Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned

by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level
Major League Soccer
in the United States.[2][3] The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in
Canada—since the 2023 season.[4][5] The league is headquartered in Midtown
Manhattan.
Major League Soccer is the most recent in a series of men's premier professional
national soccer leagues established in the United States and Canada. The
predecessor of MLS was the North American Soccer League (NASL), which
existed from 1968 until 1984.[6] MLS was founded in 1993 as part of the United
States' successful bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup.[7] The inaugural season
took place in 1996 with ten teams.[8] MLS experienced financial and operational
struggles in its first few years, losing millions of dollars and folding two teams in
2002.[9] Since then, developments such as the proliferation of soccer-specific
stadiums around the league, implementation of the Designated Player Rule Founded December 17, 1993[1]
allowing teams to sign star players such as David Beckham, and national TV
First season 1996
contracts have made MLS profitable.[10] With an average attendance of over
20,000 per game, MLS has the fourth-highest average attendance of any major Country United States (26
professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada after the National teams)
Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), and Canadian Football Other club(s) Canada (3 teams)
League (CFL), and was the seventh-highest attended professional soccer league from
worldwide by 2013.[11]
Confederation CONCACAF
The MLS regular season typically starts in late February or early March and runs Conferences Eastern Conference
through mid-October, with each team playing 34 games;[12][13] the team with the Western Conference
best record is awarded the Supporters' Shield. Fourteen teams compete in the
Number of teams 29
postseason MLS Cup Playoffs in late October and November, culminating in the
league's championship game, the MLS Cup.[14] Level on pyramid 1
Domestic cup(s) U.S. Open Cup
Instead of operating as an association of independently owned clubs, MLS is a
Canadian
single entity in which each team is owned by the league and individually operated
Championship
by the league's investors.[15] The league has a fixed membership like most sports
leagues in the United States and Canada, which makes it one of the few soccer International CONCACAF
leagues that does not use a promotion and relegation process.[16] cup(s) Champions League
Campeones Cup
Leagues Cup
Competition format
Current MLS Cup Los Angeles FC (1st
Major League Soccer's regular season runs from late February or early March to title)
October. Teams are geographically divided into the Eastern and Western (2022)
Conferences, playing 34 games in an unbalanced schedule. With 29 teams in Current Los Angeles FC (2nd
2023, each team plays two games, home and away, against every team in its Supporters' shield)
conference and one game against all but four or five of the teams in the opposite
Shield (2022)
conference. The 2020 season was the first season in league history in which teams
did not play against every other team in the league.[17] At the end of the regular Most MLS Cups LA Galaxy
season, the team with the highest point total is awarded the Supporters' Shield and (5 titles)
home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.[18] Most Supporters' D.C. United
Shields LA Galaxy
Teams break for the annual All-Star Game midway through the season, an
(4 shields each)
exhibition game containing the league's best players. The format of the All-Star
Game has changed several times since the league's inception; 2020 was the first Most Nick Rimando (514)
year in which the MLS All-Stars were planned to play against an all-star team appearances
from Mexico's Liga MX, before the event's cancellation due to the COVID-19
Top goalscorer Chris Wondolowski
pandemic.[19][20]
(171)
TV partners MLS Season Pass
(Apple TV)
Unlike most major soccer leagues around the world, but similar to other leagues in United States:
the Americas,[21] the MLS regular season is followed by a postseason knockout Fox Sports
tournament to determine the league champion. Fourteen teams participate in the
MLS Cup Playoffs in October, which concludes with the MLS Cup Canada:
championship game in early November.[22] TSN, RDS
International:
Major League Soccer's spring-to-fall schedule results in scheduling conflicts with
the FIFA calendar and with summertime international tournaments such as the See list
World Cup and the Gold Cup, [23] causing some players to miss league Website mlssoccer.com (https://
matches.[24] While MLS has looked into changing to a fall-to-spring format, there www.mlssoccer.com/)
are no current plans to do so. Were the league to change its schedule, a winter
Current: 2023 Major League Soccer season
break would be necessary to accommodate teams located in harsh winter
climates.[25][26][27] It would also have to compete with the popularity and media
presence of the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), and National Hockey League (NHL),
which all run on fall-to-spring schedules.[27]
Other competitions
MLS teams also play in other international and domestic competitions. Each season, up to five MLS teams—four from the U.S. and
one from Canada—play in the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) against other clubs from the CONCACAF region. Two
U.S.-based MLS teams qualify based on regular-season results from the previous year: the teams with the highest point total from
each of the two conferences, one of whom is the Supporter's Shield champion. The third U.S. team to qualify is the reigning MLS
Cup champion. A fourth U.S.-based MLS team can qualify by winning the U.S. Open Cup.[28] If a team qualifies through multiple
berths, or if any of the three MLS berths are taken by a Canadian team, the berth is reallocated to the highest-placed U.S.-based
team in the previous season's overall table that has otherwise not qualified. Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver compete against
other Canadian sides in the Canadian Championship for the one CONCACAF Champions League berth allocated to Canada.[29]
Seattle Sounders FC became the first MLS team to win the CONCACAF Champions League under the competition's current
branding in 2022.[30][31]
Since 2018, the reigning MLS Cup champion plays in the Campeones Cup, a single game against the Campeón de Campeones
from Liga MX, hosted by the MLS team in September.[32] The inaugural edition saw Tigres UANL defeat Toronto FC at BMO
Field in Toronto in 2018.[33]
Another inter-league competition with Liga MX, the Leagues Cup, was established in 2019. The 2020 edition of the tournament
was originally planned to pair eight MLS clubs against eight Liga MX clubs in a single-elimination tournament hosted in the United
States, reviving an inter-league rivalry that previously took place in the now-defunct North American Superliga, before its
cancelation.[34] The 2023 edition will have all MLS and Liga MX teams participate.[35]
Teams
The 29 teams of Major League Soccer are divided Vancouver
between the Eastern and Western conferences. Seattle
MLS has regularly expanded since the 2005 Portland
season, most recently with the addition of St. Montreal
Louis City SC for the 2023 season.[36]
Minnesota Toronto New England
The league features numerous rivalry cups that are Chicago

San Jose Salt Lake NYRB NYCFC
contested by two or more teams, usually Columbus Philadelphia
Colorado
geographic rivals.[37] Each trophy is awarded to Kansas City
Cincinnati D.C.
the team with the best record in matches during LAFC St. Louis
the regular season involving the participating LA Galaxy Nashville Charlotte
teams. The concept is comparable to rivalry Atlanta
trophies played for by American college football Dallas
teams.[38]
Austin
Houston Orlando
Miami
Team Location Stadium Capacity Founded Joined Head coach
Eastern Conference
Atlanta United FC Atlanta, Georgia Mercedes-Benz Stadium1 42,5002 2014 2017 Gonzalo Pineda
Bank of America Christian

Charlotte FC Charlotte, North Carolina 38,0002 2019 2022
Stadium1 Lattanzio
Chicago Fire FC Chicago, Illinois Soldier Field1 24,9952 1997 1998 Ezra Hendrickson
FC Cincinnati Cincinnati, Ohio TQL Stadium 26,000 2015 2019 Pat Noonan
Columbus Crew Columbus, Ohio Lower.com Field 20,371 1994 1996 Wilfried Nancy
D.C. United Washington, D.C. Audi Field 20,000 1994 1996 Wayne Rooney
Inter Miami CF Fort Lauderdale, Florida DRV PNK Stadium 18,000 2018 2020 Phil Neville
CF Montréal Montreal, Quebec Saputo Stadium 19,619 1992 2012 Hernán Losada
Nashville SC Nashville, Tennessee Geodis Park 30,000 2016 2020 Gary Smith
New England Foxborough,

