As we prepare for the 2025 MLS season, we look back at the league’s best music collaborations from its 30-year history.
The 30th season of MLS begins February 22, with a slate of games beginning with Inter Miami facing off against New York City FC. Before teams step on the pitch, the the league did its best to hype up fans with a new campaign collaboration with recent Grammy winner Doechii.
The “Game On” campaign puts the rising artist front and center as she narrates a highlight clip of all we can expect to see this season, including MLS posterboy Lionel Messi, heated team rivalry matches, and all the fanfare that has significantly grown over the past few seasons.
Not the first, and certainly not the last artist to link up with MLS, Doechii’s collaboration reminds us yet again that soccer culture is one fueled by great music and excited fans.
While this particular campaign hit hard, thanks to Doechii’s credible excitement and natural charisma, MLS’s music partnerships don’t always work out according to plan. It’s still hard to believe that the league was behind the infamous David Guetta “shoutout to his family” meme — 2020 was a wild time.
But let’s focus on the positive. These are the best seven MLS x Music collabs from over the years.
7. MLS All-Star Concert with Marshmello and PinkPantheress (2024)
Last year, MLS kicked off its All-Star game with a concert featuring masked DJ extraordinaire Marshmello and an appearance by multi-platinum recording artist PinkPanthreress.
Set in Columbus, Ohio, home of the then-reigning champs Columbus Crew, the concert was a banger and also benefited Neighborhood Athletics, a Columbus-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to providing athletic and educational opportunities to youth in underserved communities.
MLS has done numerous concerts in, ahem, concert with its All-Star Game festivities, and in the past has featured Pitbull, Luis Fonsi, Lil Jon, The Chainsmokers, and Bad Bunny. Call it recency bias, but last year’s was our favorite.
6. Don Elektron and Gotopo’s “Mi Gente, Lo Siente” for the “Summer is Calling” Campaign (2024)
Featuring an original track from Latin Grammy winning producer Don Elektron and music group Gotopo, the 2024 MLS campaign “Summer is Calling” delivered high energy hype to get fans off their seats. Paired with fast-paced game day b-roll, the ad does a great job of melting Latin music within the wider scope of American soccer.
5. Atlanta United’s Golden Spike Tradition (Ongoing)
When Atlanta United joined the league in 2017, the club went straight to work to build a connection with its community. Perhaps the most notable initiative it took was creating its Golden Spike tradition, which sees a typically Atlanta-based or connected celebrity hammer down a ceremonial golden spike that ties to the city’s railroad history.
With a particularly strong influence in the music industry, it’s no surprise that many Golden Spike honorees have been musicians. Everyone from the likes of Waka Flocka Flame, Rich Homie Quan, Offset, Killer Mike, Big Boi, Ludacris, and more have partaken in the pre-match tradition that has quickly become among the best in the league.
4. 2 Chainz, Prince Royce, Miguel, and TOKiMONSTA in “Our Soccer” Campaign (2018)
Less music driven, and more about the widespread reach of soccer fandom, the “Our Soccer” campaign first featured 2 Chainz (another Golden Spike hitter) providing a powerful voiceover while also donning an Atlanta United jersey.
Subsequent campaigns in the series featured the likes of Prince Royce supporting the newly established Inter Miami and TOKiMONSTA repping LAFC. Each artist provides a passionate monologue explaining why they support MLS and how the teams in their cities contribute to the overall culture and vibes they love. The campaign also featured LA artist Miguel repping LA Galaxy, but videos of his campaign are no longer publicly accessible.
3. MLS “Represent” Campaign (2007)
In one of the most creative pushes to engage fans across MLS and capitalize on superstar David Beckam’s league debut, the league called upon 13 artists and bands to create original songs for each team, with the hopes that they’d catch on as fan chants.
Each song was performed by an act that was locally tied to an MLS club, and included OK Go, Mike Jones, Bad Brains, and more. Established team chants were also included in the tracks, making for a lively and at times hilarious collision of music and soccer.
2. LA Galaxy’s VEVO Takeover (2024)
In a series of videos, the LA Galaxy took over VEVO to curate a playlist of players’ favorite songs with commentary from each player who contributed to the playlist. Not only is the campaign a diverse showing of musical taste and genres, the addition of player commentary gave fans a more personal side to the players they love.
1. Hans Zimmer’s MLS Anthem (2020)
At the top of the list has to be legendary composer Hans Zimmer’s original MLS anthem created as part of the league’s 25th season celebration. In true Zimmer fashion, the song is a haunting and powerful demonstration of orchestral music led by heavy string instruments drumming up a momentous atmosphere of excitement perfect for rivalry games and important matches.
