Comedian Shane Gillis roasted quarterback Shedeur Sanders and his father Deion Wednesday with a joke about the controversial decision to retire Shedeur’s No. 2 at Colorado after two seasons in Boulder.

Gillis made the remarks while hosting the ESPYS in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 16, when he made fun of many sports celebrities and topics.

“Shedeur Sanders had his jersey number retired at Colorado this year, and people are saying it’s because of nepotism, because of his father, and it’s not” Gillis said. “It’s because he went 13-12 over his career, and he almost won the Alamo Bowl. Definitely not nepotism, right?”

The joke drew a muted response from the audience, with Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson shown on ESPN looking down and smiling.

Shedeur Sanders, now with the Cleveland Browns, actually went 13-11 as starting quarterback at Colorado across the 2023 and 2024 seasons while playing for his father Deion, Colorado’s head coach. But he is considered possibly the best quarterback in school history after breaking over 100 school records and reviving a program that went 1-11 in 2022, the season before he arrived.

The decision to retire his jersey number still was controversial, partly because it came less than four months after his last college game in the Alamo Bowl against BYU, which he lost, 36-14.

The decision also seemed to overlook other all-time Colorado greats, especially former Colorado quarterback Darian Hagan, who led Colorado to the national championship in 1990 and had a 28-5-2 record as QB. By contrast, Hagan’s jersey number never was retired by Colorado.

The university said the decision to retire a player’s jersey number is at the discretion of the athletic department administration and current head coach.

In April, the university announced the decision to retire the jersey numbers of Sanders and his teammate Travis Hunter, the Heisman Trophy winner. Before them, only four jersey numbers had been retired in CU’s 135-year football history and none since 2017.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

NEW YORK — About two hours before Wednesday night’s game between the Indiana Fever and the New York Liberty, the scene outside of Barclays Center could have easily been mistaken for the crowds in Iowa City or Indianapolis that have been clamoring to see a glimpse of Caitlin Clark.

Thousands of fans sporting Iowa Hawkeyes and Fever jerseys were aplenty and awaiting entry to see this pivotal matchup of Eastern Conference rivals, and those who showed up to see Clark were sorely disappointed as she missed the game after aggravating her right groin in Tuesday’s 85-77 win against the Connecticut Sun in Boston.

Fever head coach Stephanie White again had to shuffle her lineup against the defending WNBA champions, noting that Clark is day-to-day with her injury and her All-Star weekend availability in Indianapolis, including being a team captain for the All-Star Game and Friday’s 3-point contest, is uncertain. It’s Clark’s fourth different muscle injury this year, after never missing a game during her collegiate career and her Rookie of the Year campaign last season.  

‘I think that we’ve approached it that way from a slow pace from the beginning,’ Fever coach Stephanie White said. ‘The big picture is the most important: for her health and wellness, long-term, and for our team.’

The impact of Clark’s absence on the floor cannot be mistaken. During her absence, the Fever have been an inside team, feeding the ball to All-Star center Aliyah Boston, who leads the WNBA in field goal percentage, and Kelsey Mitchell, who has picked up the scoring slack as well.

But before a sellout crowd of 17,371 in Brooklyn, the Fever were down as many as 17 in the first half, and were routed 98-77, suffering their worst loss of the season, thanks to poor shooting and the inability to stop New York in a transition or any other phase of the game.

Breanna Stewart led five New York players in double figures with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. Sabrina Ionesua had 15 points and nine assists, and Natasha Cloud added 14 points for the efficient Liberty, who shot 58%, with 30 assists on 37 made baskets, while knocking down 14 of their 27 3-point attempts.

The Fever, who are now 4-6 without Clark in the lineup, were led by Mitchell, who scored 16 points, snapping a string of three straight games of her scoring 20 points or more, and Sophie Cunningham, who had 12.

Second half expectations

Both teams recognize that achieving their postseason goals depends on their health. While Clark will have to manage her groin injury for the time being, New York is set to welcome back center Jonquel Jones — who has missed a month because of a right ankle injury — when these same two teams meet in the first game after the All-Star break on Tuesday, July 22.

“It would mean everything,” Brondello said of the 2024 WNBA Finals MVP and five-time All-Star. “Every team goes through adversity with injuries, and we’re no different this year. I thought we managed it as well as we could, but I think we realized how important she is for how we play at both ends of the floor.”

The Liberty have been fortunate, still leading the conference at 15-6, despite posting a 5-5 record without Jones.

Clark’s injury puts more of a spotlight on Indiana, who head into the All-Star Break at 12-11. White said one of the things she is doing is trying to keep her All-WNBA superstar in good spirits, while looking at the big picture of championship goals set at the beginning of the season.

“The most important thing for us is to keep her upbeat, continue to support her and let her know we got her back and let her know we’re going to go battle for her,” White said about Clark before Wednesday’s game.

