The MLS is still trying to increase its participation and importance in world soccer before the start of the next World Cup in 2026, and changing the calendar to bring it into line with Europe is seen as one of the main steps towards achieving this goal. However, the fact that the Chicago Fire, one of the most important teams in the league, has lost one of its talents to the second division of Brazilian soccer is a factor that causes justifiable concern for investors in the league.
In the last few hours, Athletico Paranaense, one of the teams far from the four positions that give access to the first division of the Brasileirão, announced the signing of Carlos Terán. The 24-year-old defender is leaving Chicago Fire for the MLS permanently, having signed a contract with the Brazilian side until December 2026.
The Colombian had been with Chciago Fire since 2020 and leaves the club with 90 appearances and five goals to his name. Revealed by Enviago, the defender has had spells with his home country's youth team and played in the 2019 U-20 World Cup, having been one of the main potential highlights of that youth tournament. The only obstacle standing in the way of Terán's debut in Brazil is the CBF's (Brazilian Football Confederation) system for regularizing players, and he is a much-celebrated addition to the squad ahead of the quarter-finals of the Copa do Brasil.
MLS doesn't attract young players to its league
Even though they are one of the most traditional clubs in Brazil, the fact that Chicago Fire lost one of their players in the middle of the season to a club that plays in the second division of the Brasileirão draws a lot of attention to the attractiveness that the MLS currently has as a league for bringing in new and young potential talent.
The presence of veterans such as Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Heung-Min Son is essential to make the MLS more interesting from a commercial point of view, but the fact that young players are seeking markets in South America and Mexico to the detriment of the MLS is a very worrying factor.