Soccer has truly landed in North America and we have the numbers to prove it.
The 2016 MLS season kicked off this weekend, with all 20 teams in action, and the crowds were higher than ever before.
More than 260,000 fans turned up for the opening day games across the US and Canada – enough to fill Old Trafford more than three times over.
Something I’m not sure I’ve seen around Twitter yet. Yesterday was the highest single day total attendance in MLS history: 261,516 fans.
— Jonathan Tannenwald (@thegoalkeeper) March 7, 2016
To put the figures into context, just 216,747 showed up to the weekend’s 10 Serie A games, while Saturday’s eight Premier League fixtures drew crowds of 295,413.
The best-attended game across the Atlantic, Orlando City’s 2-2 draw with Real Salt Lake, drew a bigger crowd than every single game in the Premier League.
MLS Opening Weekend Attendances
New York Red Bulls v Toronto FC – 21,303
Chicago Fire v New York City FC – 17,768
Orlando City v Real Salt Lake – 60,147
FC Dallas v Philadelphia Union – 14,248
Houston Dynamo v New England Revolution – 21,594
San Jose Earthquakes v Colorado Rapids – 18,000
Portland Timbers v Columbus Crew – 21,144
Vancouver Whitecaps v Montreal Impact – 22,120
Seattle Sounders v Sporting Kansas City – 39,525
LA Galaxy v DC United – 25,667
(Figures via MLSSoccer.com)