“I consider it good news. For me, anything we’re talking about still day-to-day is always good news for me,” White said about the injury. ‘Being injured and continuing to have setbacks is frustrating. Mentally, emotionally. Often times, being injured is isolating. The primary conversations we’ve had is checking in.’

MLS has seen its fair share of stars over what is now a 30-season lifespan. Whether those players were global icons, cult figures, or unknowns who used the league to make their name in the soccer world, the league has seen some outstanding talents grace its fields.

Some of the biggest names are obvious: Lionel Messi is a player with no equal, while even the most casual soccer fan in the U.S. knows names like David Beckham and Landon Donovan.

However, MLS history extends beyond the ‘retirement league” cliches, and to see the league as nothing more than a home for aging big names and U.S. men’s national team hopefuls would be a huge mistake. From the get-go, MLS has been home to some extravagantly skillful players, as well as some incredible underdog stories, comebacks and top-level international talent that real soccer heads know all about.

With that thought in mind, here are USA TODAY’s picks for the 30 best players in MLS history:

Jeff Agoos

Only Landon Donovan has surpassed Agoos’ five MLS Cup rings. The longtime USMNT defender, who today is the president and general manager of the NWSL’s Portland Thorns, was a crucial piece for the most dominant team in MLS history (the D.C. United sides of the 1990s) and then arguably even more important on a San Jose Earthquakes club that won MLS Cups in 2001 and 2003.

Miguel Almirón

Almirón has only played three seasons in MLS, but his impact is undeniable. The Paraguayan put together two marvelous MLS Best XI campaigns with Atlanta United in 2017-18, helping a brand-new team redefine what it is to hit the ground running in this league. Almirón then joined Newcastle United in a reported $26 million transfer, which remains a league record. Moreover, the move validated MLS as a place for elite younger players to blossom before moving on to the world’s elite leagues.

The Five Stripes brought “Miggy” back this season in part hoping to recapture the club’s early success.

DaMarcus Beasley

As a fleet-footed winger, Beasley burst onto the scene with an excellent Chicago Fire side that won three trophies in his five seasons there.

The Indiana native – who is the only USMNT player to appear in four World Cups – then broke new ground with a transfer to Dutch power PSV, eventually playing in the Premier League and Bundesliga before returning to MLS in 2014 to join the Houston Dynamo. Remaking himself as a left back, Beasley became a leader in Houston, helping the Dynamo to the 2018 U.S. Open Cup.

Kyle Beckerman

The dreadlocked Crofton, Maryland, native owns the MLS record for minutes played by a field player (41,164), a remarkable achievement for a player whose career started before teams in this league really knew what to do with talented youngsters. His other MLS record (most yellow cards, with 152) speaks to a win-at-all-costs grit that made him a club legend for Real Salt Lake.

Beckerman played in six MLS All-Star Games and is one of 15 players with 400-plus league appearances.

David Beckham

Beckham’s place in MLS history is fascinating. The global superstar was an important piece of the puzzle for an LA Galaxy side that won MLS Cups in 2011 and 2012, putting up 20 goals and 42 assists in 124 appearances in all competitions. However, he was not the most important player on that team and missed time due to a torn Achilles tendon suffered on a winter loan to AC Milan that, at the time, went down like a lead balloon.

As a cultural force, though, Beckham’s impact was absolutely essential for MLS’ growth. His arrival served as rocket fuel for a league that was seemingly stuck in place, opening wallets domestically and doors abroad that were previously closed.

Sergio Busquets

Busquets’ career speaks for itself: nine championships and three UEFA Champions League wins with a Barcelona side whose stylistic qualities fundamentally changed the sport, and a pivotal role on the Spain team that won the 2010 World Cup to boot.

The 36-year-old may play an unglamorous position, but his presence in MLS remains mind-blowing for any long-standing league observer. Since coming to Inter Miami in 2023, Busquets has been nearly ever-present, functioning as a leader and the driving force of the possession-based style that allows Messi and company to make all the headlines.

Dwayne De Rosario

“De Ro” is a thoroughly MLS success story. De Rosario won eight major trophies and was named to the MLS Best XI six times in his 14 seasons in the league. With the San Jose Earthquakes, he scored a brilliant Golden Goal to secure the 2001 MLS Cup and later scored a physics-defying free kick that remains arguably the best goal in MLS history. In 2011 he won the MLS MVP award despite being traded twice after that season had begun (playing for Toronto FC, the New York Red Bulls, and D.C. United).

Between his wandering career, his trademark goal celebration, and a staggering highlight reel, the Ontario native is unquestionably an MLS legend.

Clint Dempsey

Dempsey started his career in MLS with the New England Revolution in 2004, eventually earning a move to the Premier League after three seasons. However, the second chapter of Dempsey’s MLS career with the Seattle Sounders is what earned him his place on this list. A blockbuster $8 million return to the league after European success with Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur broke new ground for MLS, with an in-demand USMNT star coming to the league at a time when that simply didn’t happen.

