List of MLS teams, stadium and team owners categorized on the basis of eastern and western conferences, check all details of Major League Soccer details here. MLS is the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It was founded in 1993 and began its inaugural season in 1996. Major League Soccer operates under the auspices of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA).
The league has experienced significant growth and expansion since its inception. Initially, there were 10 teams in MLS, but the league has steadily added new teams over the years. The total number of MLS teams has now reached to 29 which will soon be increased to 30 after the introduction of San Diego team.
List of MLS Teams
You can check list of MLS teams, operators, stadium for eastern conference, western conference, future MLS team as well as defunct MLS teams here.
Eastern Conference
| Name | Stadium | Team Owner(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta United FC | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Arthur Blank (2014-present) |
| Charlotte FC | Bank of America Stadium | David Tepper (2019-present) |
| Chicago Fire FC | Soldier Field | Anschutz Entertainment Group (1997-2007), Andrew Hauptman (Andell Holdings) (2007-2019), Joe Mansueto (2019-present) |
| FC Cincinnati | TQL Stadium | Carl Lindner III, Chris Lindner, David L. Thompson, Jeff Berding, Scott Farmer, Steve Hightower, George Joseph, Mike Mossel, Jack Wyant (2018-present), Meg Whitman, Griff Harsh (minority) (2019-present) |
| Columbus Crew | Lower.com Field | Lamar Hunt (1995-2006), Clark Hunt (2006-2013), Anthony Precourt (Precourt Sports Ventures LLC) (2013-2018), Jimmy Haslam, Dee Haslam, Peter H. Edwards Jr., and other investors (Columbus Partnership) (2018-present) |
| D.C. United | Audi Field | Washington Soccer, LP (1995-2000), Anschutz Entertainment Group (2001-2006), William Chang (D.C. United Holdings) (2006-2012), William Chang, Erick Thohir and Jason Levien (2012-2018), Jason Levien and Steven Kaplan (2018-present) |
| Inter Miami CF | DRV PNK Stadium | David Beckham, Simon Fuller, Marcelo Claure, Jorge and José Mas, Masayoshi Son (2018-present) |
| CF Montréal | Saputo Stadium | Joey Saputo (2010-present) |
| Nashville SC | Geodis Park | John Ingram (2017-present), Mark Wilf, Zygi Wilf, Leonard Wilf (minority) (2020-2021), Derrick Henry, Jim Toth, Reese Witherspoon (minority) (2022-present), Antetokounmpo brothers (Giannis, Thanasis, Kostas, Alex), Filip Forsberg (minority) (2023-present) |
| New England Revolution | Gillette Stadium | Robert Kraft and family (1995-present) |
| New York City FC | Yankee Stadium | City Football Group (majority) and Yankee Global Enterprises (minority) (2013-present) |
| New York Red Bulls | Red Bull Arena | John Kluge and Stuart Subotnick (1995-01), Anschutz Entertainment Group (2001-06), Red Bull GmbH (2006-present) |
| Orlando City SC | Exploria Stadium | Flávio Augusto da Silva (2013-2021), Mark Wilf, Zygi Wilf, Leonard Wilf (2021-present) |
| Philadelphia Union | Subaru Park | Jay Sugarman (Keystone Sports & Entertainment, LLC) (2008-present) |
| Toronto FC | BMO Field | Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (2006-present) |
Western Conference
| Name | Stadium | Team Owner(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Austin FC | Q2 Stadium | Anthony Precourt (Two Oak Ventures LLC) (2018-present) |
| Colorado Rapids | Dick’s Sporting Goods Park | Anschutz Entertainment Group (1995-2003), Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (2003-present) |
| FC Dallas | Toyota Stadium | Major League Soccer (1995-2001), Lamar Hunt (2001-2006), Clark Hunt (2006-present) |
| Houston Dynamo FC | Shell Energy Stadium | Anschutz Entertainment Group (2005-2008), Anschutz Entertainment Group, Oscar De La Hoya (through Golden Boy Promotions) and Gabriel Brener (2008-2015), Gabriel Brener, Oscar De La Hoya, Jake Silverstein, Ben Guill (2015-2021), James Harden became a member of this group in 2019, purchasing a 5% stake, Ted Segal (2021-present) |
| Sporting Kansas City | Children’s Mercy Park | Lamar Hunt (1995-2006), Sporting Club (2006-present) |
| LA Galaxy | Dignity Health Sports Park | L.A. Soccer Partners, LP (1995-1997), Anschutz Entertainment Group (1998-present) |
