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Expansion of Major League Soccer
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Major League Soccer is the top level of professional soccer in the United States. It began play in 1996 with 10 teams and has expanded several times since 1998. From 2005 to 2025, the league expanded rapidly and has added an average of one new team per season. The league has 30 teams as of the 2025 season with the debut of San Diego FC.[1][2]

Expanding and establishing a larger national reach is seen as essential to securing television rights fees needed to reach MLS's initially stated goal of becoming one of the top leagues in the world.[3] As of December 2024, there are no pending expansion teams but the league may expand to 32 teams at a later date.[4][5][6][7]

In 2007, Toronto FC became the first of three Canadian teams to join the league. In 2013, New York City FC agreed to pay a record $100 million expansion fee for the right to join MLS in 2015.[8] 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 2019 and Nashville in 2020).[8][a] The same amount was paid as an effective entrance fee by a group that bought Columbus Crew SC in 2018, which led to that team's previous operator receiving a new team in Austin, Texas, that joined MLS in April 2021.[10][11] Before Sacramento's group withdrew its franchise acquisition, MLS also announced that the ownership groups of the 28th and 29th teams would each pay a $200 million entrance fee and that of the 30th had to pay $325 million.[12]

Major League Soccer considers several criteria when determining where to award expansion franchises:

  • Owners that are committed to MLS and have the financial wherewithal to invest in a team
  • A stadium or approved plans for a stadium (preferably a soccer-specific stadium) that allows the team to control revenue streams such as parking and concessions
  • The size of the market of the metropolitan area
  • An established local fan base.[13][14]
Progression of MLS expansion
Seasons No. of teams
1996–1997 10
1998–2001 12
2002–2004 10
2005–2006 12
2007 13
2008 14
2009 15
2010 16
2011 18
2012–2014 19
2015–2016 20
2017 22
2018 23
2019 24
2020 26
2021 27
2022 28
2023–2024 29
2025 30

Early history: 1993–2004

[edit]

MLS expansion got off to a mixed start in its initial years. MLS began playing with 10 teams in 1996, grew to 12 teams in 1998, but put expansion plans on hold and then eliminated two teams following the 2001 season to return to 10 teams.

Foundation (1993–1996)

[edit]

Major League Soccer was established in 1993, as part of an agreement with FIFA that the United States set up a professional first division to gain the right to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup.[15] No successful professional outdoor soccer league existed since the North American Soccer League folded in 1985. Due to rapid over-expansion and poor franchise placement, the NASL collapse led future MLS leaders to be extremely cautious of establishing new franchises.

Initially 12 teams were to be placed in carefully selected cities where a strong soccer market was thought to exist, which was scaled back to 10 after potential backers could not be found.[16] Eventually 22 communities submitted formal bids to host an inaugural MLS franchise.[17]

The initial 10 teams were the Columbus Crew, D.C. United, New England Revolution, New York/New Jersey MetroStars (now New York Red Bulls), Tampa Bay Mutiny, Colorado Rapids, Dallas Burn (now FC Dallas), Kansas City Wiz (eventually Wizards; now Sporting Kansas City), Los Angeles Galaxy and San Jose Clash (now San Jose Earthquakes). Although New York City and Los Angeles were awarded franchises, the next four largest American cities – Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, and Detroit – were without a team.[16] Using American football stadiums, the new league kicked off in April 1996.

Expansion: Chicago and Miami (1998)

[edit]
Main articles: Chicago Fire FC and Miami Fusion

In 1998, the league expanded for the first time, rising from 10 teams to 12. The new teams were the Chicago Fire SC (now Chicago Fire FC) and Miami Fusion. Miami owner Ken Horowitz paid a $20 million expansion fee to join MLS, while the expansion fee for the Chicago team was $5 million.[18][19]

Contraction from Florida (2002)

[edit]
Main articles: Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion

Major League Soccer reportedly lost an estimated $250 million during its first five years.[20][21] During the winter break between the 2000 and 2001 seasons, reports began circulating that MLS was considering trimming the league from 12 teams back to 10 teams.[22] MLS announced in January 2002 that it had decided to contract the two Florida franchises, the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion.[23] The league chose to fold Miami, in part because their ownership reportedly lacked financial resources, had been trying to run the Fusion on a bare-minimum budget, and had asked the league to pay some of the club's expenses.[22] Miami ownership had reportedly experienced $15 million in operating losses since Miami joined the league.[18] The league folded the Tampa Bay Mutiny in part because the team was operated by the league instead of by an individual owner, meaning that the league had to absorb 100% of the team's operating losses.[18] This contraction left the league with 10 teams, the same number as when MLS began.[24]

First growth phase: 2005–2014

[edit]

In 2005, MLS began a significant expansion phase, nearly doubling in size from 10 teams in 2004 to 19 teams in 2014.

