Landon Donovan has said he believes Major League Soccer will soon surpass other North American professional sports leagues in terms of popularity.
MLS is continuing to expand, with Austin FC recently announced as the league's 27th franchise and set to begin play in 2021.
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As more high-profile players enter the league and attendance grows, MLS continues to be mentioned as a league that could eventually be on par with MLB, the NBA and potentially even the NFL down the line.
MLS has a ways to go before it reaches those leagues in terms of viewership and mainstream buzz, but Donovan believes those days are coming sooner rather than later.
"Finally, Major League Soccer is very close to the others," Donovan told ESPN Deportes. "I believe that now, baseball, in my country, is for the older generation.
"Young people don't watch much baseball. American football [NFL] also has issues with security and health. Basketball [NBA] is in a good phase, but MLS is really growing.
"In five, 10, 15 years, I believe we will be the third, second or first sport in the country."
Donovan, who recently came out of retirement for a third time to join the San Diego Sockers of the Major Arena Soccer League, pointed to franchise fees as evidence of the growth of MLS.
Prospective owners used to have to pay as little as $10 million to join the league as an expansion team, as Toronto FC did in 2006.
Now those fees can reach as much as 30 times that amount.
"[That it costs] $300m means everything -- because, if companies or people with money are paying a lot, this tells you business is good and that the league is growing," Donovan said.
Donovan, 36, won six MLS Cups during his career and is the joint all-time leading scorer for the U.S. national team with 57 goals.