| Los Angeles FC | BMO Stadium | Peter Guber (Executive Chairman), Henry Nguyen, Tom Penn, Ruben Gnanalingam, Vincent Tan, Brandon Beck, Larry Berg, Will Ferrell, Nomar Garciaparra, Mia Hamm, Chad Hurley, Magic Johnson, Tucker Kain, Kirk Lacob, Mark Leschly, Mike Mahan, Irwin Raij, Tony Robbins, Lon Rosen, Bennett Rosenthal, Paul Schaeffer, Brandon Schneider, Mark Shapiro, Allen Shapiro, Jason Sugarman, Harry Tsao (2014-present), Larry Berg, Brandon Beck, and Bennett Rosenthal are managing operators |
| Minnesota United FC | Allianz Field | Bill McGuire, Jim Pohlad, Robert Pohlad, Glen Taylor, Wendy Carlson Nelson (2015-present) |
| Portland Timbers | Providence Park | Merritt Paulson (2009-present) |
| Real Salt Lake | America First Field | Dave Checketts (SCP Worldwide) (2004-12), Dell Loy Hansen (2012-2021), David Blitzer and Ryan Smith (2022-present) |
| San Jose Earthquakes | PayPal Park | Major League Soccer (1996-1998), Robert Kraft (1999-2000), Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (2001-2002), Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment and Anschutz Entertainment Group (2002-2003), Anschutz Entertainment Group (2003-2005), Lewis Wolff and John J. Fisher (Earthquakes Soccer, LLC) (2007-present) |
| Seattle Sounders FC | Lumen Field | Joe Roth (majority), Adrian Hanauer, Paul Allen and Drew Carey (minority) (2007-2015), Adrian Hanauer (majority), Paul Allen, Drew Carey and Joe Roth (minority) (2015–2018), Adrian Hanauer (majority), Drew Carey, Joe Roth, and Estate of Paul Allen (minority) (2018-2019), Adrian Hanauer, Jody Allen, Drew Carey, Peter Tomozawa, Terry Myerson and Katie Myerson, Russell Wilson and Ciara, Macklemore and Tricia Davis, Satya Nadella and Anu Nadella, Amy Hood and Max Kleinman, Joe Belfiore and Kristina Belfiore, S. Somasegar and Akila Somasegar, Chee Chew and Christine Chew, David Nathanson and Sabina Nathanson, Brian McAndrews and Elise Holschuh, Mark Agne and Tomoko Agne (2019-present), Tod Leiweke and Tara Leiweke and Ken Griffey Jr. and Melissa Griffey were added in 2020. |
| St. Louis City SC | CityPark | The Taylor family led by Carolyn Kindle (2019-present), Jim Kavanaugh (2019-present) |
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place | Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett and Steve Nash (2009-present) |
Future Teams
The San Diego MLS team is a Major League Soccer expansion franchise that is scheduled to begin play in 2025. The team will play their home matches at Snapdragon Stadium, a multi-use venue in San Diego, California, United States. The franchise’s ownership group is led by British-Egyptian businessman Mohamed Mansour and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, a federally recognized Indian tribe. They were awarded an expansion team on May 18, 2023; the team will be the 30th in Major League Soccer.
Defunct MLS Teams
| Name | Stadium | Team Owner(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Mutiny | Raymond James Stadium | Major League Soccer (1995-2001) |
| Miami Fusion | Lockhart Stadium | Ken Horowitz (1997-2001) |
| Chivas USA | StubHub Center | Jorge Vergara and Antonio Cué Sánchez-Navarro (2004-2012), Jorge Vergara (2012-2014), Major League Soccer (2014) |
About Major League Soccer (MLS)
MLS follows a regular season format, where each team plays a scheduled number of matches to accumulate points. At the end of the regular season, the top teams from each conference qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs, which culminate in the MLS Cup, the league’s championship game. The official website for Major League Soccer is https://www.mlssoccer.com/clubs/ where details of MLS clubs are present.
In addition to the league competition, MLS teams also participate in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and the CONCACAF Champions League, where they compete against teams from other American and Canadian soccer leagues. MLS has made significant strides in improving the quality of play, fan engagement, and infrastructure over the years. It has attracted several international stars, both in their prime and towards the end of their careers, further enhancing the league’s profile.