Los Angeles and Salt Lake City (2005)

[edit]
Main articles: Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake
Dave Checketts, owner of Real Salt Lake, who kicked off in 2005

The performance of the US national team at the 2002 World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final,[25] sparked a recovery in the league's fortunes, and attendances once again began to rise. MLS began looking to expand once more with a number of cities interested in hosting new teams. The demand for an expansion team grew.

MLS awarded a second franchise to the Los Angeles area, Chivas USA, in 2004 and began play in 2005. The expansion fee was $7.5 million.[19] The team was owned partly by C.D. Guadalajara owner Jorge Vergara, and took the name and colors from the Mexican club with the aim of appealing to the Hispanic community in Southern California.[26] Chivas and the Los Angeles Galaxy shared The Home Depot Center (now Dignity Health Sports Park) and played in the league's first local derby game.[27]

The league also announced Real Salt Lake in 2004 and began play in 2005. The expansion fee was $7.5 million for the team in Utah.[19] The franchise received permission to use the "Real" name from Real Madrid as part of a business agreement between the Salt Lake owner Dave Checketts and the Spanish club.[28] Real Salt Lake initially played its home games at Rice-Eccles Stadium on the University of Utah campus before moving to Rio Tinto Stadium in the suburb of Sandy in October 2008.[29]

Relocation: Houston (2006)

[edit]
Main article: Houston Dynamo FC

In 2005, the San Jose Earthquakes were put on hiatus because of a failure to secure a soccer-specific stadium. The players and the coach were moved to an expansion team in Houston, Texas, where they became the Houston Dynamo playing out of Robertson Stadium.[30] The number of teams in the league did not change.

Toronto (2007)

[edit]
Main article: Toronto FC
Toronto began play at BMO Field in 2007, the first time an MLS expansion club played its inaugural season in a soccer-specific stadium.

In November 2005, Major League Soccer announced that it had approved an expansion franchise in Toronto to be owned and operated by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which also owns the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors. The expansion fee was $10 million for the Toronto team.[19] The Toronto City Council had previously approved $9.8 million in funding for a $62.8-million stadium, with the rest of the money coming from MLSE, the federal government, and the provincial government.[31] The team name Toronto FC and logo were announced in May 2006.[32] The club played their first season in MLS in 2007, finishing at the bottom of the standings. The introduction of MLS into Canada took MLS into a separate country for the first time.

San Jose (2008)

[edit]
Main article: San Jose Earthquakes

After a two-year hiatus, the San Jose Earthquakes were reactivated in 2007 and resumed play in MLS in 2008 under new ownership.[30] The expansion fee was $20 million for the reinstated San Jose/Bay Area team.[19]

Seattle (2009)

[edit]
Main article: Seattle Sounders FC

Seattle was awarded a franchise in 2009 for a reported expansion fee of $30 million.[19][33] Following a write-in vote by supporters, the team chose the name Seattle Sounders FC, after the Seattle Sounders that played in the North American Soccer League in the 1970s and '80s.[34][35] The city did not have a soccer-specific stadium or any plans to construct one,[36] and instead, it shared Qwest Field (now known as Lumen Field) with the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League who, like the Sounders, were owned in part by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.[37] The stadium was built as a combined football/soccer stadium with an MLS team in mind, including soccer-specific features.[38]

Philadelphia (2010)

[edit]
Main article: Philadelphia Union

On February 28, 2008, MLS announced that the sixteenth franchise would be awarded to Philadelphia.[39] Philadelphia was appealing to MLS because Philadelphia was the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. without an MLS franchise, and it had a strong ownership group.[40] There had been a strong campaign to bring a team to the city, with intense lobbying by supporters groups such as the Sons of Ben.

Philadelphia won the bid over a competing bid from St. Louis that was led by St. Louis investor Jeff Cooper. St. Louis had a stadium deal in Collinsville, Illinois, but lacked sufficient financing.[40][41] The expansion fee was $30 million for the Philadelphia team.[19]

On May 11, 2009, it was announced that the team name would be Philadelphia Union.[42] The new team announced their intention to construct an 18,500-seat stadium in Chester, Pennsylvania, which opened as PPL Park and is now known as Subaru Park.