Revolution Massachusetts Gillette Stadium1 20,0002 1995 1996 Bruce Arena
New York City FC New York City, New York Yankee Stadium1 30,3212 2013 2015 Nick Cushing
New York Red Bulls Harrison, New Jersey Red Bull Arena 25,000 1994 1996 Gerhard Struber
Orlando City SC Orlando, Florida Exploria Stadium 25,500 2010 2015 Óscar Pareja
Philadelphia Union Chester, Pennsylvania Subaru Park 18,500 2008 2010 Jim Curtin
Toronto FC Toronto, Ontario BMO Field 28,351 2005 2007 Bob Bradley
Western Conference
Austin FC Austin, Texas Q2 Stadium 20,738 2018 2021 Josh Wolff
Dick's Sporting Goods

Colorado Rapids Commerce City, Colorado 18,061 1995 1996 Robin Fraser
Park
FC Dallas Frisco, Texas Toyota Stadium 19,096 1995 1996 Nico Estévez
Houston Dynamo FC Houston, Texas Shell Energy Stadium 22,039 2005 2006 Ben Olsen
Sporting Kansas City Kansas City, Kansas Children's Mercy Park 18,467 1995 1996 Peter Vermes
Dignity Health Sports
LA Galaxy Carson, California 27,000 1994 1996 Greg Vanney
Park
Los Angeles FC Los Angeles, California BMO Stadium 22,000 2014 2018 Steve Cherundolo
Minnesota United FC Saint Paul, Minnesota Allianz Field 19,400 2010 2017 Adrian Heath
Giovanni
Portland Timbers Portland, Oregon Providence Park 25,218 1975 2011
Savarese
Real Salt Lake Sandy, Utah America First Field 20,213 2004 2005 Pablo Mastroeni
San Jose Earthquakes San Jose, California PayPal Park 18,000 1974 1996 Luchi Gonzalez
Seattle Sounders FC Seattle, Washington Lumen Field1 37,7222 1973 2009 Brian Schmetzer
St. Louis City SC St. Louis, Missouri Citypark 22,500 2019 2023 Bradley Carnell
Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver, British

FC Columbia BC Place1 22,1202 1973 2011 Vanni Sartini
Former teams
Team Location Stadium Capacity Final season

Tampa Bay Mutiny Tampa, Florida Raymond James Stadium 65,657 2001
Miami Fusion Fort Lauderdale, Florida Lockhart Stadium 17,417 2001

