• Loading stock data...
Saturday, June 14, 2025

MLS NEXT Initiative Positions New Generation of U.S. Soccer Talent on Social

  • The next generation of MLS talent is being developed through MLS NEXT.
  • Athletes can create their own graphics for this project.
Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

MLS NEXT is poised to be the next revolution in soccer in North America. Major League Soccer hopes that the players that will be identified, coached, and developed by the NEXT program will elevate the game to unprecedented heights both on and off the field. Over the past several months, the league has attempted to highlight these stories through their social media channels.

“We want to create unique experiences on the most relevant channels that energize the players’ aspirations and reflect the brand. It’s why we’re so heavily focused on social media, particularly platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok,” Melissa Marchionna, former sr. director social media and content told Front Office Sports.

This initiative has seen massive engagement on Instagram in-particular. One metric the MLS team monitors closely is interactions per 1000 followers. Out of nearly 800 sports accounts tracked, the week of Oct. 26-Nov. 1, the @MLSNEXT Instagram had seven of the top 24 posts for this engagement metric.

“We’re seeing a very engaged audience across MLS NEXT, which is why it’s so important to give them quality content and enlist that audience as creators themselves,” Marchionna added.

On the field, MLS NEXT is looking to create the best environment for all young players to reach their full potential, regardless of aspiration. With this, MLS leadership hopes to create a foundation for how the United States can win the World Cup.

“MLS is a league that is more accessible, more diverse, more empowering—and @MLSNEXT social media is fundamental to that mission,” Marchionna said. “While each @MLSNEXT social channel has a different goal and audience, as a whole the channels reflect a shift in how the industry is — or will soon be — thinking about social media. That social media isn’t just about broadcasting from your own channels, it’s about creating advocates and empowering storytelling from your fans, players, and more.”

For many projects related to the social media side of MLS NEXT, as well as other aspects of their social media strategy, the digital team works alongside Team Infographics. 

“We’ve worked with Team Infographics on many MLS projects. We’ve often gone to them with ideas that aren’t quite in their niche (for example, live data-driven video on Decision Day presented by AT&T), and they’ve been incredible partners in figuring out how to ‘get it done’ and deliver an exceptional experience.”

With their CMS-style system, users can quickly create graphics from templates and preloaded images. Athletes participating in the program were able to utilize this page to create graphics for themselves. Nearly 16,000 unique images were made, many of which were shared to social with the #MLSNEXT hashtag.

“With MLS NEXT, we wanted each participant to have the opportunity to post custom, high-quality MLS NEXT images on their social channels if they desired,” Marchionna said of collaborating with Team Infographics on the MLS NEXT project. “However, turning around 10,000+ custom graphics wasn’t feasible. Team Infographics worked with us to create a solution that let players and clubs upload their own photos and customize socially-optimized images with MLS NEXT branding that could be shared wherever the creators wanted to.”

While the MLS NEXT initiative is far from the only project on the plate of the MLS digital team, the organization recognizes its importance in telling the story of American soccer. In addition to this, the initiative empowers these athletes and youth soccer organizations to better tell their own stories for years to come.

“We recognize that our social strategy can’t just rely on what we put on @MLSNEXT channels. It’s a key part of our strategy to empower the players, coaches, parents and clubs as storytellers on their own platforms by providing them with content, products, expertise, and opportunity,” Marchionna said. 

Learn more about Team Infographics

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Soccer

Club World Cup Tickets Plunge: See Messi for $4

Some students were offered five tickets for $20 to the opening match.
Soccer

MLS Players Rip League Over Club World Cup Pay Negotiations

The union says the league’s proposal was “retaliatory in nature.”

While Bears and White Sox Stall, Chicago Fire Make Stadium Move

The proposed $650 million stadium will be privately financed.
Jun 1, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Sounders FC forward Danny Musovski (19), midfielder Obed Vargas (18) and midfielder Paul Rothrock (14) wear t-shirts to protest FIFA Club World Cup bonus sharing from MLS while participating in pregame warmups against the Minnesota United at Lumen Field.

Seattle Sounders Protest Tiny Share of Club World Cup Prize Money

Players are set to share $1 million of the $1 billion purse.

Featured Today

Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.
Jan 24, 2017; Davidson, NC, USA; The Davidson Wildcats student section cheers during the first half against the Duquesne Dukes at McKillop Court at John M. Belk Arena. Davidson defeated Duquesne 74-60.
June 6, 2025

Every College Wants a Flashy Basketball GM Hire Right Now

The role is more important than ever, and the definition is ever-evolving.
August 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The Goodyear blimp flies over Ohio Stadium during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game between the Akron Zips and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
June 6, 2025

Why the Goodyear Blimp Is at Every Major Sports Event

The airship wasn’t built to cover sports. Now it’s a regular presence.
May 27, 2015; Paris, France; Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) knocks the clay off her shoe during her match against Simona Halep (ROU) on day four of the French Open at Roland Garros
June 4, 2025

Roland-Garros’s Iconic Red-Clay Surface Is a Precise Alchemy

The exact science behind maintaining the French Open’s red clay.

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Athlos
May 4, 2025

Nike Wants to Pull Off the First Women’s Sub-4:00 Mile

Experts speak on whether Nike’s “moonshot” is realistic or a gimmick.
Jul 19, 2024; Phoenix, Ariz., United States; Sheryl Swoopes hosts a WBNA All-Star brunch in honor of her former teammate, Nikki McCray Penson, at Thea in Phoenix on July 19, 2024
May 12, 2025

Sheryl Swoopes: A’ja Wilson Shoe Campaign Shows Nike Sea Change

Nike released the Air Swoopes in 1995.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
Apr 12, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; MLB umpire Ron Kulpa (46) calls a third strike during a game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field
May 4, 2025

Pro Refs Get Offered Free Lasik for Better Calls. Some Took It

Some pro officials have sprung for the offer for free corrective surgery.
January 15, 2025

State Farm Cancels Planned Super Bowl Ad Amid California Fires Controversy

State Farm’s Super Bowl ad last year featured Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito.
Nov 25, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; From left: Scott Van Pelt, Ryan Clark, Jason Kelce and Marcus Spears on the ESPN Monday Night Football Countdown set before the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
December 17, 2024

A ‘Wave’ of Sports Content Is Coming to TikTok

The next generation is consuming sports in a different way.
Apr 7, 2022; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Rory McIlroy (left) and Brooks Koepka set up to putt on no. 9 during the first round of The Masters golf tournament.
November 27, 2024

PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf TV ‘Showdown’ Will Pay Out $10M Crypto..

Two golfers from each tour will face off in Las Vegas.