Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is an American soccer league that started in 1996. As of the current 2022 season, 28 teams play in the league. One other team plans to join in 2023. 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 28 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 |  Wilfried Nancy |
| Charlotte FC | Charlotte, North Carolina | Bank of America Stadium | 2019 | 2022 | Eastern Conference |  Miguel Ángel Ramírez |
| Chicago Fire FC | Chicago, Illinois | Soldier Field | 1997 | 1998 | Eastern Conference |  Ezra Hendrickson |
| Colorado Rapids | Commerce City, Colorado | Dick's Sporting Goods Park | 1995 | 1996 | Western Conference | Robin Fraser |
| Columbus Crew | Columbus, Ohio | Lower.com Field | 1994 | 1996 | Eastern Coference | Caleb Porter |
| D.C. United | Washington, D.C. | Audi Field | 1994 | 1996 | Eastern Conference |  Hernán Losada |
| 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 | PNC Stadium | 2005 | 2006 | Western Conference | Vacant |
| Inter Miami CF | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | DRV PNK Stadium | 2018 | 2020 | Eastern Conference |  Phil Neville |
| Los Angeles FC | Los Angeles, California | Banc of California Stadium | 2014 | 2018 | Western Conference | Vacant |
| 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 | Adrian Heath |
| Nashville SC | Nashville, Tennessee | Geodis Park | 2017 | 2020 | Western Conference | Gary Smith |
| New England Revolution | Foxborough, Massachusetts | Gillette Stadium | 1994 | 1996 | Eastern Conference | Bruce Arena |
| New York City F.C. | New York City, New York | Yankee Stadium | 2013 | 2015 | Eastern Conference |  Ronny Deila |
| New York Red Bulls | Harrison, New Jersey | Red Bull Arena | 1994 | 1996 | Eastern Conference |  Gerhard Struber |
| Orlando City SC | Orlando, Florida | Exploria 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 |  Giovanni Savarese |
| Real Salt Lake | Sandy, Utah | Rio Tinto Stadium | 2004 | 2005 | Western Conference | Pablo Mastroeni |
| San Jose Earthquakes | San Jose, California | PayPal Park | 1994 | 1996 | Western Conference | Matías Almeyda |
| 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 | Bob Bradley |
| 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis City SC | St. Louis, Missouri | Centene Stadium | 2019 | 2023 | TBC |
MLS Cup Winners
Related pages
- USL Championship
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.