Vancouver and Portland (2011)

[edit]
Main articles: Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Portland Timbers

One of three Canadian cities in the running for 2011 MLS expansion, Vancouver's bid was led by local businessman Greg Kerfoot, at that time owner of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in USSF D2 Pro. NBA star Steve Nash was also involved as a minority stakeholder. The city's bid was boosted by the proposed construction of the Whitecaps Waterfront Stadium, with an initial capacity of 20,000 and the potential for further expansion.[43] Don Garber called the bid presentation by Vancouver "one of the best I've ever seen."[44] On March 18, 2009, MLS commissioner Don Garber announced that Vancouver had been awarded one of the two 2011 expansion spots for a reported $35 million expansion fee.[19][45] Vancouver continued to field the second-tier Whitecaps until the MLS team made its debut in 2011.[46] The MLS Whitecaps began the 2011 season at Empire Field, sharing it with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League, before both teams moved into the renovated BC Place in October 2011.[47]

On July 31, 2008, Merritt Paulson announced that he would apply for an MLS franchise for Portland as an MLS continuation of the Portland Timbers.[48] Paulson further outlined his plan by launching a website.[49] The MLS Timbers would play in a renovated PGE Park, which was renamed to Jeld-Wen Field by the time the team made its MLS debut in 2011 and is now known as Providence Park, sharing with the Portland State University football team. On March 20, 2009, commissioner Don Garber confirmed in a news conference that Portland would receive the 18th franchise.[50] Portland's expansion fee was $35 million.[19]

Montreal (2012)

[edit]
Main article: CF Montréal

The city of Montreal had been in consideration by the Major League Soccer for a club since the league's founding and planning stages in 1993. In the fall of 2008, the Joey Saputo group was on a short list for the next round of expansion. On May 7, 2010, Commissioner Don Garber announced that Saputo and the Impact group (now CF Montréal) would join the league as its 19th club for the 2012 MLS season for an expansion fee of $40 million, with Stade Saputo being renovated to increase the seating capacity to around 20,000.[19][51]

Dissolution of Chivas USA (2014)

[edit]
See also: Chivas USA

Bookending the first growth phase of MLS was the dissolution of Chivas USA at the end of the 2014 regular season; this phase had begun with the addition of Chivas USA (along with Real Salt Lake) in 2005, and ended with Chivas USA's dissolution in 2014. The league bought the franchise and took over the operations from Jorge Vergara and Angélica Fuentes in February that year. The club had suffered poor performance on the field, low attendance and a series of discrimination lawsuits against the ownership.[52] Commissioner Garber cited the "brand that was targeted specifically to the Hispanic market" and the belief that "the club could coexist with the Galaxy and share the StubHub Center" as mistakes.[53]

Second growth phase: 2015–2025

[edit]

MLS began its current growth phase in 2015. With the 2014 contraction of Chivas USA behind them and not having added any teams since 2012, the league set off on expanding from a 18-team league to a 30-team league by 2025. This phase is also marked by the significant increase in expansion fees. While the previous five expansion teams, Montreal (2012), Portland (2011), Vancouver (2011), Philadelphia (2010) and Seattle (2009) each paid expansion fees of $30–40 million, when the second growth phase began, Orlando (2015), Atlanta (2016), Minnesota (2016) and NYC (2015) paid fees of $70–100 million, marking a stark contrast to the previous phase. In 2019, Charlotte FC agreed to a reported $325 million expansion fee[54] which was topped by a $500 million fee from San Diego FC in 2023.

New York City and Orlando (2015)

[edit]
Main articles: New York City FC and Orlando City SC

The 2015 MLS season marked the return of MLS to the state of Florida and the addition of a second team in the New York metro area. On June 27, 2012, MLS announced plans to build a new soccer-specific stadium in Queens, New York City, with a seating capacity of 25,000 and located near the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.[55] On May 21, 2013, MLS announced New York City FC and the location in NYC as the next expansion team. The team's rights were purchased by the English Premier League club Manchester City and the New York Yankees baseball team for the expansion fee of $100 million, and the team began play in 2015.[19][56]

On October 25, 2010, Phil Rawlins and his investor group of Orlando City SC, announced their intentions of joining Major League Soccer within the next three to five years.[57] In March 2012, Garber met with Orlando city and county officials, and said, "It's not a matter of if, but when", addressing Orlando's chances of joining MLS.[58] In April 2013, the City of Orlando purchased downtown land to be used towards the construction of a $110 million MLS soccer stadium.[59] Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer reached an agreement on a deal to provide financial support for a variety of Orlando projects including the new MLS soccer stadium on August 8, 2013.[60][61] The Orange County Board of Commissioners voted 5–2 on October 22, 2013, to approve the use of $20 million in tourist development tax funds to build an $84 million multi-purpose soccer stadium in downtown Orlando.[62][63] On November 19, 2013, Orlando was officially announced as the league's newest team, and began play in MLS in 2015.[64] The expansion fee was $70 million for the Orlando team.[65]