Chivas USA Carson, California StubHub Center 18,800 2014
Notes
1 Shared facility; not a soccer-specific stadium
2 Standard reduced capacity for soccer; can be increased
Timeline
League member Former member Future member Other leagues
History
Major League Soccer is the most recent of a series of men's premier professional national soccer leagues established in the United
States and Canada. The predecessor of MLS was the North American Soccer League (NASL), which existed from 1968 until
1984.[39] The United States did not have a truly national top-flight league with FIFA-sanctioning until the creation of the NASL.
The first league to have U.S. and Canadian professional clubs, the NASL struggled until the mid-1970s when the New York
Cosmos, the league's most prominent team, signed a number of the world's best players including Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer.[40]
Pelé's arrival attracted other well-known international stars to the league including Johan Cruyff, Gerd Müller, Eusébio, Bobby
Moore, and George Best. Despite dramatic increases in attendance (with some matches drawing over 70,000 fans such as Soccer
Bowl '78, the highest attendance to date for any club soccer championship in the United States) over-expansion, the economic
recession of the early 1980s, and disputes with the players union ultimately led to the collapse of the NASL following the 1984
season, leaving the United States without a top-level soccer league until MLS.[41][42]
Establishment
In 1988, in exchange for FIFA awarding the right to host the 1994 World Cup, U.S. Soccer promised to establish a Division 1
professional soccer league.[43] In 1993, U.S. Soccer selected Major League Professional Soccer (the precursor to MLS) as the
exclusive Division 1 professional soccer league.[43] Major League Soccer was officially formed in February 1995 as a limited
liability company.[43]
Tab Ramos was the first player signed by MLS, on January 3, 1995, and was assigned to
the New York/New Jersey MetroStars.[44] MLS began play in 1996 with ten teams. The
first game was held on April 6, 1996, as the San Jose Clash defeated D.C. United before
31,000 fans at Spartan Stadium in San Jose in a game broadcast on ESPN.[45] The league
had generated some buzz by managing to lure some marquee players from the 1994 World
Cup to play in MLS—including U.S. stars such as Alexi Lalas, Tony Meola and Eric
Wynalda, and foreign players such as Mexico's Jorge Campos and Colombia's Carlos
Valderrama.[46] D.C. United won the MLS Cup in three of the league's first four
seasons.[47] The league added its first two expansion teams in 1998—the Miami Fusion D.C. United trophy case (2007): four
and the Chicago Fire; the Chicago Fire won its first title in its inaugural season.[48] MLS Cup, CONCACAF Champions
League, Interamerican Cup, MLS
After its first season, MLS suffered from a decline in attendance.[49] The league's low Supporters' Shield, and U.S. Open
attendance was all the more apparent in light of the fact that eight of the original ten teams Cup.
played in large American football stadiums.[48] One aspect that had alienated fans was that
MLS experimented with rules deviations in its early years in an attempt to "Americanize"
the sport. The league implemented the use of shootouts to resolve tie games. MLS also used a countdown clock and halves ended
when the clock reached 0:00. The league realized that the rule changes had alienated some traditional soccer fans while failing to
draw new American sports fans, and the shootout and countdown clock were eliminated after the 1999 season.[50] The league's
quality was cast into doubt when the U.S. men's national team, which was made up largely of MLS players, finished in last place at
the 1998 World Cup.[48]
Major League Soccer lost an estimated $250 million during its first five years, and more than $350 million between its founding
and 2004.[51][52][53][54] The league's financial problems led to Commissioner Doug Logan being replaced by Don Garber, a
former NFL executive, in August 1999.[55] Following decreased attendance and increased losses by late 2001, league officials
planned to fold but were able to secure new financing from owners Lamar Hunt, Philip Anschutz, and the Kraft family to take on
more teams.[56] MLS announced in January 2002 that it had decided to contract the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion, leaving
the league with ten teams.[57]
Despite the financial problems, though, MLS did have some accomplishments that would
set the stage for the league's resurgence. Columbus Crew Stadium, now known as Historic
Crew Stadium, was built in 1999, becoming MLS's first soccer-specific stadium.[58] This
began a trend among MLS teams to construct their own venues instead of leasing American
football stadiums, where they would not be able to generate revenue from other
events.[59][60] In 2000, the league won an antitrust lawsuit, Fraser v. Major League Soccer,
that the players had filed in 1996. The court ruled that MLS's policy of centrally contracting
players and limiting player salaries through a salary cap and other restrictions were a legal
method for the league to maintain solvency and competitive parity since MLS was a single Built in 1999, Historic Crew Stadium
entity and therefore incapable of conspiring with itself.[61] (the home of the Columbus Crew
until 2021) was the first soccer-
specific stadium in MLS.
Resurgence
The 2002 FIFA World Cup, in which the United States unexpectedly made the quarterfinals, coincided with a resurgence in
American soccer and MLS.[37] MLS Cup 2002 drew 61,316 spectators to Gillette Stadium, the largest attendance in an MLS Cup
final until 2018.[62] MLS limited teams to three substitutions per game in 2003, and adopted International Football Association
Board (IFAB) rules in 2005.[63]
MLS underwent a transition in the years leading up to the 2006 World Cup. After marketing itself on the talents of American
players, the league lost some of its homegrown stars to prominent European leagues. For example, Tim Howard was transferred to
Manchester United for $4 million in one of the most lucrative contract deals in league history.[64][65] Many more American players
did make an impact in MLS. In 2005, Jason Kreis became the first player to score 100 career MLS goals.[66]
The league's financial stabilization plan included teams moving out of large American football stadiums and into soccer-specific
stadiums.[57] From 2003 to 2008, the league oversaw the construction of six additional soccer-specific stadiums, largely funded by
owners such as Lamar Hunt and Phil Anschutz, so that by the end of 2008, a majority of teams were now in soccer-specific
stadiums.[48]
It was also in this era that MLS expanded for the first time since 1998. Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA began play in 2005, with
Chivas USA becoming the second club in Los Angeles.[67] By 2006 the San Jose Earthquakes owners, players and a few coaches
moved to Texas to become the expansion Houston Dynamo, after failing to build a stadium in San Jose. The Dynamo became an
expansion team, leaving their history behind for a new San Jose ownership group that formed in 2007.[68]
Arrival of Designated Players
In 2007, the league expanded beyond the United States' borders into Canada with the
Toronto FC expansion team.[69] Major League Soccer took steps to further raise the
level of play by adopting the Designated Player Rule, which helped bring international
stars into the league.[70] The 2007 season witnessed the MLS debut of David
Beckham. Beckham's signing had been seen as a coup for American soccer, and was
made possible by the Designated Player Rule. Players such as Cuauhtémoc Blanco
(Chicago Fire) and Juan Pablo Ángel (New York Red Bulls), are some of the first
Designated Players who made major contributions to their clubs.[71] The departures of
Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore, coupled with the return of former U.S. national The 2010 season also brought the opening
team stars Claudio Reyna and Brian McBride, highlighted the exchange of top of the New York Red Bulls' soccer-specific
prospects to Europe for experienced veterans to MLS.[72] stadium, Red Bull Arena.
By 2008, San Jose had returned to the league under new ownership, and in 2009, the
expansion side Seattle Sounders FC began play in MLS.[69] The Sounders set a new average attendance record for the league, with
30,943 spectators per match, and were the first expansion team to qualify for the playoffs since 1998.[73] The 2010 season ushered
in an expansion franchise in the Philadelphia Union and their new PPL Park stadium (now known as Subaru Park).[69] The 2010
season also brought the opening of the New York Red Bulls' soccer-specific stadium, Red Bull Arena, and the debut of French
striker Thierry Henry.[74]
The 2011 season brought further expansion with the addition of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, the second Canadian MLS
franchise, and the Portland Timbers.[75] Real Salt Lake reached the finals of the 2010–11 CONCACAF Champions League.[76]
During the 2011 season, the Galaxy signed another international star in Republic of Ireland all-time leading goalscorer Robbie
Keane.[77] MLS drew an average attendance of 17,872 in 2011, higher than the average attendances of the NBA and NHL.[78] In
2012, the Montreal Impact became the league's 19th franchise and the third in Canada, and made their home debut in front of a
crowd of 58,912,[79] while the New York Red Bulls added Australian all-time leading goalscorer Tim Cahill.
Expansion of the league
With an average attendance of over 20,000 per game, MLS has the third highest average
attendance of any sports league in the U.S. after the National Football League (NFL) and
Major League Baseball (MLB), and is the seventh highest attended professional soccer
league worldwide as of 2013.[11]
In 2013, MLS introduced New York City FC[80] as its 20th team, and Orlando City Soccer
Club[81] as its 21st team, both of which would begin playing in 2015.
In 2013, the league implemented its "Core Players" initiative, allowing teams to retain key
Seattle Sounders FC (2009)
players using retention funds instead of losing the players to foreign leagues.[82] Among the
first high-profile players re-signed in 2013 using retention funds were U.S. national team
regulars Graham Zusi and Matt Besler. Beginning in summer of 2013 and continuing in the
run up to the 2014 World Cup, MLS began signing U.S. stars based abroad, including Clint
Dempsey, Jermaine Jones, and Michael Bradley from Europe; and DaMarcus Beasley from
Mexico's Liga MX.[83] By the 2014 season, fifteen of the nineteen MLS head coaches had
previously played in MLS.[84] By 2013, the league's popularity had increased to the point
where MLS was as popular as Major League Baseball among 12- to 17-year-olds, as
reported by the 2013 Luker on Trends ESPN poll, having jumped in popularity since the
2010 World Cup.[85][86]
Los Angeles Galaxy (2011)
In 2014, the league announced Atlanta United FC as the 22nd team to start playing in
2017.[87] Even though New York City FC and Orlando City were not set to begin play
until 2015, each team made headlines during the summer 2014 transfer window by announcing their first Designated Players—
Spain's leading scorer David Villa and Chelsea's leading scorer Frank Lampard to New York, and Ballon d'Or winner Kaká to
Orlando.[88] The 2014 World Cup featured 21 MLS players on World Cup rosters and a record 11 MLS players playing for foreign
teams—including players from traditional powerhouses Brazil (Júlio César) and Spain (David Villa); in the U.S. v. Germany match
the U.S. fielded a team with seven MLS starters.[89]
On September 18, 2014, MLS unveiled their new logo as part of a branding initiative. In addition to the new crest logo, MLS teams
display versions in their own colors on their jerseys.[90] Chivas USA folded following the 2014 season, while New York City FC
and Orlando City SC joined the league in 2015 as the 19th and 20th teams.[91] Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo
moved from the Eastern Conference to the Western Conference in 2015 to make two 10-team conferences.[91][92]
In early 2015, the league announced that two teams—Los Angeles FC and Minnesota United—would join MLS in either 2017 or
2018.[93] The 20th season of MLS saw the arrivals of several players who have starred at the highest levels of European club
soccer and in international soccer: Giovanni dos Santos, Kaká, Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Didier Drogba,
David Villa, and Sebastian Giovinco.[94] MLS confirmed in August 2016 that Minnesota United would begin play in 2017 along
with Atlanta United FC.[95]
In April 2016, the league's commissioner Don Garber reiterated the intention of the league to expand to 28 teams, with the next
round of expansion "likely happening in 2020".[96][97] In December 2016, he updated the expansion plans stating that the league
will look to approve the 25th and 26th teams in 2017 and to start play in 2020.[98] In January 2017, the league received bids from
12 ownership groups.[99]
In July 2017, it was reported that Major League Soccer had rejected an offer by MP & Silva to acquire all television rights to the
league following the conclusion of its current contracts with Fox, ESPN, and Univision, where MP & Silva insisted that the deal
would be conditional on Major League Soccer adopting a promotion and relegation system. The league stated that it rejected the
offer due to the exclusive periods that the current rightsholders have to negotiate extensions to their contracts. Additionally, media
noted that Major League Soccer has long-opposed the adoption of promotion and relegation, continuing to utilize the fixed,
franchise-based model used in other U.S. sports leagues.[16][100] Furthermore, MP & Silva founder Riccardo Silva also owned
Miami FC of the NASL, which stood to benefit from such a promotion and relegation system.[100]
In October 2017, Columbus Crew owner Anthony Precourt announced plans to move the franchise to Austin, Texas by 2019.[101]
The announcement spawned a league-wide backlash and legal action against the league by the Ohio state government.[102] On
August 15, 2018, the Austin City Council voted to approve an agreement with Precourt to move Crew SC to Austin, and on
August 22, 2018, the club's new name, Austin FC, was announced.[103] After negotiations between Precourt and Jimmy Haslam,
owner of the Cleveland Browns, were announced, MLS made it clear that Austin would receive an expansion team only after a
deal to sell Columbus to a local buyer had completed.[104] The purchase of Crew SC by Haslam's group was finalized in late
December 2018,[105] and on January 15, 2019, Austin FC was officially announced as a 2021 MLS entry.[106]
MLS announced on December 20, 2017, that it would be awarding an expansion franchise to Nashville, Tennessee, to play in a
yet-to-be-built 27,000-seat soccer-specific stadium, Nashville Fairgrounds Stadium, and would join MLS in 2020.[107] The
management of the Nashville franchise announced in February 2019 that the MLS side would assume the Nashville SC name then
in use by the city's USL Championship team.[108]
On January 29, 2018, MLS awarded Miami an expansion team, led by David Beckham.
Inter Miami CF started MLS play on March 1, 2020, and plan on opening the proposed
25,000-seat stadium sometime in the near future.[109] An expansion team was awarded to
Cincinnati, Ohio on May 29, 2018, to the ownership group of USL's FC Cincinnati. The
team, which assumed the existing FC Cincinnati name, started MLS play in 2019 and
moved to the new 26,000-seat TQL Stadium in 2021.[110]
In 2013, New York City FC agreed to pay a record $100 million expansion fee for the right
to join MLS in 2015.[111] This record was surpassed by the ownership groups of FC
Cincinnati and Nashville SC, which each paid $150 million to join MLS (FC Cincinnati in FC Cincinnati's inaugural MLS home
2019 and Nashville SC in 2020). [112] Despite being announced in January 2018, Inter match drew a 32,250 sellout crowd.
Miami CF only paid a $25 million expansion fee due to a clause in part-owner David
Beckham's original playing contract signed in 2007.[113] The same $150 million was paid
as an effective entrance fee by a group that bought Columbus Crew in 2018, which led to that team's previous operator receiving
rights to Austin FC, which joined MLS in 2021.[114][115] MLS has also announced the ownership groups of the 28th and 29th
teams would each pay a $200 million entrance fee.[111]
The league planned to expand to 30 teams with the addition of Austin FC in 2021,[106] Charlotte in 2022,[116] and Sacramento and
St. Louis in 2023; however, this was reduced to 29 after Sacramento Republic FC's bid was placed on indefinite
hold.[36][117][5][118] Commissioner Don Garber has suggested that another round of expansion could lead to 32 teams in MLS.[119]
The league suspended its 2020 season on March 12, 2020, after two weeks, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States,
and other U.S.-based sports leagues did the same.[120][121][122] The 2020 season resumed in July with the MLS is Back
Tournament, a competition in which 24 out of the 26 teams competed at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando for a
spot in the CONCACAF Champions League. In September 2020, the league announced the formation of MLS Next, an academy
league for MLS academy teams from the under-13 to under-19 level.[123]
In 2022, the league signed a $2.5 billion deal with Apple Inc. that will make Apple TV the primary broadcaster for all MLS games.
The agreement will see both MLS and Leagues Cup games shared across the streaming service.[124]
League championships
As of the 2022 season, 31 different clubs have competed in the league, with 15 having won at least one MLS Cup, and 15 winning
at least one Supporters' Shield.[125] The two trophies have been won by the same club in the same year on seven occasions (two
clubs have accomplished the feat twice).[126]
MLS Cup titles and Supporters' Shield wins
MLS Year(s) Supporters' Year(s) Total MLS

