Major League Soccer
/ˌmeɪdʒə liːɡ ˈsɒkə(r)/
/ˌmeɪdʒər liːɡ ˈsɑːkər/
(abbreviation MLS)
- the highest level football (soccer) league in the US, which started in 1996 and is run by the United States Soccer Federation. The league is divided into Eastern and Western regions, with some Canadian teams playing in each. Soccer is less popular in the US than other sports, but became more popular after the national team reached the quarter-final stage of the World Cup in 2002.