Atlanta and Minnesota (2017)

[edit]
Main articles: Atlanta United FC and Minnesota United FC

The league announced it was awarding an expansion franchise in Atlanta to Atlanta Falcons owner and Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank on April 16, 2014, with plans to begin play in 2017. The expansion fee was $70 million for the Atlanta team.[66] The team shares Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which was completed in 2017, with the Falcons.[67] Discussions between Blank and MLS "accelerated" following approval of the stadium plans in late 2013.[63]

Atlanta became the third city in the southeastern United States in five months to announce an expansion team, following Orlando City in late 2013 and Miami, whose tentative approval was announced earlier in 2014.[67] The Atlanta metropolitan area was at the time the largest media market without an MLS franchise.[68] Previously, in October 2008, Arthur Blank's AMB Group had submitted a bid for an expansion franchise,[69] but withdrew its bid in early 2009 due to its inability to have a stadium built.[70]

On March 25, 2015, the league announced that it had awarded the 22nd MLS team to an investor group in Minneapolis–Saint Paul led by Bill McGuire, owner of the NASL team Minnesota United FC.[71] Club president Nick Rodgers said he expected much of the team, including the name, logo, coach and some players, to remain intact.[72] In addition to the Minnesota United bid, a group led by the Wilf family, owners of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, had also been vying for a franchise, to play at the Vikings' new U.S. Bank Stadium, but were unsuccessful.[73] The Wilfs would later become investors in Nashville's successful MLS bid.

The team had been expected to begin play in MLS in 2018, though the timing of their start date was described as "fluid."[74] The ownership group did not meet its July 1, 2015, deadline to present stadium plans to MLS after the Minnesota state legislature failed to take up the club's proposal by the end of its session in May 2015.[75] In October 2015, the team announced it had selected a stadium site in St. Paul.[76] The expansion fee was $100 million for the team in Minnesota[77] The league later announced that Minnesota United would join MLS in 2017 and play in Minneapolis at the University of Minnesota's football home of TCF Bank Stadium[78] until its new stadium was ready.

Los Angeles (2018)

[edit]
Main article: Los Angeles FC

On October 30, 2014, MLS commissioner Don Garber announced that a new team was awarded to Los Angeles and its ownership group led by Henry Nguyen for an expansion fee of $110 million.[79] Other notable members of the ownership group included Peter Guber, Magic Johnson, Mia Hamm, Nomar Garciaparra, Tom Penn, and Tony Robbins, among others. The new team was announced with the working name, "Los Angeles Football Club", which later became its official name in September 2015. Originally set to begin play in 2017, the team did not begin until 2018 when construction of their new soccer-specific stadium, Banc of California Stadium, was completed.[80][81]

Cincinnati (2019)

[edit]
Main article: FC Cincinnati
Garber holds up an FC Cincinnati scarf during his 2016 visit to Cincinnati.

On November 29, 2016, Don Garber visited with Cincinnati's mayor John Cranley, officials from FC Cincinnati of the USL, and civic and business leaders of the city to talk about a possible expansion. FC Cincinnati, in its first season in the USL in 2016, broke the USL's single-season attendance record, averaging 17,296 fans per game at Nippert Stadium. They also set the league's single-game playoff record for attendance with 30,187 spectators on October 2, 2016. On the heels of those attendance numbers, Cincinnati entered the expansion conversation.[82] On June 12, 2017, FC Cincinnati revealed designs for a soccer-specific stadium to be built in conjunction with an MLS bid.[83] FC Cincinnati was awarded an expansion on May 29, 2018, to start play in MLS in 2019 for the expansion fee of $150 million.[84][79]

Miami and Nashville (2020)

[edit]
Main articles: Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC

Garber confirmed in a July 5, 2013, interview that Miami, Atlanta, Orlando, and San Antonio were all candidates for MLS expansion.[85]

On February 5, 2014, the league announced that it would award a franchise in Miami to an investment group led by former player David Beckham, his business partner Simon Fuller, and Miami-based businessman Marcelo Claure for the expansion fee of $25 million.[79][86] However, the ownership group's two stadium sites were rejected by city and county governments by July 2014.[87]