Team
Cups won Shields won combined seasons
LA Galaxy 5 2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014 4 1998, 2002, 2010, 2011 9 27
D.C. United 4 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004 4 1997, 1999, 2006, 2007 8 27
Columbus Crew 2 2008, 2020 3 2004, 2008, 2009 5 27

San Jose Earthquakes 2 2001, 2003 2 2005, 2012 4 25
Sporting Kansas City 2 2000, 2013 1 2000 3 27
Seattle Sounders FC 2 2016, 2019 1 2014 3 14

Houston Dynamo FC 2 2006, 2007 0 – 2 17
Los Angeles FC 1 2022 2 2019, 2022 3 5
Chicago Fire FC 1 1998 1 2003 2 25

Toronto FC 1 2017 1 2017 2 16
Real Salt Lake 1 2009 0 – 1 18
Colorado Rapids 1 2010 0 – 1 27

Portland Timbers 1 2015 0 – 1 12
Atlanta United FC 1 2018 0 – 1 6
New York City FC 1 2021 0 – 1 8

New York Red Bulls 0 – 3 2013, 2015, 2018 3 27
Tampa Bay Mutiny 0 – 1 1996 1 6
Miami Fusion 0 – 1 2001 1 4
FC Dallas 0 – 1 2016 1 27
Philadelphia Union 0 – 1 2020 1 13
New England Revolution 0 – 1 2021 1 27

Franchise folded after completion of the 2001 season
Organization
Ownership
Major League Soccer operates under a single-entity structure in which teams and player contracts are centrally owned by the
league.[3][127][128] Each team has an investor-operator that is a shareholder in the league.[129] In order to control costs, MLS shares
revenues and holds players contracts instead of players contracting with individual teams. In Fraser v. Major League Soccer, a
lawsuit filed in 1996 and decided in 2002, the league won a legal battle with its players in which the court ruled that MLS was a
single entity that can lawfully centrally contract for player services.[3] The court also ruled that even absent their collective
bargaining agreement, players could opt to play in other leagues if they were unsatisfied.[3]
Having multiple clubs operated by a single investor was a necessity in the league's first ten years.[130] At one time, Phil Anschutz's
AEG operated six MLS franchises and Lamar Hunt's Hunt Sports operated three franchises. In order to attract additional investors,
in 2002 the league announced changes to the operating agreement between the league and its teams to improve team revenues and
increase the incentives to be an individual club operator.[131] These changes included granting operators the rights to a certain
number of players they develop through their club's academy system each year, sharing the profits of Soccer United Marketing, and
being able to sell individual club jersey sponsorships.[131]
As MLS appeared to be on the brink of overall profitability in 2006 and developed significant expansion plans, MLS announced
that it wanted each club to have a distinct operator.[132] The league has attracted new investors that have injected more money into
the league.[133] Examples include Red Bull's purchase of the MetroStars from AEG in 2006 for over $100 million.[130][134] For the
2014 season, the league assumed control of the former Chivas USA club, which had suffered from mismanagement and poor
financial results under its individual operator relationship.[135][136] The league eventually dissolved the team,[137] in favor of
awarding rights to a second soccer club in the Los Angeles area to a new investor group on October 30, 2014.[138]
The league now has 29 investor-operators for its 29 current clubs, with no member of any club's investor group having a stake in
that of any other club. Since December 2015, when AEG sold its remaining 50% interest in the Houston Dynamo, the former
multiple-team operators AEG and Hunt Sports, with the LA Galaxy and FC Dallas respectively, now only control one
franchise.[139][140]
League executives
Don Garber has been the commissioner of Major League Soccer since 1999, serving as the league's chief executive. The league's
first commissioner was Doug Logan, who served in the role from 1995 to 1999.[141][142]
Mark Abbott, a former MLS business partner, has served as the league's president and Deputy Commissioner since 2006.[143]
Player acquisition and salaries
The average salary for MLS players is $373,094,[144] lower than the average salaries in England's
second-tier EFL Championship ($420,000 in 2015),[145] the Netherlands' Eredivisie ($445,000),[146]
or Mexico's Liga MX ($418,000 in 2015).[147] The league's minimum player salary increased in 2017
to $65,000 for most players, and roster players #25–30 saw their minimum salary increased to
$53,000.[148][149]
MLS salaries are limited by a salary cap, which MLS has had in place since the league's inception in
1996. The purpose of the salary cap is to prevent the team's owners from unsustainable spending on
player salaries and to prevent a competitive imbalance among teams.[43] The salary cap survived a
legal challenge by the players in the Fraser v. Major League Soccer lawsuit. The 2017 salary cap
increased to $3.845 million per team.[148][149] Each team is allowed up to 30 players on its first team
roster.[150] All 30 players are eligible for selection to each 18-player game-day squad during the David Beckham was the
regular season and playoffs. league's first Designated
Player in 2007.
Teams may augment their squads by signing players from other leagues. MLS has two transfer
windows—the primary pre-season transfer window lasts three months from mid February until mid
May, and the secondary mid season transfer window runs one month from early July to early August.[151] When an MLS club sells
one of its players overseas, the club and the league split the transfer revenues, with the club retaining from 33% to 75% depending
on the player's status and tenure.[152] MLS teams have a limited number of international roster slots that they can use to sign non-
domestic players. However, MLS teams often obtain green cards for their non-domestic players in order to qualify them for
domestic status and thus free up international roster slots.[153] In 2015, 49% of MLS players were born outside of the U.S. and
Canada, with players from 58 countries represented.[154][155]
MLS has a set of pool goalkeepers who are signed to a contract with the league and are loaned to teams during emergencies in
which they are missing a goalkeeper due to injuries or suspensions.[156] The pool goalkeeper trains with an MLS club or an
affiliated team when not assigned to a team; some pool goalkeepers, including Tim Melia, have gone on to be signed to permanent
contract with their assigned teams.[157] In the past, when rosters were smaller, there were multiple goalkeepers signed to the pool,
however, in recent years only one or two keepers are signed as team rosters are much larger.[158]
Designated Players and allocation money

