Henry Paulson’s son wants one, so does Jeffrey Mallett, the former president of internet giant Yahoo. But when FC Barcelona threw its hat into the ring this week for one of two franchises coming up in Major League Soccer, the US professional game could claim to have reached a new milestone.

The top brass at Barcelona – or Barca, one of the biggest brands in sport – flew to Miami to announce its plans. Joan Laporta and Joan Oliver, respectively president and general director, say football in the US warrants serious attention. The country, the last frontier for the world’s most popular sport, has renewed its interest in the professional game. With attendances averaging 16,000 – small by European standards but enough to put the game’s finances on a more stable footing than before – prospective club owners feel more confident that they can avoid the fate of predecessors who went out of business.