Data: NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL, MLS; Chart: Rahul Mukherjee/Axios
Major League Soccer is poised to have 30 teams in less than three decades, faster than any other major sports league in North America.
Driving the news: The MLS awarded San Diego an expansion franchise that's set to begin play in 2025.
Zoom in: The newer leagues tend to reach 30 teams faster. The second youngest of the bunch, the NBA, took 58 years to reach 30 teams, twice as long as MLS.
- The MLB — with a long history dating back to the 19th century — took 122 years to reach the 30 mark.
The big picture: The MLS is threatening to overtake the NHL as the fourth most popular league in North America, and many companies are trying to cash in on soccer's rapid ascent.