MLS has also introduced various initiatives and rules intended to improve quality of players while still maintaining the salary cap.
Rules concerning Designated Players and allocation money allow for additional wage spending that is exempt from the salary cap.
These initiatives have brought about an increase in on-field competition.[159]
The designated player (DP) rule allows teams to sign a limited number of players whose salary exceeds the maximum cap; in 2017,
each DP player only counted as $480,625 (the maximum non-DP salary) against the cap. Instituted in 2007, England's David
Beckham was the first signing under the DP rule.[70] The DP rule has led to large income inequality in MLS with top DPs earning
as much as 180 times more than a player earning the league minimum.[160] In the 2013 season, 21% of the league's wage spending
went to just five players; this stretched to 29% on the top 6 players in the 2014 season.[161][162]
The league's "Core Players" initiative allows teams to re-sign players using retention funds that do not count against the salary
cap.[82] Retention funds were implemented in 2013 as a mechanism for MLS to retain key players; among the first high-profile
players re-signed using retention funds were U.S. national team regulars Graham Zusi and Matt Besler.[82] MLS teams can also
obtain allocation money, which is money that the team can use on player salaries that does not count against the cap, and teams can
earn allocation money in several ways, such as from the transfer fees earned by selling players to teams in other leagues.[163] MLS
teams can also use Targeted Allocation Money (often referred to as TAM), an initiative announced in 2015. Teams can use TAM
funds to attract high-profile players by "buying down" contracts of players to below the Designated Player level.[164] High-profile
players for which TAM funds were used include Hector Villalba, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Giorgio Chiellini.
Youth development
MLS has introduced various initiatives and rules intended to develop young players. Rules concerning Generation Adidas players
and home grown players provide incentives for clubs to develop and retain young players.[159]
MLS has required all of its teams to operate youth development programs since 2008.[165] MLS roster rules allow teams to sign an
unlimited number of players straight from their academies and bypassing the draft process.[166] There is also supplementary salary
budget made by MLS only for homegrown players that are registered using senior roster slots called homegrown player funds.[167]
One of the most prominent and lucrative examples of success in "home-grown" development was Jozy Altidore, who rose to
prominence as a teenager in MLS before his record transfer fee $10 million move to Villarreal in Spain in 2008.[168] The various
MLS teams' development academies play matches in a U.S. Soccer developmental league against youth academies from other
leagues such as the North American Soccer League (NASL), which had been a Division II league prior to 2018, and USL Pro,
originally a Division III league but now the Division II USL Championship.[169]
The league operates a Generation Adidas program, which is a joint venture between MLS and U.S. Soccer that encourages young
American players to enter MLS.[170] The Generation Adidas program has been in place since 1997, and has introduced players
such as Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard and Michael Bradley into MLS. Players under the Home Grown Player
rule are signed to Generation Adidas contracts,[151] all players on Generation Adidas contracts are "off budget players" and their
salaries do not count against the cap.
MLS has operated reserve leagues, which give playing time to players who were not starters for their MLS teams, during two
different periods. The MLS Reserve League was formed in 2005, and operated through 2014 (with the exception of the 2009 &
2010 seasons).[171] MLS began integrating its Reserve League with the league then known as USL Pro in 2013,[172] and after the
2014 season folded the Reserve League, with MLS then requiring all teams to either affiliate with a USL team or field their own
reserve side in that league. However, this requirement was never strictly enforced, and MLS eventually relaunched its reserve
league in 2022 under the banner of MLS Next Pro. In the inaugural 2022 season, 19 of the league's then-current clubs, plus future
club St. Louis City SC, fielded reserve sides in Next Pro. In the 2023 season, the only MLS teams that will not field Next Pro sides
are CF Montréal and D.C. United.[173][174]
Following the folding of the Development Academy,[175] MLS announced its own development league in 2020. It includes all of
the MLS team academies as well as 95 clubs across the country; many of which were a part of the Development Academy.
Stadiums
Since 1999, the league has overseen the construction of twelve stadiums specifically designed for soccer. The development of
soccer-specific stadiums owned by the teams has generated a better gameday experience for the fans.[176] The soccer-specific
stadiums have yielded positive financial results as teams were no longer required to pay to rent out facilities and gained control over
revenue streams such as concessions, parking, naming rights, and the ability to host non-MLS events.[136][176] Several teams have
doubled their season tickets following the team's move into a soccer-specific stadium.[177] The establishment of soccer-specific
stadiums is considered the key to the league and the ability of teams to turn a profit.[178] In 2006, Tim Leiweke, then CEO of
Anschutz Entertainment Group, described the proliferation of soccer-specific stadiums as the turning point for MLS.[178]
Columbus Crew owner Lamar Hunt started this trend in 1999 by constructing
Columbus Crew Stadium, now known as Historic Crew Stadium, as MLS's first soccer-
specific stadium.[58] The Los Angeles Galaxy followed four years later with the opening
of the Home Depot Center, now Dignity Health Sports Park, in 2003.[179] FC Dallas
opened Pizza Hut Park, now Toyota Stadium, in 2005, and the Chicago Fire began
playing their home games in Toyota Park, now SeatGeek Stadium, in 2006. The 2007
season brought the opening of Dick's Sporting Goods Park for the Colorado Rapids and
BMO Field for Toronto FC.[180]
Near the end of the 2008 season, Rio Tinto Stadium (now known as America First The Columbus Crew's first stadium was
Field) became the home of Real Salt Lake, which meant that for the first time in MLS MLS' first soccer-specific stadium
history a majority of MLS's teams (8 out of 14) played in soccer-specific stadiums. [181]
Red Bull Arena, the new home of the New York Red Bulls opened for the start of the
2010 season,[182] and the Philadelphia Union opened PPL Park, now Subaru Park, in June 2010, midway through their inaugural
season.[183]
The following season, in 2011, the Portland Timbers made their MLS debut in a newly renovated Jeld-Wen Field, now renamed
Providence Park, which was originally a multi-purpose venue but turned into a soccer-specific facility.[184] Also in 2011, Sporting
Kansas City moved to new Livestrong Sporting Park, now Children's Mercy Park.[185] The Houston Dynamo relocated to their
new home at BBVA Compass Stadium, now PNC Stadium, in 2012.[182] In the same year, the Montreal Impact joined the league
in an expanded Stade Saputo, which reopened in June 2012, when renovations pushed the seating capacity to over 20,000. The
Impact has used Olympic Stadium for early season matches and for games that require a larger capacity.[186] The San Jose
Earthquakes, who had played at Buck Shaw Stadium from 2008 until 2014, opened their new Avaya Stadium (now PayPal Park)
before the 2015 season.[187] Orlando City SC intended to begin constructing its soccer-specific stadium, now known as Exploria
Stadium, in 2014 to be completed in 2015.[188] Delays caused by changes to the stadium plans pushed back the new venue's
opening, first to late 2016 and finally to the start of the 2017 season.[189] Orlando City played at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium,
now Camping World Stadium, while awaiting the construction of their new venue through the 2016 season. Exploria Stadium
hosted its first MLS match on March 5, 2017, against New York City FC as Orlando City Stadium.
The development of additional MLS stadiums has continued to progress. D.C. United had
played their home games at former NFL and Major League Baseball venue RFK Stadium.
In 2013, D.C. United announced the signing of a public-private partnership term sheet to
build a new soccer stadium in Washington, D.C., and a final deal was reached in late 2014.
In late February 2017, D.C. United finally broke ground on their new stadium, Audi
Field.[190] After 21 years of playing at RFK Stadium, DC United played their first game at
Audi field in July 2018.
Two teams have announced their desire to build a soccer-specific stadium, although these Lumen Field, home of Seattle
teams have not finalized the stadium site and received all necessary government approvals. Sounders FC
New York City FC play home games at Yankee Stadium, a Major League Baseball venue,
although they intend to move into a soccer-specific stadium in the future. The New
England Revolution play home games at a National Football League venue, Gillette Stadium, but are currently in discussion with
the City of Boston regarding a potential soccer-specific stadium in South Boston.[191]
Several remaining clubs play in stadiums not originally built for MLS and have not announced plans to move. The Seattle Sounders
FC play at Lumen Field, a dual-purpose facility used for both American football and soccer. The Vancouver Whitecaps FC joined
the league with Portland in 2011 and temporarily held matches at Empire Field before moving into the refurbished BC Place in
October 2011,[192] a retractable-roof stadium that hosts Canadian football as well as soccer.[193]
Of the three teams that made their MLS debuts in 2017 and 2018, one opened a soccer-specific stadium in 2019, a second is
playing in a shared football stadium, and the last opened a soccer-specific stadium for its inaugural 2018 season. Minnesota United
FC, which debuted in 2017, built Allianz Field in St. Paul which hosted its inaugural game against New York City FC on April 13,
2019.[194][195] Until that time, the team played in Minneapolis at TCF Bank Stadium (now Huntington Bank Stadium), home to
University of Minnesota football.[196] Atlanta United FC began play in 2017 at a college football facility, Georgia Tech's Bobby
Dodd Stadium, before moving into its permanent home at the retractable-roof Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which it shares with the
NFL's Atlanta Falcons; the two teams share a common owner and the stadium is equipped with screens to cordon off the upper tiers
for most matches.[197] Los Angeles FC, which began play in 2018, opened Banc of California Stadium (now BMO Stadium) on
the former site of the Los Angeles Sports Arena in April of its inaugural season.[198]
FC Cincinnati made its MLS debut in 2019 at Nippert Stadium, the football home of the University of Cincinnati. The stadium had
been home to FCC's USL Championship predecessor for all of its three seasons of play. The club moved within Cincinnati to the
new TQL Stadium in 2021.[199] Inter Miami began play in 2020 at Inter Miami CF Stadium, now known as DRV PNK Stadium,
at the former site of Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale before opening Miami Freedom Park in the future.[200] Nashville SC
played the 2020 and 2021 seasons at an NFL facility, the Tennessee Titans' Nissan Stadium, before opening Geodis Park in
2022.[201] Austin FC opened Q2 Stadium for its first season in 2021.[106] St. Louis City SC opened CityPark in November 2022, a
few months before the club's first season in 2023.[202]
Profitability and revenues
Major League Soccer began to demonstrate positive signs of long-term profitability as early as 2004 with the Average franchise
single-entity ownership structure, salary cap, and the media and marketing umbrella Soccer United valuations
Marketing (SUM) all contributing towards MLS's financial security.[52] As soccer-specific stadiums are Year Value
built, ownership expands, and television coverage increases, MLS has seen its revenues increase while 2008 $37 million
controlling costs.[9]
2013 $103 million
Television coverage and revenue have increased since the league's early years. In 2006, MLS reached an 8- 2015 $157 million
year TV deal with ESPN spanning the 2007–2014 seasons, and marked the first time that MLS earned
2016 $185 million
rights fees, reported to be worth $7–8 million annually.[203] In September 2012 the league extended its
distribution agreement with London-based Media rights agency MP & Silva until 2014 in a deal worth 2017 $223 million
$10 million annually. Total league TV revenues are over $40 million annually.[204][205] In 2011, MLS 2018 $240 million
earned $150 million when it sold a 25% stake in SUM.[9]
2019 $313 million
2021 $550 million

