players stood with a ball at their feet in front of a straight line of flags. Players had to slalom with the ball through the flags before sprinting back to the starting position. First player back, won all points.

Gol Olimpico - There were three parts to this challenge, players had to shoot from the corner flag, inside the D and over the full-sized goal into a miniature goal. Each goal scored equated to a point.

Goalie Wars - Two nets were placed around 10 metres apart, with a goalkeeper stood defending each one. The goalkeepers then had to try and score in their opposite number's net by means of volleying, half volleying, throwing or kicking straight from the ground. 

(Credit: MLS. The 2001 Goalie Wars challenge)

Variations of the above challenge roster then ran for almost two decades until 2018, where the current format was introduced. The modern era of the Skills Challenge focuses more on the simplistic elements of the game rather than intricate demonstrations of skill. For example, the recent Skills Challenge between the MLS and Liga MX All-Stars featured a passing challenge, shooting challenge and crossbar challenge, with the MLS All-Stars emerging as victors. The Skills Challenge still remains a fan favourite for MLS fans and wider audiences.

Would I like to see the Skills Challenge in European football? 

I think for there to be a Skills Challenge, there has to be some variant of an All-Star fixture for it to run alongside; it wouldn't make sense as a standalone showcase and I believe people would treat it as a glorified open training session.

I did say that in a perfect world, I'd be interested in seeing some form of European All-Star fixture(s), and if the Skills Challenge came as part of that, then so be it. However, I can't imagine being massively interested in this part of the All-Star weekend. Yes, it's a showcase of skill and that in itself is at least a spectacle, but for me personally, I want to see that happen in games, not as standalone skill demonstrations. So to answer the question, no I wouldn't like to see the Skills Challenge deployed in European football.

Moving forward

The MLS and soccer in America are currently growing at an exponential rate, and while doing so, the league has managed to keep most of the traditions that made it so initially interesting in its formative years. The league itself is globally starting to be taken more seriously and because of this, I wouldn't be surprised if features of the MLS started to implement themselves into the worldwide game.

I do genuinely enjoy the MLS and everything that comes with it. I think at times it can be whacky and overtly American, but that's the charm of the league. I hope in the coming years these vehicles for personality don't become diminished due to the league taking itself too seriously. 

The future for soccer in the States looks bright.