MLS Executive Says Israeli Talent Pool Is Opening New Doors
In an interview from Los Angeles ahead of the U.S. national team’s first 2026 World Cup match, Dan Courtemanche, one of MLS’s top communications and strategy officials, said the league sees the tournament as a major business and historic turning point for North American soccer. He said MLS believes the 2026 World Cup will accelerate the sport’s rise and help the league continue growing beyond its current status.
Courtemanche said the league is attracting more players from Israel as part of a broader global trend. MLS now includes players from 78 countries, he noted, and he singled out Tai Baribo as proof of Israeli quality. “He is a great example,” Courtemanche said. “He scores goals in bunches. He helped show clubs around the league that there are very talented players in Israel.” He added that clubs have already changed their scouting approach and are now more open to signing Israelis.
He described the World Cup as “rocket fuel” for MLS. Since FIFA awarded the tournament to North America eight years ago, he said, the league has added seven teams, built nine new stadiums and 12 new training centers, while club values have tripled and attendance has risen by 33 percent. Courtemanche also said MLS was second worldwide in stadium attendance last year, behind the English Premier League, and that five MLS stadiums will host World Cup games while 15 training centers will serve national teams including England, Argentina and Brazil. He also said Sportico data show 18 of the world’s 50 most valuable soccer clubs are in MLS.
Looking ahead, MLS plans to shift from its traditional February to December schedule to a new calendar running from late July, with a winter break, and ending in May, in order to align with Europe’s top leagues. Courtemanche said the league knows it has a global audience, but most matches will still kick off at 7:30 p.m. local time because that best serves fans in the United States and Canada. He concluded that although MLS is only about 30 years old, “the best days are still ahead.”