Dempsey’s swaggering, brash personality and creativity are ingredients MLS clubs have often had to find abroad, making him a uniquely important figure in league history.

Landon Donovan

Donovan’s MLS career was so impressive, and so important to what was a fledgling league when the California native arrived on the scene, that the league MVP award is officially titled the Landon Donovan Most Valuable Player Award.

No one has won more MLS Cups (six), made more Best XI lists (seven), or had more assists (136) than Donovan, who also sits third on the league’s all-time goal scoring list with 145. Between his time with the Earthquakes and Galaxy, Donovan lifted nine major trophies.

Marco Etcheverry

Etcheverry was the cornerstone of what remains the most successful run by a single club in MLS history. D.C. United won eight trophies from 1996 to 1999, including three MLS Cup victories and the first continental trophy in league history (the 1998 Concacaf Champions Cup).

Moreover, the Bolivian playmaker was exactly what MLS wanted to be: his skills would have fit in anywhere in the world, and his competitive fire (his nickname, “El Diablo,” was no joke) drove D.C. to heights it couldn’t have achieved otherwise. Etcheverry’s 101 assists in league play came in just 191 appearances, making him one of the most prolific chance generators MLS has ever seen.

Sebastian Giovinco

Giovinco wasn’t in MLS for all that long, but his four years with Toronto FC were unprecedented.

The pint-sized Italian won the league MVP award in 2015, leading MLS in both goals (22) and assists (15). TFC would go on to be the only team in MLS history to win a treble in 2017, claiming the MLS Cup, the Supporters’ Shield, and the Canadian Championship. In just four MLS seasons, Giovinco scored a league-record 13 direct free kick goals.

Thierry Henry

Henry’s numbers (52 goals, 40 assists in 135 appearances) speak to his class as a player, but where the Arsenal and Barcelona icon truly stood out came by changing perceptions about MLS.

Many global stars came to the league at the same point in their careers as Henry, who arrived in the league at age 33. However, none with his profile had brought the intensity and commitment to winning that the France legend did, and it’s fair to say he sparked a sea change at a Red Bulls franchise that had never won anything before his arrival.

Zlatan Ibrahimović

Whether you buy into the Zlatan persona or not, the towering Swedish striker made an impact in MLS that stands alone. Ibrahimović joined an LA Galaxy side in 2018, scoring 52 goals in 56 games for what was otherwise one of the worst teams in the league at the time.

Ibrahimović’s combination of skill, creativity and pure power remain unmatched in league history, and his subsequent success at AC Milan showed that MLS wasn’t as far from the world’s top leagues as some would say.

Robbie Keane

As much as the LA Galaxy’s best era as a team are defined by Beckham and Donovan, Keane was arguably that group’s most vital player. The Ireland striker was relentless for a Galaxy team that won the MLS Cup three times in four seasons, scoring 83 times in 125 total appearances.

His forward partnership with Donovan has arguably never been matched in the league, and Keane’s intense competitive nature was just as important in pushing the biggest club in MLS to capitalize on Beckham’s presence with on-field success.

Kei Kamara

A refugee who escaped the Sierra Leone civil war, Kamara has had a remarkably unlikely path to MLS stardom. The striker has played for a record 12 MLS teams, and he sits second on the league’s all-time goal scoring chart with 146.

Despite rarely staying with any team for more than two years, Kamara has aerial ability and an outsized personality that have won fans over across MLS. At age 40, Kamara is in the midst of his 18th MLS season, and he’s not merely hanging around. The target man is an often-used substitute for a serious contender in FC Cincinnati, and last season he had a similar role with another big-time franchise in LAFC.

Chad Marshall

Marshall’s 35,843 minutes played place him fifth all-time, and third among field players. A remarkable 16-year run in MLS saw the California native establish himself as a defensive cornerstone for the Columbus Crew and Seattle Sounders, leading both teams to tremendous success. In Ohio, Marshall helped the Crew to an MLS Cup win in 2008 and three Supporters’ Shields.

The center back then joined the Sounders, lifting three trophies (including the 2016 MLS Cup), and was a model of consistency throughout his career. Despite long being on the outside looking in with the USMNT, Marshall is the only player to win MLS Defender of the Year three times.

Josef Martínez

Martínez may currently play for San Jose, but he is synonymous with the incredible early success Atlanta United experienced when the club entered MLS in 2017. Martínez bagged 111 goals and 17 assists in 158 appearances for Atlanta, terrorizing defenses with a wide range of finishes. There have been few players to feel as inevitable as Martínez did from 2017 to 2020, before a torn ACL slowed his output and hastened his exit with the Five Stripes.

