The league’s consistently top performers generated the most sponsorship revenue, led by Los Angeles FC (LAFC). Lionel Messi, managed by Inter Miami CF, was in second place, followed by LA Galaxy, newcomers Austin FC and Atlanta United.
The big names and their social media followers are the main drivers for sponsorship and unsurprisingly Messi is in the lead with 18 followed brand endorsements and a combined social following of 629 million.
Following him are German and Vancouver Whitecaps legend Thomas Müller (14 brands, 43 million followers and an on-field clash this weekend against Messi in the MLS Cup final), and South Korean Son Heung-min (13 brands, 20 million followers) who has made a step change for LAFC, both on and off the pitch, following his transfer from Premier League Tottenham Hotspur.
Domestically, Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna’s performances for the US team at the Gold Cup in the summer and his backstory have captured the imagination of sponsors, but social reach is catching up (10 brands, 60,000 followers).
The report follows traditional sponsorship deals and includes individual brands that are part of a parent company’s portfolio; deals signed at league level (but including team signaling); and/or sponsorship agreements signed through external agencies.
“Achieving record levels of team sponsorship revenue represents a major step forward for the MLS and reflects the league’s strengthening commercial foundation,” said Schafer Chulay, Director of Business Intelligence at SponsorUnited.
The top spend sponsor category identified in the report is financial services, while automotive and food products were the fastest growing categories, growing 17% year-on-year.
Jersey patch revenue saw strong value growth throughout the season, with deals from Gillette, El Camino Health and DirecTV highlighted by Sponsor United.
More than $14 million was spent on new naming rights deals, including Inter & Co (Orlando), Sports Illustrated (New Jersey) and Energizer (St. Louis).
A trend across the league is an increase in the share of spend with major brands. Royal Caribbean and Etihad Airways now direct 100% of their tracked sponsorship spend to MLS team deals, while BMO (Bank of Montreal) directs 68% of their spend to MLS partnerships. Toyota has expanded its footprint by sponsoring 12 MLS teams and AB InBev now partners with 17 clubs.
“We are seeing more and more clubs moving into the highest levels of commercial performance for the first time, indicating how quickly the league’s ceiling is rising. As global attention increases ahead of the 2026 World Cup, our data suggests that MLS is entering a period of meaningful acceleration, with tremendous opportunities still available for brands that want to get in early,” said Chulay.
To see the full report click here.
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