In an August 2014 Q&A session, deputy commissioner Mark Abbott said Miami would be the 23rd team as long as a downtown stadium deal could be reached.[88]

Commissioner Garber said he hoped to see Miami join the league with Atlanta in 2017, but repeated that the team would not play without political support for a downtown stadium.[89]

The next development in the Beckham plan came on July 17, 2015, when Miami mayor Tomás Regalado announced a tentative deal with the ownership group, now known as Beckham United, for a new privately financed stadium in Little Havana next to Marlins Park, at the former site of the Orange Bowl.[90] However, the plans for the Orange Bowl site fell through later that year after Beckham United was unable to secure deals with private owners of adjacent land.[91]

In December of that year, Beckham United announced that a new stadium site, mostly private land but also containing a tract owned by Miami-Dade County, had been selected in Miami's Overtown neighborhood.[92] The MLS governing board soon approved the location,[93] and the Beckham group completed the purchase of the privately owned tracts in March 2016.[94] Negotiations with county officials to assemble the final section of the stadium site are ongoing.[95]

Beckham had received an option to buy an expansion franchise for $25 million as part of the contract he signed with the league when he joined the Los Angeles Galaxy.[96]

In August 2016, a group of Nashville business leaders from several of the city's largest corporations formed the Nashville MLS Organizing Committee and began efforts to secure funding for an MLS stadium.[97] The group, led by Bill Hagerty, pursued an MLS team immediately rather than work up the soccer pyramid. The group fully supports the recently awarded USL expansion team, Nashville SC, which began play in 2018. Both groups support each other in their common vision to grow the sport in Tennessee.[98] In October 2017, the group unveiled their plans for $275 million stadium and redevelopment project,[99][100] which was approved by the city in November.[101] Nashville was granted a team for the expansion fee of $150 million on December 20, 2017, with the team was expected begin to play in 2020 season.[79][102]

On January 29, 2018, MLS officially approved Beckham's expansion team in Miami with play expected to start in 2020.[103][104]

Austin (2021)

[edit]
Main article: Austin FC

On December 7, 2018, Garber announced in his annual State of the League news conference that "within the next few years MLS will become the first major sports league to have a team in the culturally dynamic city of Austin".[105] On January 15, 2019, MLS officially announced that Austin had been granted a franchise for the expansion fee of $150 million and would begin play in 2021.[79][106]

Charlotte (2022)

[edit]
Main article: Charlotte FC

In 2017, Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith led an effort for MLS expansion to Charlotte that initially included a 20,000 to 30,000-seat stadium.[107] In October 2017, however, the Charlotte city council confirmed that they would be unable to come up with the financing needed for the MLS deadline for expansion proposals, at which point the bid was effectively dead.[108]

In March 2019, Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper and officials began discussions with MLS to start another bid for a Charlotte-based MLS team. After MLS announced that they would be expanding to 30 teams, the Panthers officially reactivated the bid.[109]

MLS officially announced, on December 17, 2019, that Charlotte would be awarded with an MLS franchise and would begin play in the 2021 season.[110] The expansion fee was reported to be $325M. The team plays in the Bank of America Stadium located in downtown Charlotte, Tepper and the ownership group announced under the team name, logo, and kits on July 22, 2020.[111]

On July 17, 2020, MLS announced that the Charlotte expansion team's debut would be delayed by a year to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North Carolina.[112]

St. Louis (2023)

[edit]
Main article: St. Louis City SC

Jeff Cooper attempted in 2008 and 2009 to bring an MLS expansion team to St. Louis, only to have both bids turned down in favor of other cities; MLS was not impressed with the bid's financial backing and suggested Cooper expand his group of investors.[citation needed]

St. Louis announced in late 2014 that it was planning a new stadium to host both soccer and American football for the NFL's St. Louis Rams.[113] In May 2015, Garber visited St. Louis to talk about a possible new stadium that could hold soccer games.[114]

On January 12, 2016, the NFL's Rams relocated to Los Angeles from St. Louis and the Rams relocation initially accelerated the talks of an MLS expansion team.[115] On January 27, 2016, St. Louis lawmaker, Keith English proposed a bill that would put a tax of not more than one-tenth of one percent on the ballot in St. Louis and St. Louis County, it also calls for the RSA to oversee the soccer stadium.[citation needed] The proposed tax would only go into effect if MLS awards a team to St. Louis by December 20, 2020. On February 17, 2016, the MLS2STL group was formed to bring an MLS team to the St. Louis area.[116] In early 2017, a funding plan for a soccer-specific stadium adjacent to Union Station in downtown St. Louis was approved by the city's Board of Aldermen, before it was brought to a public vote on April 4, 2017, but the public vote failed.[117][118]