While his performances at Inter Miami, CF Montréal and with the Earthquakes may not quite have matched the good old days, the Venezuelan is sixth in MLS history with 123 goals. His strike rate of 0.62 goals per appearance is the best among any of the 13 players to cross the 100-goal barrier.

Tony Meola

Meola was a vital figure in MLS’ first few years, lending the notoriety he gained as the USMNT’s starting No. 1 (which also resulted in an NFL tryout with the New York Jets, among other things) to a league that needed all the help it could get.

The New Jersey native remains the only MLS goalkeeper to win an MVP award, doing so in 2000 as he helped a defense-first Kansas City Wizards (now Sporting Kansas City) to an MLS Cup victory. Meola’s 16 shutouts that season remain an MLS record, and we’d be remiss if we ignored what remains the best season a goalkeeper has had in league history.

Lionel Messi

If you’re regarded in plenty of quarters as the best player in soccer history, and you play in MLS, you definitely belong on this list.

Messi’s output for Inter Miami (49 goals, 24 assists in 59 games) is jaw-dropping, even knowing how good he has been at the very top of the sport, and only Beckham has come close to matching the Argentine’s cultural impact as an MLS player. He is, simply put, one of one.

Could MLS have more clearly capitalized on his presence? Certainly, but the GOAT being in the league has still been revolutionary.

Jaime Moreno

Moreno (133 goals, 102 assists) remains an icon with D.C. United, having been two different versions of himself in two stints with the club. In the ’90s, Moreno was the best forward in MLS, a classic speed-first No. 9 who was indispensable for a team that won three of the first four MLS Cup titles.

After a back injury that nearly ended his career in a 2002 trade, he returned to the District in 2004 slower but craftier, helping United win another championship in 2004. The Bolivian was a part of 12 of United’s 13 major trophy wins, landing on the Best XI five times. He and Donovan are the only two players to sit in the league’s all-time top 10 in goals and assists.

Pat Onstad

Now the president of soccer at the Houston Dynamo, Onstad won two MLS Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2003 and 2005 (earning a spot in the Best XI on both occasions as well). Quiet and unspectacular, Onstad made positioning, sound fundamentals and organizational ability his top priorities.

The result? He was a key piece in the San Jose team that claimed the 2003 MLS Cup and 2005 Supporters’ Shield, then carried on when the team relocated, becoming the Houston Dynamo. That same group, now in Texas, continued an outstanding run, going back-to-back with MLS Cup wins in 2006 and 2007. In a nine-year MLS career, the Canadian posted a 1.14 goals-against average, one of the 10 best marks in MLS history.

Eddie Pope

In an era where center backs were big, mean, and slow, Pope was like a visitor from the future. The North Carolina native’s 12 MLS seasons were characterized with an unshakable calm with and without the ball, as well as the kind of mobility and comfort with the ball that became hallmarks in soccer over a decade after he had hung up his boots.

Pope won eight trophies in his years with D.C. United (scoring a legendary game-winner in the first-ever MLS Cup final), and landed on the MLS Best XI four times (twice with D.C. and twice with the MetroStars). He remains arguably the best center back the USMNT has ever had, another highly unlikely achievement for a player whose pro career was entirely spent in MLS.

Preki

Predrag Radosavljević had the kind of career that can scarcely be believed: Stints in Serbia, Sweden, and in the Premier League with Everton were broken up by years spent plying his trade in the various indoor soccer leagues that served as the best option in the U.S. before MLS kicked off in 1996.

In 10 MLS seasons (nine of which came with the Kansas City Wizards), Preki was named MLS MVP in 1997 and 2003, making him the only player in league history to win that award twice. With his trademark cutback move and powerful shot, Preki won two Golden Boot awards, while his 112 career assists rank him fifth in league history.

Steve Ralston

MLS’s first-ever Rookie of the Year, Ralston was a six-time All-Star Game participant and landed on the league’s Best XI three times (1999, 2000, 2002). The Missouri native’s 135 career assists are one shy of Donovan’s all-time record, while his 33,143 career minutes played rank 10th all-time.

Ralston thrived alongside Carlos Valderrama with the Tampa Bay Mutiny, then became a key cog for the best era in New England Revolution history once the Florida-based side folded in 2001. His consistent play over such a long span eventually won him a role with the USMNT, where he scored the goal that clinched the team’s qualification for the 2006 World Cup.

Nick Rimando

No player has spent more time on the field in MLS games than Rimando, whose 46,336 minutes played are easily the league record. He also holds league records for shutouts (154) and saves (1,701).

While Rimando is held in high esteem at D.C. United, his legend was truly built with Real Salt Lake, where he made 389 appearances over 13 seasons. There, the California native’s prowess at saving penalty kicks became mythical, and he would claim the MLS Cup MVP award in helping RSL claim its lone championship victory in 2009. While the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year award (controversially) never went his way, his place in MLS history is secure.

