MLS Next Pro, a third-division men’s professional league launched by MLS that began play in 2022, is set to begin its fourth season on Friday.
Though the league, which currently stands at 29 teams, is largely made up of MLS second teams, two independent clubs debuted in Next Pro last season with four more slated to join in the coming years.
Ahead of the 2025 season and with the backdrop of professional soccer’s ever-changing landscape in the United States, Backheeled spoke with MLS Next Pro president Charles Altchek about the league’s future expansion, the potential to create a new MLS-run second-division league, relocating MLS second teams, and more.
Answers have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
As MLS Next Pro continues to expand, what is the vision for the final number of teams in the league?
What we've talked about is continuing to grow the league and bringing professional soccer to new markets, and that's going to happen in two ways.
One is for us to have more of our affiliated teams moving into new markets like we have in Huntsville, with Nashville's MLS Next Pro team having launched in Huntsville in a new soccer stadium in partnership with the city. It's been a great two seasons so far and we're really excited for season three as they continue to grow that club and grow their connection to Huntsville and to the region.
We’ll have a different version of that starting next year in Mansfield, Texas, with North Texas SC, FC Dallas’ MLS Next Pro Team, moving into a new stadium in partnership with with city of Mansfield and again bringing professional soccer to a new market. We have many of our other teams that are working on projects like that, where they’ll move into a new market and be able to grow the game.
So that’s the first leg of the stool.