On September 27, 2018, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that a group was trying to bring a team to St. Louis.[119] On October 9, 2018, the bid was effectively relaunched, with Carolyn Kindle Betz and other members of the Taylor family, principal owners of the Enterprise Holdings car rental company, as primary investors in the proposal. The stadium location remains the same as in the original 2016 location near Union Station.[120] On November 30, 2018, the board of aldermen passed by 26 out of 28.[121][122] On August 20, 2019, Garber announced at a press conference in St. Louis that the city had been granted a franchise to begin play in 2022 for the expansion fee of $200 million.[79][123] The St. Louis expansion team's debut, originally scheduled for 2022, was later pushed to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Missouri.[112]

San Diego (2025)

[edit]
Main article: San Diego FC

In 1996, then-MLS commissioner Doug Logan called San Diego, California, a "prime candidate" for potential expansion for the newly established league.[1] In 2014, Commissioner Garber mentioned San Diego as an expansion candidate,[124] and again in April 2016.[125] The potential ownership group included MLB San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler.[126] An MLS team in San Diego would be located close to two MLS teams in Los Angeles, as well as the Liga MX side Xolos of Tijuana.[127] The NFL's Chargers 2017 relocation to Los Angeles accelerated the chances for an MLS expansion team in San Diego.[128][129][130]

On February 20, 2017, a new plan for the Mission Valley site of the facility then known as Qualcomm Stadium was unveiled by a La Jolla investment group that was trying to lure a Major League Soccer team to San Diego.[131] The former LA Galaxy striker Landon Donovan joined the San Diego ownership group on March 3, 2017.[132] Donovan's group missed its attempt to bring an MLS team after losing the ballot measure to San Diego State University's new football stadium project in November 2018.[133] By May 2022, MLS was interested in San Diego again as other groups began to pursue the city's franchise.[134] In February 2023, Don Garber said San Diego remains an option for expansion.[5]

On May 18, 2023, Don Garber announced at Snapdragon Stadium that San Diego would be the league's 30th team, starting play during the 2025 season.[1][135] The San Diego FC ownership group includes Mohamed Mansour and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, which paid an expansion fee of $500 million.[136]

Current expansion candidates

[edit]

On April 18, 2019, the league announced it would expand to 30 teams. Ownership groups from Sacramento and St. Louis were given exclusive rights to negotiate for spots 28 and 29 at an expansion fee of $200 million each,[2] while the league's Board of Governors deferred a decision on a fee and timetable for the 30th team. St. Louis was announced as an expansion team in August 2019. Sacramento was announced as an expansion team on October 21, 2019,[137] but the owner later abandoned the bid.[7] Charlotte was announced as an expansion team on December 17.[citation needed]

In February 2020, Garber stated there are more cities aiming to join the league and at some point they were to expand further. According to him, Las Vegas, Indianapolis, San Diego, Detroit, and Phoenix still had interest in joining the league, and Garber kept the discussions going.[138]

In February 2023, Garber said that the league's plan was to announce the 30th team by the end of the year, and that the league was open to expanding beyond 30 teams.[5] However, after San Diego was awarded the 30th team in May 2023, Garber said "I don't think sitting here today that we have any plan in the near future to go beyond 30 teams."[1]

Las Vegas

[edit]

The Las Vegas Sun reported on May 14, 2014, that a potential ownership group held talks about an expansion team in Las Vegas.[139] The investor group, consisting of Findlay Sports and Entertainment and real estate developers, Cordish Company, acquired a site at Symphony Park in Downtown Las Vegas and planned to build a stadium there.[140] Las Vegas Mayor, Carolyn Goodman, and the Findlay group expressed preference for a downtown stadium.[141] League deputy commissioner Mark Abbott met with Mayor Goodman and toured the downtown area in July 2014.[142][143]

On December 17, 2014, the Las Vegas City Council approved public funding of $56.5 million for the proposed soccer stadium in Symphony Park, contingent on MLS granting an expansion franchise to Las Vegas.[144] Garber notified Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman on February 12, 2015, that MLS no longer considered Las Vegas as an expansion market until after 2018.[145] The potential for a Las Vegas team was revived in January 2017 by the city council approaching a sports investment bank but an official bid was not reported by MLS.[146]

In December 2021, Garber confirmed "Vegas is the frontrunner" and the 30th team was to be officially announced in the first quarter of 2022. Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris, who co-own English football club Aston Villa had been in exclusive negotiations as prospective owners under their V Sports holding company, with the name Las Vegas Villains trademarked.[147][148][149] By June 2022, those negotiations were ongoing.[150] In February 2023, Don Garber said the Las Vegas bid remains active.[5] Las Vegas is currently home to Las Vegas Lights FC who play at Cashman Field.