Carlos Valderrama

A legend in Colombian soccer, Valderrama was much more than his iconic hairstyle. One of the great playmakers on the planet in the ’90s, “El Pibe” piled up 114 assists in 175 MLS matches (the fourth-highest total all-time), including a 26-assist masterclass in 2000 that remains the league’s single-season mark.

During time with the Tampa Bay Mutiny, Miami Fusion, and Colorado Rapids, Valderrama played the game with a casual ease that MLS has only really seen in one other player: Messi. Valderrama’s vision and ability to weigh a pass perfectly meant that he could play with casual ease and still be the most dangerous player on the field.

Diego Valeri

Humble, dedicated, and possessing lavish skill, Valeri is the kind of player every MLS fan hopes their team will sign. Portland Timbers fans fell in love with the Argentine straight away, as Valeri led MLS in assists and clinched the first of three appearances on the league’s Best XI after joining the club in 2013.

During his nine seasons with Portland, Valeri would become just the third MLS player ever to surpass 80 goals and 80 assists, and he helped the Timbers win the MLS Cup in 2015 by scoring just 27 seconds from kickoff, the fastest goal in the league final’s history.

Carlos Vela

Vela was LAFC’s first designated player, and it could hardly have found a better candidate for the job. The Mexican forward came to MLS in 2018 and was instantly dangerous in a 14 goal/10 assist campaign.

That was just the appetizer. Vela’s 2019 remains the single-season bar all other players aspire to: a 34-goal, 10-assist masterpiece that set a new MLS record for goal scoring in one year and helped LAFC to the 2019 Supporters’ Shield. That’s the kind of productivity that only Messi has really matched, and it helped set a standard for LA’s second club that has thus far seen the team in the discussion for trophies during every single season it has existed.

Chris Wondolowski

There is no better MLS underdog story than “Wondo,” who was the 89th player selected across MLS’ two different college drafts in 2005. Wondolowski earned a contract with the Earthquakes but saw little action, largely stuck out of position as a right winger.

By the time his 17th season in the league had ended, the California native had scored 171 goals, which still stands as the league’s all-time record. It’s a staggering feat, especially when you consider that he didn’t become a starter (or score more than five goals in one season) until 2010. What followed was unmatched consistency: 10 straight seasons with at least 10 goals, including five instances in which he broke the 15-goal barrier.

Bradley Wright-Phillips

Wright-Phillips didn’t look like he would be much of an MLS signing.

With a more famous sibling (his brother Shaun played for Manchester City) and a solid career in the English second and third tiers, “BWP” seemed like a shot in the dark when the New York Red Bulls signed him in the summer of 2013.

After a tepid debut half-season, the move turned out to be a stroke of genius for both parties.

Wright-Phillips scored 27 goals in 2014, equaling what was the league record at the time and landing the first of two Golden Boot awards during his nine seasons in MLS.

The English striker scored at least 17 goals in five straight seasons and sits seventh on MLS’ all-time goal scoring list with 117 goals in 234 games.

USA TODAY Sports’ 48-page special edition commemorates 30 years of Major League Soccer, from its best players to key milestones and championship dynasties to what exciting steps are next with the World Cup ahead. Order your copy today.

Alfonso Mondelo was 13 years old when he arrived in the United States from Spain in 1971.

‘Soccer was almost nonexistent,’ he tells USA TODAY Sports. ‘You had to go chase it.’

Your desire to see the sport might take you to New York’s Felt Forum, the then-named auditorium at Madison Square Garden where Mondelo watched the 1974 World Cup on a closed-circuit television, or to movie theaters.

Even by 1990, Major League Soccer’s longtime technical director says, when the U.S. men qualified for the tournament in Italy, you went to a bar with a satellite dish to watch them.

‘If there was a baseball game, you had to fight with the baseball people to keep the soccer game on,’ Mondelo says. ‘So this has gone to where this is the country that consumes probably the most soccer in the world. Right now, you can turn on a TV on Saturday morning at 7 o’clock, begin to watch European games and continuously watch live soccer until probably 12:30, 1 o’clock in the morning, when MLS finishes.

‘It’s a sport that you can play forever. Every day, there are more American-born fans, and I would say under the age of 40 in this country, most players have played it at one level or the other.’

Mondelo, 66, spent time on the pitch in Spain’s second division while he was in the U.S. Air Force and later became a coach. He got his start as a coach in MLS with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in the late 1990s. He moved to his position in the league’s front office in 2004, when teams had no youth programming.

Today, there are 40,000 kids participating in its MLS GO recreational program and almost 18,000 enrolled in its elite MLS NEXT platform (raising to 40,000-plus with a new competition tier), which runs from the U13 to U19 levels.

As of June 15, according to MLS, 93% of the players on U.S. youth national teams are coming from MLS NEXT. This year alone, the league also has invested more than $125 million in player development, according to Mondelo.

