Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is an American soccer league that started in 1996. As of the current 2024 season, 29 teams play in the league. One other team plans to join in 2025. The commissioner of the league (the person in charge) is Don Garber.
 | |
| Founded | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Country | United States and Canada |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Most championships | Cups: LA Galaxy (5) Shields: D.C. United, LA Galaxy (4 each) |
| Website | Official Site |
MLS, founded in the United States, is a fully professional league with 29 teams, three of which are based in Canada. The United States Soccer Federation (USSF or U.S. Soccer), which runs soccer in that country, considers MLS to be the country's top men's league. The Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), which runs soccer in Canada, considers the Canadian Premier League as its top men's league, but MLS has much greater Canadian media coverage and is seen as having a higher level of play. Referees are approved by U.S. Soccer and the CSA. In turn, both national governing bodies are members of FIFA, which governs all play between national teams and sets the rules for the sport along with the national governing bodies of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
MLS was formed in 1993 as a professional league, with play starting with 10 teams in 1996. The MLS regular season starts in late February and ends in November, with each team playing 34 games. The regular season is followed by a 14-team playoff tournament to decide the league champion.
Teams
Current
| Team | City | Stadium | Founded | Joined | Conference | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta United FC | Atlanta, Georgia | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 2014 | 2017 | Eastern Conference |  Gonzalo Pineda |
| Austin FC | Austin, Texas | Q2 Stadium | 2019 | 2021 | Western Conference |  Josh Wolff |
| C.F. Montréal | Montreal, Quebec | Saputo Stadium | 2010 | 2012 | Eastern Conference |  Laurent Courtois |
| Charlotte FC | Charlotte, North Carolina | Bank of America Stadium | 2019 | 2022 | Eastern Conference |  Dean Smith |
| Chicago Fire FC | Chicago, Illinois | Soldier Field | 1997 | 1998 | Eastern Conference | Frank Klopas |
| Colorado Rapids | Commerce City, Colorado | Dick's Sporting Goods Park | 1995 | 1996 | Western Conference | Chris Armas |
| Columbus Crew | Columbus, Ohio | Lower.com Field | 1994 | 1996 | Eastern Coference | Wilfried Nancy |
| D.C. United | Washington, D.C. | Audi Field | 1994 | 1996 | Eastern Conference | Troy Lesesne |
| FC Cincinnati | Cincinnati, Ohio | TQL Stadium | 2018 | 2019 | Eastern Conference | Pat Noonan |
| F.C. Dallas | Frisco, Texas | Toyota Stadium | 1995 | 1996 | Western Conference |  Nico Estévez |
| Houston Dynamo | Houston, Texas | Shell Energy Stadium | 2005 | 2006 | Western Conference | Ben Olsen |
| Inter Miami CF | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | DRV PNK Stadium | 2018 | 2020 | Eastern Conference |  Gerardo Martino |
| Los Angeles FC | Los Angeles, California | BMO Stadium | 2014 | 2018 | Western Conference | Steve Cherundolo |
| Los Angeles Galaxy | Carson, California | Dignity Health Sports Park | 1994 | 1996 | Western Conference | Greg Vanney |
| Minnesota United FC | Saint Paul, Minnesota | Allianz Field | 2015 | 2017 | Western Conference |  Eric Ramsey |
| Nashville SC | Nashville, Tennessee | Geodis Park | 2017 | 2020 | Eastern Conference | Gary Smith |
| New England Revolution | Foxborough, Massachusetts | Gillette Stadium | 1994 | 1996 | Eastern Conference | Caleb Porter |
| New York City F.C. | New York City, New York | Yankee Stadium | 2013 | 2015 | Eastern Conference | Nick Cushing |
| New York Red Bulls | Harrison, New Jersey | Red Bull Arena | 1994 | 1996 | Eastern Conference |  Sandro Schwarz |
| Orlando City SC | Orlando, Florida | Inter&Co Stadium | 2013 | 2015 | Eastern Conference |  Óscar Pareja |
| Philadelphia Union | Chester, Pennsylvania | Subaru Park | 2008 | 2010 | Eastern Conference | Jim Curtin |
| Portland Timbers | Portland, Oregon | Providence Park | 2009 | 2011 | Western Conference | Phil Neville |
| Real Salt Lake | Sandy, Utah | America First Field | 2004 | 2005 | Western Conference | Pablo Mastroeni |
| St. Louis City SC | St. Louis, Missouri | CityPark | 2019 | 2023 | Western Conference |  Bradley Carnell |
| San Jose Earthquakes | San Jose, California | PayPal Park | 1994 | 1996 | Western Conference | Luchi Gonzalez |
| Seattle Sounders F.C. | Seattle, Washington | Lumen Field | 2007 | 2009 | Western Conference | Brian Schmetzer |
| Sporting Kansas City | Kansas City, Kansas | Children's Mercy Park | 1995 | 1996 | Western Conference | Peter Vermes |
| Toronto F.C. | Toronto, Ontario | BMO Field | 2005 | 2007 | Eastern Conference | John Herdman |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | Vancouver, British Columbia | BC Place | 2009 | 2011 | Western Conference |  Vanni Sartini |
Former teams
| Team | City | Last Stadium | Founded | Joined | Left MLS | Dissolved | Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Mutiny | Tampa, Florida | Raymond James Stadium | 1994 | 1996 | 2001 | 2002 | Central Conference |
| Miami Fusion | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | Lockhart Stadium | 1997 | 1998 | 2001 | 2002 | Eastern Conference |
| Chivas USA | Carson, California | StubHub Center | 2004 | 2005 | 2014 | 2014 | Western Conference |
Future teams
| Team | City | Stadium | Founded | Planned to join | Manager | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego FC | San Diego, California | Snapdragon Stadium | 2023 | 2025 | TBC |
MLS Cup winners
Related pages
References
- Best Players in Major league Soccer (MLS) in 2012. hub, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012.
- Major League Soccer. Archived 2017-05-24 at the Wayback Machine Princeton, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012.
- An Overview of American Soccer History. Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine Dave Litterer, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012.
- Soccer Politics / The Politics of Football. Duke University, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012.