Phoenix

[edit]

In 2017, Phoenix entered the race for an expansion team.[151] The bid for expansion is led by the ownership group of Phoenix Rising FC of the USLC including former Chelsea and Phoenix Rising FC player Didier Drogba.[146] That year, Phoenix Rising signed an agreement with Goldman Sachs to help the funding of a new 20,000 person stadium on land purchased from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community if selected.[152] After Bally Sports Arizona agreed to air most Rising matches in March 2022, Phoenix was reported to have been drawn closer to becoming an MLS franchise.[153]

In December 2024, Mesa mayor John Giles stated to local media that he had met with MLS officials and developers to build a stadium for a future team. A 200-acre (81 ha) site in northwestern Mesa once proposed for an Arizona Coyotes' arena was identified for a potential bid.[154]

Failed or stalled expansion efforts

[edit]

This section includes cities with bids that have either failed or stalled, or are otherwise not explicitly included in MLS's expansion roadmap, the latest of which was announced in December 2013.[155]

Cleveland (2004–2006)

[edit]

MLS announced in 2004 that Cleveland would be getting an expansion franchise for the 2005 season, as area businessman Bert Wolstein had signed a letter of intent to launch an MLS club.[156] However, Wolstein ran into delays in trying to obtain public financing for a stadium, and died in 2004.[157] In 2006 the Wolstein Sports and Entertainment Group proposed the construction of a soccer-specific stadium for an MLS club in the Cleveland suburb of Macedonia.[158] However, Summit County voters rejected a tax to raise $104 million of the $165 million needed, environmental groups raised concerns about area wetlands, and the area was hit by the Great Recession of 2008.[159]

In March 2014, Commissioner Garber said there had not been any developments regarding MLS expansion in Cleveland since talks were held "many years ago."[160]

On April 19, 2025, Cleveland hosted their first MLS regular season game when the Columbus Crew and Inter Miami CF played a game at Huntington Bank Field, the home of the NFL's Cleveland Browns (who are also owned by Crew's owner Haslam Sports Group), with an attendance of 60,614 fans.

Miami (2008–2009)

[edit]

A Miami expansion team led by Barcelona and Marcelo Claure, a Bolivian businessman based in the city, announced an expansion bid in October 2008, with plans to begin play in 2011.[161] But in March 2009, the league and Barcelona announced that Miami was no longer a candidate due to local market conditions.[162] Additionally, MLS expressed concerns about Miami's lack of fan interest in an MLS franchise, the fact that USL team Miami FC was not doing well, and the plan to use FIU Stadium relegating the team to a secondary tenant in a college football stadium with an artificial surface.[163] However, Garber said that Miami would be an expansion target in the future.[164] Claure later joined David Beckham's group of investors for the Miami expansion bid that was accepted by the league in 2014.

San Antonio (2011–2017)

[edit]

A previous San Antonio expansion bid ended in 2005, when negotiations between the league and then-mayor Ed Garza ended. Incoming mayor Phil Hardberger criticized the proposed deal, while Garber claimed that the criticisms were politically motivated and hurt efforts to sell season tickets and recruit local investors.[165]

In late 2011, San Antonio announced its bid to be MLS's 20th team.[166] The city's North American Soccer League franchise, the San Antonio Scorpions, launched in 2012 and led the league in attendance in 2012 and 2013 seasons.[167][168] In Commissioner Garber's December 2013 State of the League address, San Antonio was one of five cities listed on a presentation map of potential expansion locations.[155] In March 2014, Garber said that expansion in the immediate future was "premature" for both San Antonio and Texas, though it was "something that is likely to happen".[160]

In December 2014, Garber stated that the league was continuing to evaluate and receive updates on developments in San Antonio.[169] Potential developments include the emergence of an outside investment group[170] and the expansion plan of the current North American Soccer League stadium.[171] In early December 2014, Garber revealed that San Antonio was "not as far along" as the three other cities under consideration at the time.[172] But the league continues to monitor progress and efforts toward expansion in San Antonio.[173]

On November 4, 2015, the city of San Antonio and Bexar County announced plans to purchase Toyota Field for $18 million with the intentions of acquiring an MLS franchise. Additionally, Spurs Sports & Entertainment, owners of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, would hold a 20-year lease to operate the stadium; if SS&E fails to secure an MLS franchise for the stadium within 10 years, the group would owe the city and county a $5 million penalty.[174] On December 22, 2015, the USL announced that Spurs Sports & Entertainment would operate the league's 31st team, San Antonio FC. The establishment of the club, along with the concurrent purchase of Toyota Field by the city of San Antonio and Bexar County, is part of a plan by local officials to obtain an expansion franchise in Major League Soccer. As a result, the Scorpions franchise was shut down.

