As soccer's popularity rises in the United States, Major League Soccer is drawing more interest than ever. MLS has been aggressive in exploring growth opportunities during the league's existence, which has led to an impressive roster of franchises, and even more on the way.
After some recent big news surrounding future additions to Major League Soccer, here's everything you need to know about MLS' group of teams in 2023.
- How Many Teams Are in MLS Soccer?
- List of Former MLS Soccer Teams
- Upcoming MLS Soccer Expansion Teams
- MLS Expansion Team Rumors
How Many Teams Are in MLS Soccer?
There are a total of 29 active teams in Major League Soccer in 2023. Clubs are part of either the Eastern (15 teams) or Western Conferenc e (14 teams). These groups have a big impact on schedules, as teams within the same conference are guaranteed to play each other twice (one at home, one away) during the season, while clubs from separate conferences may not face off at all during the year.
MLS originally began in 1996 with nine teams: the Columbus Crew, D.C. United, New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls, Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, Sporting Kansas City, LA Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes. The Chicago Fire were the first expansion team, joining the league in 1998.
Since 2005, franchises have regularly been added to Major League Soccer every year. The 2023 season brought the arrival of another club, St. Louis City SC, marking the 29th active franchise in the league.
List of Former MLS Soccer Teams
MLS' expansion efforts have also come with a few losses throughout the league's history. Three teams — the Tampa Bay Mutiny, Miami Fusion and Chivas USA — are no longer apart of Major League Soccer after previously being MLS franchises. The Mutiny and Fusion both folded before the 2002 MLS campaign due to revenue issues, while Chivas exited in 2014.
Though Tampa Bay remains without an MLS presence, Miami and Los Angeles (where Chivas played) have both received new teams in recent years. Los Angeles FC joined Major League Soccer in 2018, giving the area a second club again — along with the Galaxy — after Chivas' departure. Meanwhile, Inter Miami CF began MLS play in 2020. These are new franchises, rather than continuations of the previous clubs.
Upcoming MLS Soccer Expansion Teams
There is currently one planned MLS expansion team in the works. In May 2023, the league officially announced San Diego, California, was awarded the newest member of Major League Soccer. The club is slated to begin play in 2025 and will bring MLS' total teams to an even 30.
San Diego's home venue will be Snapdragon Stadium, a 35,000-seat venue on the campus of San Diego State University. The team will be owned by Mohamed Mansou, a noted entrepreneur and investor who hails from Egypt, and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, a federally recognized Native American tribe.
MLS Expansion Team Rumors
Even with a new team in San Diego on the horizon, there are still even more locations that have been rumored as possible MLS expansion sites. The likes of Las Vegas, Indianapolis, Detroit and Phoenix have popped up in recent years as potential options.
MLS commissioner Don Garber admitted after announcing San Diego's addition that "I don't think sitting here today that we have any plan in the near future to go beyond 30 teams." This means Major League Soccer may put off expansion efforts for the near future as San Diego pr epares to join the fray.