‘It’s the greatest sport in the world,’ says Mondelo, whom we interviewed upon the 30th anniversary of MLS. ‘Once you start playing it, you get hooked on it. If you speak soccer, you can engage conversations in any country in the world. I think the Americans are catching onto it. …

‘Now there is a direct pathway, so a young player who begins to play the game and has a passion for it can see a direct pathway from youth all the way to a professional team. Now, in a lot of the markets, they have a professional team that they can go see and they can aspire to be part of.’

The league realizes, of course, the overall percentages of becoming a professional player are very small. It’s constantly seeking ways to get more kids access to the game, hoping to create fans at the grassroots levels who will attend MLS matches.

Where might your son or daughter fit into MLS’ youth ecosystem? Here are the opportunities it provides:

MLS GO: Finding a lifelong love of the game

When we place our kid in a sport at a young age, a goal is they enjoy it and want to come back for another season.

‘We’re not trying to create world-class players from the time of 5 or 6 years old,’ says Kyle Albrecht, the general manager of MLS GO and MLS NEXT.

MLS GO is designed to teach fundamentals to boys and girls from 4 to 14 – sometimes playing in games together – in a community setting. It’s in 47 states and Washington D.C., and, if you’re in an MLS market, tickets to a pro game might be included with your entry fee.

Albrecht says the median age of an MLS GO player is 7 or 8 but it’s open to beginners throughout its age groups.

‘It also gives that opportunity at the higher end of the spectrum,’ Albrecht says. “Let’s say that individual player is not ready to go into the youth travel environment (with) more competitive aspects that we know have a tendency to drive kids and families out of the game.’

MLS GO, Albrecht says, was born in 2023 out of data that registered soccer participation wasn’t really growing over the past 20-plus years.

‘There was a real intentionality about the push to travel too early, (the) cost growing so high at young ages. How do we build a program to combat that negativity with the game becoming too intense for that recreational audience?’ Albrecht says.

MLS NEXT: Seeking your highest potential

Kids with more ambitious sports aspirations can try out for clubs within MLS NEXT starting at the U13 level. There are 29 MLS academies and 238 elite academies within the 267 clubs (including the second tier of competition) that make up MLS NEXT.

MLS NEXT academy teams compete in high-level events such as Generation Adidas Cup. The GA Cup began almost two decades ago as a gauge to evaluate how MLS academy teams were developing across the country and then started to bring in international competition.

‘When we first started there, it was hard to compete,’ Mondelo says. ‘The foreign teams were beating us; we got a draw, we felt that that was a positive result. And over the last 10, 15, years, we’re seeing that the MLS teams in some age groups are dominating the competition, so we are getting to be close to a world-level par in player development.

‘Also, the interest of international clubs on the players that are being developed domestically has risen tremendously. So they’ve seen the American player as a viable option to bring into top-level clubs worldwide.’

MLS NEXT came about in 2020, taking over when the U.S. Soccer Development Academy ended operations. There are 130 NEXT players who have matriculated to MLS. They include Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF), Alex Freeman (Orlando City SC), Obed Vargas (Seattle Sounders FC) and Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union).

MLS NEXT top-tier players agree to forgo participating simultaneously in both MLS NEXT and high school soccer, according to an MLS spokesperson, though clubs can submit a high school waiver and play. Players in the other tier will be allowed to play it.

‘Our objective from a player development strategy is to develop the next generation of talent that will affect the pro game, and the pro game includes Major League Soccer, it includes national teams,’ Luis Robles, MLS NEXT’s technical director, told USA TODAY Sports in January, when laying out the parameters of the second tier. ‘But within that object is another sub tier of, ‘How does that play itself out?’ We saw an opportunity to deepen the player pool, to give more families that experience. … So it is the aspirational athlete, but it’s also just the athlete that wants to continue to play soccer with their friends. So it is a combination of everyone.’

The 29 lead academies offer scholarships, housing and schooling, but players at the non-MLS academies, which MLS refers to as elite academies, are given looks and opportunities to move up within the organization. These chances include trials at MLS academies, talent ID camps or sometimes guest appearances for the clubs at competitions like the GA Cup.

There are coaching and travel costs associated with elite academies, though Albrecht says MLS NEXT clubs try and look at providing financial aid where it might be needed.

‘We try and get every player in MLS NEXT to reach their highest potential,’ Albrecht says. ‘That may mean it’s Division 1 or Division III college. We’re hosting our MLS NEXT Fest event in December and that’s going to be the biggest college recruiting event in youth soccer.’

MLS NEXT Pro: Completing the path

MLS determined as it began to build its youth programs that it lacked qualified coaching compared to other parts of the world. It started working with the French Federation to develop courses.