2022 $582 million
In early 2005, MLS signed a 10-year, $150 million sponsorship deal with Adidas for its jerseys and other equipment.[52] In 2007,
MLS teams started selling ad space on the front of jerseys to go along with the league-wide sponsorship partners who had already
been advertising on the back of club jerseys, following the practice of international sport, specifically soccer. MLS established a
floor of $500,000 per shirt sponsorship, with the league receiving a flat fee of $200,000 per deal.[234] As of July 2014, sixteen
teams had signed sponsorship deals to have company logos placed on the front of their jerseys (and another team is directly owned
by its shirt sponsor), and the league average from jersey sponsors was about $2.4 million.[235] All MLS teams have had jersey
sponsors since February 2016. Sleeve sponsorship was introduced to MLS in the 2020 season, with the teams able to sell a 2-by-2-
inch (51 by 51 mm) section on the right arm where the league logo patch is normally positioned.[236]
The Los Angeles Galaxy made a profit in 2003 in their first season at The Home Depot Center,[51] and FC Dallas turned a profit
after moving into Pizza Hut Park in 2005.[237] For each season between 2006 and 2009, two to three MLS clubs (generally clubs
with a soccer-specific stadium) were reported as profitable by the league.[237][238][239]
By 2012 the league had shown a marked improvement in its financial health. In November 2013, Forbes published a report that
revealed that ten of the league's nineteen teams earned an operating profit in 2012, while two broke even and seven had a loss.
Forbes estimated that the league's collective annual revenues were $494 million, and that the league's collective annual profit was
$34 million. Forbes valued the league's franchises to be worth $103 million on average, almost three times as much as the
$37 million average valuation in 2008. The Seattle Sounders FC franchise was named the most valuable at $175 million, a 483%
gain over the $30 million league entrance fee it paid in 2009.[136]
The trend in increased team values has continued with MLS teams seeing a strong 52% increase in franchise values from 2012 to
2014. In August 2015 Forbes updated its MLS franchise values with the most profitable team measuring $245 million and the least
$105 million. The average value jumped from $103 to $157 million.[10]
As of 2018 Forbes estimates Atlanta United FC are the most valuable MLS team, worth $330 million, while the Colorado Rapids
are the lowest value, at $155 million.[240] These valuations do not include the value of stadiums or training facilities owned by the
respective clubs.
MLS teams typically use commercial flights to transport players and staff between matches, with only four charter flights allowed
under league rules.[241]
Rules and officials
MLS follows the rules and standards of the International Football Association Board (IFAB). Since 2005, the playoff extra time
structure follows IFAB standards: two full 15-minute periods, followed by a penalty shootout if necessary.
U.S. Soccer hired the first full-time professional
referees in league history in 2007 as part of the Jersey sponsorships
league's "Game First" initiatives.[242] Major Team Sponsor Annual value
League Soccer has been implementing fines and
suspensions since the 2011 season for simulation AmFam (game – main)
Atlanta United FC Piedmont Hospital (game – Undisclosed[206]
(diving) through its Disciplinary Committee, sleeve)
which reviews plays after the match. The first
player fined under the new rule was Charlie Yeti (game – main)
Davies, fined $1,000 for intentionally deceiving Netspend (game – sleeve)
Austin FC Undisclosed[207]
St. David's Healthcare
match officials.[243] (prematch)
MLS uses the list of banned substances Charlotte FC

