Major League Soccer launched a marketing campaign titled "Thanks World, We’ll Take It From Here" in July 2026, days before the 2026 FIFA World Cup final. The league’s regular season resumes on July 16–17, coinciding with a wave of promotional activity across all 30 clubs.

The campaign is the largest coordinated marketing effort in MLS history, according to Radhika Duggal, the league’s chief marketing officer. "I think that this is going to be one of the catalysts that's going to explode soccer fandom in North America," Duggal said. The campaign’s timing was chosen specifically because no World Cup matches are scheduled on its launch day, allowing MLS to capture undivided attention during the global tournament’s closing stretch.

It features high-profile athletes and celebrities including Lionel Messi, Son Heung-Min, David Beckham, Matthew McConaughey, Magic Johnson, and Kevin Durant. An Amazon Music Original cover of "Can I Kick It," produced by DJ Premier with vocals and lyrics by Samara Cyn, serves as the campaign’s audio centerpiece. The promotional effort spans national broadcast, streaming, digital, social media, out-of-home advertising, and media partnerships.

Fifteen MLS clubs have developed localized campaigns to complement the national creative. Upon the league’s return, all 30 clubs will roll out promotional initiatives and special offers. Twenty-two of them are participating in a "First Match On Us" program, providing complimentary tickets to first-time attendees.

MLS also organized major World Cup watch parties in cities such as Los Angeles and Seattle during the 2026 tournament, created in conjunction with FIFA and Fox Sports. The league views the World Cup as a springboard for domestic engagement, with its next major initiative—an 18-month marketing campaign tied to a schedule transition—set to begin in February 2027.

Why It Matters

The campaign represents MLS’s most ambitious effort to leverage international soccer momentum for domestic growth. With the World Cup hosted across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, the league aims to convert global interest into sustained local fandom through coordinated national and club-level outreach.