In addition, all 30 MLS clubs have state-of-the-art training facilities where their MLS NEXT academy teams train. (San Diego FC academy is just getting off the ground and not competing in MLS NEXT yet.)

‘Without a doubt, I think in the next few years, we’re going to see a world-class player emerge here that will be comparable to what’s coming out of any other country in the world,’ Mondelo says.

MLS NEXT players who advance along the path toward MLS might also get the chance to participate in MLS NEXT Pro, a men’s league in the USA and Canada. MLS NEXT Pro might also include international players, older collegiate graduates and others who may not have played in MLS NEXT.

Since the launch in 2022, MLS teams have signed more than 160 players from this polishing stage.

More opportunities for girls

MLS NEXT is a boys competition but member clubs can invite girls to play on their teams. USWNT players Alyssa and Gisele Thompson, for example, played on an U19 MLS NEXT team.

MLS NEXT announced in December it had formed an alliance with the Girls Academy. According to MLS, the Girls Academy has 114 clubs and more than 16,000 players (including 48 clubs that have a boys team in MLS NEXT) from the U13 to U19 age groups.

‘We’re in very regular contact with the leadership team at Girls Academy, just in terms of what are those touch points that we can add value – whether it be through events, through different coaching education initiatives, things we can do to really align that development,’ Albrecht says.

The GA Cup, which Mondelo spearheaded for MLS, had a girls division for the first time in 2025. Girls Academy Red beat Girls Academy Blue in the U16 final. Their division also included FC Bayern (Germany) and Manchester City FC (England).

Initial plans, Albrecht says, have looked at expanding the girls division to allow for additional Girls Academy teams as well as international teams.

‘I would not be surprised if we start seeing some of our (professional) clubs begin to develop the youth academies on the women’s side,’ Mondelo says of MLS.

The future: ‘Best is yet to come’

According to MLS, MLS NEXT players have represented 32 different youth national teams around the globe in 2025. Players from 56 MLS NEXT clubs (277 players in all) have been called up to youth national teams this year.

Albrecht predicts a half-million-plus players participating in MLS GO in the years following the 2026 World Cup next summer.

Five decades ago, Mondelo says, it was strictly immigrants who would go out and watch soccer. During the most recent men’s World Cup (held in Qatar in 2022), he noticed in New York City the bars were not only full, but people were outside on the street looking inside to try to see the game.

‘Americans want to be winners and want to have a team that wins,’ Mondelo says. ‘So as our national team goes, I think we’re very nationalistic. That will also continue in this constant growth of the sport. …

‘I think a lot of credit has to be given to the ownership groups in MLS, the investment that has been made in these facilities, not only for the first team, for the pro team, but for these academies, has really brought us to the next level.

‘The reward will be when we start seeing these American players becoming the mainstay of MLS clubs. So ideally, the mid-level players and above will be domestically grown players, and then the influx of the internationals will be truly the superstars that will elevate this league. Major steps have been taken in 30 years, but the best is yet to come.’

Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here.

All 32 NFL teams are preparing to open their training camps in preparation for the 2025 season. This means fantasy football drafts are on the horizon.

The team at USA TODAY Sports is conducting a virtual tour of each division in preparation for the upcoming draft season. This will highlight the most critical issues or questions that impact fantasy football for every team.

While mock drafts are a helpful tool this time of year, sometimes gathering information on position battles and depth charts can be just as useful.

Whether it’s a new arrival or departure that opens the door for an important position battle or a potential breakout, we have the fantasy insights to help shape your draft strategy.

It’s never too early to start preparing for the fantasy football season. In this edition, we take a closer look at the AFC North.

Baltimore Ravens (12-5)

Will Todd Monken and the offense begin to lean on Isaiah Likely over Mark Andrews?

Tight end Mark Andrews has been a fantasy stalwart for seven seasons, but fantasy owners will remember his slow start and gut-wrenching finish in 2024.

He has been a consensus top-5 tight end for the last six seasons but finds himself ranked ninth overall at the position. This could be due to the emergence of Isaiah Likely, who posted career-highs across the board in 2024. Andrews, who will be 30 this season, saw his yards per route run drop for the third consecutive year.

Likely is just 25 years old and averaged 6.1 yards after the catch (tied for sixth among TEs) compared to Andrews’ 3.7, which was tied for 41st. Likely amassed 111 yards on nine catches and a touchdown in Week 1 against the Chiefs last year, displaying his abilities, but Todd Monken’s offense still featured Andrews as the season progressed.

While speaking to the media at OTAs, head coach John Harbaugh said he’s setting a goal for Likely to be an All-Pro by the end of the 2025 season.

‘I want to see [Likely] be an All-Pro. That would be my goal for him, and he’s capable of it.’

A strong connection was established with two-time MVP Lamar Jackson, as he posted a 131.2 passer rating when targeting Likely in 2024. There is legitimate TE1 upside if Andrews were to be phased out or even traded.