Ally (game – main)
Undisclosed[208]
published by the World Anti-Doping Centene (game – sleeve)
Agency.[244] Motorola (game – main)
Chicago Fire FC Undisclosed[209]
CIBC (game – sleeve)
Branding Colorado Rapids UCHealth (game – main) Undisclosed[210]

Nationwide (game – main)
The current MLS logo debuted in 2014, ahead of Columbus Crew Tipico (game – sleeve) $3 million[211]
the league's 20th season, replacing an earlier logo Ohio Health (prematch)
that featured a stylized boot and ball. The current
XDC Network (game –
logo is a simple crest with a diagonal stripe, the D.C. United main) Undisclosed[212]
MLS wordmark, and three stars that represent EagleBank (game – sleeve)
"community, club, and country". The logo was
designed to be remixed in different color Mercy Health (game –
FC Cincinnati main) Undisclosed[213]
schemes that match teams when used on Kroger (game – sleeve)
merchandise and jerseys.[245]
Children's Health (game -
The first MLS anthem was unveiled in 2007 and main)
FC Dallas UT Southwestern (game – Undisclosed[214]
was composed by Audiobrain. The current main)
league anthem debuted in 2020 and was AdvoCare (game – sleeve)
composed by film score composer Hans Zimmer.
It will be used during league broadcasts and as a MD Anderson (game –
main)
prelude to kickoff at stadiums.[246] Houston Dynamo FC Undisclosed[215]
Kroger (game – sleeve)
FuboTV (prematch)
Team names XBTO (game – main)

Inter Miami CF Xmanna (game – sleeve) Undisclosed[216]
In the early years of MLS, teams were typically AutoNation (prematch)
given official nicknames in the style of other Herbalife (game – main)
U.S. sports leagues (e.g., Columbus Crew, Los LA Galaxy $4.4 million[217]
Honey (game – sleeve)
Angeles Galaxy, New England Revolution).
Flex (game – main)
Several club names in MLS originated with Los Angeles FC Ford (game – sleeve) Undisclosed[218]
previous professional soccer clubs, such as the Rockstar (prematch)
1970s-era NASL team names San Jose
Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers Target (game – main)
Allianz (game – sleeve)
and Vancouver Whitecaps.[247] Minnesota United FC
Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Undisclosed[219]
of Minnesota (prematch)
D.C. United and Miami Fusion FC were the only
two MLS teams to adopt European naming Bank of Montreal (game –
conventions during the 1990s.[248] In recent
CF Montréal main) US$4 million[220]
Saputo (game – sleeve)
years, European-style names have become
increasingly common in MLS, with expansion Renasant (game – main)
teams such as Real Salt Lake, Toronto FC, New Hyundai (game – sleeve)
Nashville SC Undisclosed[221]
Vanderbilt Health
York City FC, Atlanta United FC, Minnesota (prematch)
United FC, and FC Cincinnati, along with
rebrandings such as FC Dallas (formerly the UnitedHealthcare (game –
Dallas Burn), Sporting Kansas City (formerly the main)
New England Revolution
Santander (game – sleeve) Undisclosed[222]
Kansas City Wizards)[249] and CF Montréal Socios.com (prematch)
(formerly the Montreal Impact).
New York City FC Etihad Airways (game – Undisclosed[223]
main)
Dude Wipes (game –
sleeve)
Austrian beverage company Red Bull GmbH NewYork–Presbyterian
owns and sponsors the New York Red Bulls as Hospital (prematch)
well as other sports teams outside the U.S.[134] Red Bull (game – main)
New York Red Bulls Provident Bank (game – Owns club
sleeve)
Media coverage
Orlando Health (game –
Orlando City SC main) Undisclosed[224]
Exploria (game – sleeve)
United States
Bimbo Bakeries USA (game
From 2015 to 2022, MLS matches were Philadelphia Union – main) $3 million[225]
Subaru (game – sleeve)
broadcast nationally by ESPN networks and Fox
Sports in English, and Univision networks in Alaska Airlines (game –
Spanish under an eight-year contract. Each main)
broadcaster had a window for national regular Portland Timbers TikTok (game – sleeve) Undisclosed[226]
Dutch Brothers Coffee
season matches, with UniMás airing a game on (prematch)
Friday nights in Spanish and additional matches
on Univision Deportes Network, and ESPN and LifeVantage (game – main)
Real Salt Lake $3 million[227]
Fox Sports 1 airing games on Sunday evenings KeyBank (game – sleeve)
in English. ESPN, FS1, and Univision shared Intermedia Cloud
coverage of the playoffs, while ABC and Fox Communications (game –
San Jose Earthquakes Undisclosed[228]
alternated broadcasting the MLS Cup final in main)
English. In total, at least 125 matches were aired Sutter Health (prematch)
per-season across all three networks. The three Providence (game – main)
contracts have an average estimated value of $90 Emerald Queen Casino
Seattle Sounders FC Undisclosed[229]
million per season—five times larger than the (game – sleeve)
average $18 million value of the previous CHI Franciscan (prematch)
contracts with ESPN, Univision, and NBC Compass Minerals (game –
Sports.[250][251][252] Sporting Kansas City
main)
Undisclosed[230]
Children's Mercy (game –
Matches not televised nationally were broadcast sleeve)
regionally, often by regional sports networks like Purina (game – main)
Bally Sports, NBC Sports Regional Networks, St. Louis City SC BJC HealthCare (game – Undisclosed[231]
Spectrum Sports and Root Sports, and sometimes sleeve)
by terrestrial stations like KTXA, WGN and Bank of Montreal (game –
KMYU.[78] Regionally televised matches were main and sleeve)
Toronto FC C$4 million+[232]
available outside their local markets on ESPN+, GE Appliances (game –
which replaced MLS Live from 2018 until sleeve)
2022.[253] Telus (game – main)
Vancouver Whitecaps FC GE Appliances (game – Undisclosed[233]
From 2012 to 2014, MLS matches were sleeve)
broadcast by NBC Sports, with 40 matches per
year—primarily on NBCSN, and select matches
broadcast on the NBC network.[254] The move from Fox Soccer to the more widely distributed NBCSN caused viewership
numbers to double for the 2012 season.[255]
Soccer United Marketing partnered with Google and Bedrocket Media Ventures in 2012 to launch "KickTV", a premium YouTube
channel with original soccer programming.[256] KickTV was sold to Copa90 in 2015 to form its American branch.[257] In 2020,
Soccer United Marketing signed a multi-year agreement with Bleacher Report to produce content and highlights for MLS and the
U.S. national teams through the 2022 season.[258]
Canada
Coverage of MLS expanded into Canada in 2007 with the addition of Toronto FC. Currently, English-language national MLS
broadcast rights in Canada are held by the TSN networks through a five-year deal first renewed in 2017. The networks primarily
broadcast matches involving the league's Canadian franchises, in combination with separate "regional" rights deals giving TSN
exclusive rights to all Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC matches.[259][260][261] A limited number of matches are also
carried by CTV.[261]
TVA Sports holds exclusive French-language rights to MLS in Canada as of the 2017 season. As part of a separate "regional"
rights deal, it also holds exclusive rights to all CF Montréal games.[261][262]
In 2018, online streaming service DAZN obtained Major League Soccer's digital out-of-
market service MLS Live—with live and on-demand streaming of matches featuring
U.S. teams (matches with Canadian teams are only available after a 48-hour delay to
protect the league's main rightsholders TSN and TVA Sports).[263]
International
MLS also entered into a four-year contract with Sky Sports to broadcast two MLS
matches per week in the United Kingdom and Ireland from 2015 to 2019.[264] As part
of the agreement, Sky Sports broadcast at least two MLS regular-season matches each Montreal Impact hosting D.C. United
week, as well as the MLS All-Star Game, every MLS Cup Playoff game, and the MLS (August 2012).
Cup final. The matches appeared across Sky's family of networks. It also carried weekly
MLS highlights across various platforms, including Sky Sports News and
SkySports.com. Sky Sports also broadcast at least one match from MLS's "Decision Day" – the final day of the MLS regular
season. Many of the matches on Decision Day every year are expected to determine the final spots for the MLS Cup Playoffs.[265]
DSport, owned by Discovery Communications, will televise league matches in India beginning in 2017.[266]
Apple TV
Starting in 2023, all MLS and Leagues Cup matches, as well as certain matches from MLS Next Pro and MLS Next, will be
streamed worldwide on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV. This ends the current regional sports network-based system.[267] While
the contract offers for some matches on linear television, reports indicate that ESPN and Univision have been hesitant because they
are unable to stream matches on their own platforms or supply their own commentators.[268][269] After both ESPN and Univision
left negotiations, from 2023, Fox Sports will join Apple as MLS' broadcast partners in the U.S., with Bell Media's TSN and RDS
doing so in Canada.[270]
Video games
Major League Soccer is a playable league in both the FIFA and the Football Manager series. The league made its video game
debut in 1999 with FIFA 2000. In 2000, Konami released ESPN MLS GameNight, and two years later, they released its sequel,
ESPN MLS ExtraTime 2002. The league made its first appearance in the management series Football Manager 2005 in 2004.[271]
Player records
Statistics below are for all-time leaders. Statistics are for regular season only. Bold indicates active MLS players.
As of October 9, 2022[272]
Goals Assists
Rank Player Years Goals Rank Player Years Assists
1 Chris Wondolowski 2005–2021 171 2001–2014
1 Landon Donovan 136
2016
2001–2014
2 Landon Donovan 145
2016 2 Steve Ralston 1996–2010 135
2006–2013 3 Brad Davis 2002–2016 123
Kei Kamara 2015–2020
3 139 4 Carlos Valderrama 1996–2002 114
2022–
present
5 Preki 1996–2005 112
4 Jeff Cunningham 1998–2011 134
6 Jaime Moreno 1996–2010 102
5 Jaime Moreno 1996–2010 133
7 Marco Etcheverry 1996–2003 101
Bradley Wright-
6 2013–2021 117 2006–2010
Phillips 8 Sacha Kljestan 99
2015–2022
1996–2000
7 Ante Razov 114 Cobi Jones 1996–2007
2001–2009
9 91
8 Jason Kreis 1996–2007 108 Diego Valeri 2013–2021
9 Dwayne De Rosario 2001–2014 104

