NEW YORK (September 19, 2017) – Major League Soccer once again sets the trend in the North American landscape as the youngest and most diverse among the big five professional sports leagues. From its current pool of 641 players, a league-record 73 countries are represented (as determined by birthplace), while MLS players hold an average age of 26.18 years, more than a year younger than the next closest league.
Compared to other top international soccer leagues, MLS has the widest representation across the globe with the most countries represented, while also holding the second-highest total in percentage of players born within its competitive borders (48.