Top players (Fantasy Pros ADP)

• Derrick Henry (RB7, overall: 21)
• Lamar Jackson (QB2, overall: 25)
• Zay Flowers (WR25, overall: 50)
• Mark Andrews (TE9, overall: 90)
• Rashod Bateman (WR57, overall: 62)
• Isaiah Likely (TE22)

Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7)

Will DK Metcalf deliver a top-10 finish among WRs?

In 2024, Garrett Wilson finished as WR10 in PPR (points per reception) formats, and Davante Adams was on pace for a top-10 finish at the position, posting 854 yards and seven TDs in just 11 games alongside Aaron Rodgers in New York.

Pittsburgh acquired DK Metcalf in a trade from Seattle earlier in the offseason and is poised to receive the lion’s share of targets in the new-look Steelers offense.

Metcalf leads the NFL with 96 end-zone targets since entering the league and brings rare physical traits to the field.

He’s finished between 967 and 1,114 yards in the past four seasons. His best season was in 2020, when he finished as the 10th overall wide receiver in fantasy points per game. He hasn’t demanded an elite target share, but perhaps Rodgers can unlock some of the promise he displayed during the 2020 season.

Adams and Rodgers had one of the best connections in NFL history. In 2020, Adams led the league with 18 touchdowns and 98.1 receiving yards per game in arguably the best season of the pairing. It’s unlikely Metcalf can replicate those numbers in the Steelers’ run-first environment, but he’s capable of finishing inside the top 10 at the position.

They’ll have a full training camp to get on the same page. As things currently stand, there’s little target competition in the receiver room. George Pickens was traded to the Dallas Cowboys. Calvin Austin, Robert Woods and Roman Wilson will compete for snaps and targets but the Steelers lack a true No. 2 option. They may add another veteran to the room as the offseason progresses but Metcalf is primed for the highest target share of his career.

Top players (Fantasy Pros ADP)

• DK Metcalf (WR24, overall: 47)
• Kaleb Johnson (RB28, overall: 81)
• Jaylen Warren (RB30, overall: 87)
• Jonnu Smith (TE15)
• Pat Freiermuth (TE20)
• Aaron Rodgers (QB28)

Cincinnati Bengals (9-8)

Is Chase Brown a breakout candidate?

Everyone is aware of Bengals’ receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but Chase Brown is a sneaky option in the offense who burst onto the scene in the second half of 2024. He’s currently being drafted as the ninth overall running back and could be a massive steal in drafts.

Cincinnati’s offense is set up to score points at a high clip again (27.8 points per game in 2024) with Joe Burrow leading the way. All of those points can’t come through the air.

Brown took on a massive role, playing an elite 85% of snaps from Week 9 on and averaged 20.6 fantasy points per game (RB4 in PPR in that span). In his last eight games, Brown averaged 116.25 scrimmage yards, projecting to 1,976 over 17 games, which would have ranked third in the NFL last year.

The Bengals have veterans Zack Moss and Samaje Perine, but it’s more likely they fill a change-of-pace back role. Cincinnati drafted sixth-rounder Tahj Brooks, signaling they are expecting Brown to carry the load in 2025.

Brown has the pedigree to be an elite back. He led all RBs in the vertical jump, broad jump and bench press at the 2023 NFL Combine. He’s at a prime age (25) at the RB position and even displayed elite receiving abilities (54 receptions on 65 targets) in 2024.

Top players (Fantasy Pros ADP)

• Ja’Marr Chase (WR1, overall: 1)
• Tee Higgins (WR14, overall: 24)
• Chase Brown (RB9, overall: 29)
• Joe Burrow (QB5, overall: 48)
• Mike Gesicki (TE21)

Cleveland Browns (3-14)

Does it matter who’s playing QB for Jerry Jeudy?

The Browns’ offense has question marks all over it. There’s a massive quarterback competition heading into training camp between Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Cleveland’s second-round pick, running back Quinshon Judkins was arrested on July 12. The receiver room consists of Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman and much-maligned Diontae Johnson.

The lack of depth at receiver is concerning, but this means the door is wide open again for Jeudy to build off of his 2024 success (WR12 in PPR). The uncertainty at QB is leading Jeudy to fall in drafts.

Jeudy posted 1,229 receiving yards last year and after Cleveland traded Amari Cooper in Week 7, he had 981 of those yards on 109 targets in 11 games. The Browns are expected to play from behind often, which will lead to more passing opportunities, as the game script suggests when trailing. Volume is king and Jeudy is set up for another massive target share in 2025 (145 targets – seventh among WRs in 2024).

Top players (Fantasy Pros ADP)

• Jerry Jeudy (WR33, overall: 67)
• Quinshon Judkins (RB29, overall: 83)
• David Njoku (TE8, overall: 86)
• Cedric Tillman (WR56)