10 Taylor Twellman 2002–2010 101
Shutouts (clean sheets) Games played

Rank Player Years Shutouts Rank Player Years Games
1 Nick Rimando 2000–2019 154 1 Nick Rimando 2000–2019 514
2 Kevin Hartman 1997–2013 112 2 Kyle Beckerman 2000–2020 498
3 Stefan Frei 2009–present 91 3 Dax McCarty 2006–present 439
4 Sean Johnson 2010–present 90 4 Jeff Larentowicz 2005–2020 437
5 Joe Cannon 1999–2013 86 5 Kevin Hartman 1997–2013 416
6 Jon Busch 2002–2015 83 6 Chris Wondolowski 2005–2021 413
7 Bill Hamid 2009–present 80 7 Drew Moor 2005–2022 411
8 Zach Thornton 1996–2011 76 8 Chad Marshall 2004–2019 409
9 Matt Reis 1998–2013 75 9 Brad Davis 2002–2016 392
10 Luis Robles 2012–2020 74 2006–2013

10 Kei Kamara 2015–2020 391
2022–present
Player records (active)
Statistics below are for all-time leaders who are still playing. Statistics are for regular season only.
As of October 9, 2022[272]
Goals Assists Shutouts Games played
Rank Player Goals Rank Player Assists Rank Player Shutouts Rank Player Games
Kei Dax
1 139 1 439
Kamara 1 Graham 73 1 Stefan 91 McCarty
Zusi Frei
Kei
2 391
2 Josef 98 Kamara
Martínez 2 Nicolás 70 2 Sean 90
Lodeiro Johnson Sean
3 355
Johnson
3 Gyasi 97 Dax Bill
3 68 3 80
Zardes McCarty Hamid
4 Darlington 352
C. Nagbe
4 J. 88 4 Diego 65 4 Brad 67
Sapong Fagúndez Guzan Stefan
5 346
Frei
5 Dom 85 5 Luciano 64 5 Andre 65

Dwyer Acosta Blake
MLS awards
At the conclusion of each season, the league presents several awards for outstanding achievements, mostly to players, but also to
coaches, referees, and teams. The finalists in each category are determined by voting from MLS players, team employees, and the
media.[273]
MLS Best XI
Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year Award
MLS Comeback Player of the Year Award
MLS Defender of the Year Award
MLS Fair Play Award (individual)
MLS Fair Play Award (team)
MLS Goal of the Year Award
MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award
MLS Golden Boot
MLS Humanitarian of the Year Award
Landon Donovan MVP Award
MLS Newcomer of the Year Award
MLS Referee of the Year Award
MLS Young Player of the Year Award
MLS Save of the Year Award
See also
Association
football portal
Sports portal
United States
portal
Canada portal
MLS SuperDraft Major League Soccer attendance

List of Major League Soccer seasons MLS Players Association
List of American and Canadian soccer champions United States soccer league system
References
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External links
Official website (https://www.mlssoccer.com)
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Major League Soccer

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Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned

The league features numerous rivalry cups that are Chicago

Bank of America Christian

New England Foxborough,

Austin FC Austin, Texas Q2 Stadium 20,738 2018 2021 Josh Wolff

Dick's Sporting Goods

Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver, British

Team Location Stadium Capacity Final season

Miami Fusion Fort Lauderdale, Florida Lockhart Stadium 17,417 2001

League member Former member Future member Other leagues

Arrival of Designated Players

Expansion of the league

MLS Cup titles and Supporters' Shield wins

MLS Year(s) Supporters' Year(s) Total MLS

Columbus Crew 2 2008, 2020 3 2004, 2008, 2009 5 27

Sporting Kansas City 2 2000, 2013 1 2000 3 27

Seattle Sounders FC 2 2016, 2019 1 2014 3 14

Los Angeles FC 1 2022 2 2019, 2022 3 5

Chicago Fire FC 1 1998 1 2003 2 25

Real Salt Lake 1 2009 0 – 1 18

Colorado Rapids 1 2010 0 – 1 27

Atlanta United FC 1 2018 0 – 1 6

New York City FC 1 2021 0 – 1 8

Tampa Bay Mutiny 0 – 1 1996 1 6

Miami Fusion 0 – 1 2001 1 4

Philadelphia Union 0 – 1 2020 1 13

New England Revolution 0 – 1 2021 1 27

Player acquisition and salaries

Designated Players and allocation money

Profitability and revenues

2021 $550 million

Rules and officials

MLS uses the list of banned substances Charlotte FC

Branding Colorado Rapids UCHealth (game – main) Undisclosed[210]

Team names XBTO (game – main)

9 Dwayne De Rosario 2001–2014 104

Shutouts (clean sheets) Games played

3 Stefan Frei 2009–present 91 3 Dax McCarty 2006–present 439

4 Sean Johnson 2010–present 90 4 Jeff Larentowicz 2005–2020 437

5 Joe Cannon 1999–2013 86 5 Kevin Hartman 1997–2013 416

6 Jon Busch 2002–2015 83 6 Chris Wondolowski 2005–2021 413

7 Bill Hamid 2009–present 80 7 Drew Moor 2005–2022 411

8 Zach Thornton 1996–2011 76 8 Chad Marshall 2004–2019 409

9 Matt Reis 1998–2013 75 9 Brad Davis 2002–2016 392

10 Luis Robles 2012–2020 74 2006–2013

Player records (active)

5 Dom 85 5 Luciano 64 5 Andre 65

MLS SuperDraft Major League Soccer attendance

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