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<p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><ul><li>No up and down in American soccer</li><li>Always a thrilling fight to the finish</li><li>Interest is building across the world</li></ul><script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script>

No promotion or relegation: MLS rival of Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi explains why it’s ‘good to be different’ as play-offs dominate in the United States

Major League Soccer

Inter Miami CF

New York Red Bulls

Real Salt Lake

Sporting Kansas City

<p>The top tier of <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/lionel-messi-inter-miami-mls-super-bowl-taylor-swift-nfl/blt39d85cdceedca32c" target="_blank">American soccer is expanding its reach around the world</a>, with eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi aiding that cause following his <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/secret-meetings-10-year-project-how-david-beckham-signed-lionel-messi-inter-miami-co-owner/bltcc28a521e2bdff22 " target="_blank">stunning move to Florida in 2023</a>. He is <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/lionel-messi-no1-inter-miami-superstar-ranked-coolest-above-lebron-james-serena-williams-kim-kardashian/bltdca6f8797dda84cc" target="_blank">pulling in A-list guests</a> desperate to catch a glimpse of him in the flesh, while <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/lionel-messi-every-game-super-bowl-what-inter-miami-superstar-mls-league/blt964cc2b2c91211df" target="_blank">viewers are tuning in from every corner of the planet</a>.</p><div class="affiliate-button-container theme-1" data-name="Apple TV"><div class="affiliate-button"><img class="logo" height="40" width="72" src="https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/bltcc7a7ffd2fbf71f5/blt2de198b67da95a2e/65709d2436cf7d0407034ef9/Apple_TV.png" style="width: 72px; height: 40px;"><span class="affiliate-text">Get the MLS Season Pass today!</span></div><a href="https://tv.apple.com/channel/tvs.sbd.7000?itsct=goal_mls&amp;itscg=30200&amp;at=1010l39UY" class="affiliate-button-link" target="_blank">Stream games now</a></div>

WHAT HAPPENED?

<p>MLS has always prided itself on breaking from the norm, with there <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/promotion-relegation-mls-2026-world-cup/blt405716729805853b" target="_blank">no threat of demotion from their two geographical conferences</a>. Instead of teams heading up and down, focus at the end of any given campaign is narrowed on the play-offs and a thrilling fight for ultimate glory.</p>

THE BIGGER PICTURE

<p>Messi is now embracing that structure, while ex-Scotland international Russell has been on the books at Sporting Kansas City since 2018. He has told the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/offside-with-taylor-twellman/id1696346528?i=1000653435300 " target="_blank"><em>Offside with Taylor Twellman</em></a> podcast of what makes MLS special: “People can have their opinions of the promotion, relegation, all that kind of stuff. And then... it doesn't really matter what you do in the regular season. It really doesn't. As soon as as that time hits for play-offs, that's when it counts. And yes, those leagues I played in there's play-offs as well, but there's also the automatic promotion and relegation as well. So this league is just solely focused on post-season, that's it, end of the season. I don't know. I probably think it is a good thing. It's different from everywhere else. It's good to be different. I mean, how many teams have we seen win the Supporters Shield with record points and then you're gone first round of the play-offs. And that is probably what makes it so unique as well. Everyone knows that it's play-offs and it's just whoever's the best team through that, whoever does whatever it takes to win, who's got what it takes to win as well. There can only be one winner. You've got 29 teams trying to do it.”</p>

WHAT RUSSELL SAID

<p>Messi and Inter Miami currently sit top of the Eastern Conference, with a recent 3-2 victory over Russell and Co <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/video-lionel-messi-have-fun-patrick-mahomes-meeting-soccer-nfl-royalty-inter-miami-mls/blt5fc40e24fcbc042b" target="_blank">in front of 72,000 spectators at Arrowhead Stadium</a> in Kansas helping them to the summit. It promises to be <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/mls-watch-out-inter-miami-lionel-messi-win-everything-2024-crazy-eighth-ballon-d-or/blt8adde7fc64f6ebb3 " target="_blank">another intriguing scrap for MLS Cup glory</a> in 2024, with no side having gone back-to-back since the LA Galaxy of David Beckham and Robbie Keane in 2011 and 2012.</p>

WHAT NEXT?

No promotion or relegation: MLS rival of Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi explains why it’s ‘good to be different’ as play-offs dominate in the United States | Goal.com

Johnny Russell, a domestic rival of Inter Miami star Lionel Messi, has told MLS why it is “good to be different” without promotion and relegation.

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