Former Los Angeles Galaxy player Zlatan Ibrahimovic has stated that Major League Soccer is not developing as quickly as it should due to the league’s “too many rules.”
Ibrahimovic, one of the most decorated players of the last two decades, played two seasons with the Galaxy from 2018 to 2019 before returning to Europe to complete his career with AC Milan.
Since his departure, MLS has grown from 24 to 29 teams, with San Diego FC expected to join as the 30th in 2025, and Inter Miami signed record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi last year, the league’s largest signing in history.
However, Ibrahimovic, who is now a senior advisor to Milan, believes that more should be done to raise MLS’s calibre in comparison to Europe’s premier leagues.
“It’s growing in the right direction but I think it’s growing slowly because when I was there I remember it still is, it has too many rules to make it grow faster”.
“But, in terms of the game, quality, and persons, the game is evolving and improving. And you have the World Cup in 2026, which will be vital for the country, particularly MLS.”
Unlike Europe’s top leagues, MLS clubs’ expenditure is restricted by a wage cap, with the exception of three designated players whose salaries may exceed the club’s budget and three players aged 22 or under who pay a lower budget fee.
Since Messi’s arrival, MLS has faced greater pressure to ease those restrictions in order to capitalise on his presence and the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
