Major League Soccer is not found in the United States.
1996 Major League Soccer season . It was also the 84th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer , and the 18th with a national first-division league , in the United States and Canada . Major League Soccer . The league comprises 22 teams -- 19 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada . The first season took place in 1996 with ten teams . The league has a fixed membership , like most sports leagues in the United States and Canada , which makes it one of the world 's few soccer leagues that does not use promotion and relegation , a practice that is uncommon in the two countries .