On October 16, 2017, Columbus Crew owner Anthony Precourt announced his intentions of moving his club to Austin in 2019 if a new stadium in downtown Columbus was not built. As downtown Austin is approximately 75 miles (120 km) north of downtown San Antonio, the proposed relocation would have been in direct conflict with expansion efforts in San Antonio.[175] However, Jimmy Haslam, owner of the NFL's Cleveland Browns, and Pete Edwards Jr. acquired the Crew in order to keep the club in Columbus and Precourt was granted rights to an expansion franchise in Austin.[176]

Detroit (2016–2020)

[edit]

Triple Sports & Entertainment, a firm owned by Andreas Apostolopoulos, planned to convert the Pontiac Silverdome into a soccer-specific stadium,[177] and applied to MLS for an expansion franchise in June 2011, but without success.[178] The company later submitted plans in July 2013 for the site that is being considered for the current Detroit expansion proposal, but was again unsuccessful.[179][180]

NBA owners Dan Gilbert and Tom Gores unveiled in April 2016 a $1 billion plan to bring an MLS expansion team to Detroit.[181] MLS Commissioner Don Garber has said that Detroit is on the list of cities that could get an expansion team in 2020, and has stated that MLS' interest in Detroit hinges on the fate of the 15-acre site of the stalled Wayne County jail development, which can connect the Greektown Entertainment District, Eastern Market and the three other sports facilities – Comerica Park, Ford Field, and Little Caesars Arena.[182] Their plan received a boost at the end of July when Wayne County Executive Warren Evans announced that he had instructed his team to work towards a final deal on moving the jail and allowing Gilbert and Gores to build the stadium.[183]

Detroit was considered by MLS to be one of the frontrunners for a 2020 bid, but MLS soured on Detroit when the ownership group decided not to build a soccer-specific stadium and to use Ford Field instead.[184]

Raleigh (2016–2019)

[edit]
Owner Steve Malik announces rebranding to North Carolina FC

On December 6, 2016, Carolina Railhawks (later rebranded as North Carolina FC) owner Steve Malik announced a push for Raleigh's minor league team to become an MLS team,[185] and build a privately funded $150 million, 22,000-seat stadium in Wake County.[186] On June 18, 2019, the team unveiled plans for a 20,000-seat stadium as part of a $1.9 billion mixed use development in downtown Raleigh, intended to boost their MLS bid.[187]

Tampa Bay (2016–2017)

[edit]

In December 2016, MLS confirmed that Tampa / St. Petersburg was one of its ten potential expansion cities. Bill Edwards, the majority owner of the Tampa Bay Rowdies started a campaign to join the league.[188] On May 2, 2017, a special election referendum was held in St. Petersburg to vote on the city negotiating a 25-year land lease for the Tampa Bay Rowdies current waterfront Al Lang Stadium and increasing capacity to 18,000 pending MLS expansion acceptance. The vote was 87% in favor of Al Lang Stadium redesign/expansion, and 13% against.[189]

Sacramento (2017–2021)

[edit]
Main article: Sacramento Republic FC

In December 2011, a group led by former California Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez began exploring the possibility of landing an MLS franchise for the Sacramento area, with the suburb of Elk Grove as a possible stadium site.[190] On March 13, 2013, the Elk Grove city council voted unanimously to study potential sites for a soccer-specific stadium in the city that could host either an MLS or NASL team.[191]

Sacramento was granted a USL Pro team that began play in the 2014 season.[192] A group of investors, led by local business leader Warren Smith, expressed their hope to eventually convert this franchise to an MLS team. In November 2013, Smith restated his goal of having the team, christened Sacramento Republic FC, ascend to MLS in 2016.[193]

In August 2014, owners of the Sacramento Kings NBA basketball team led by businessman Vivek Ranadivé expressed an interest in buying Republic FC with the ultimate goal of elevating the team to MLS. They met with league officials during the week of the 2014 MLS All-Star Game, and deputy commissioner Mark Abbott said league executives would visit the city and tour possible stadium locations.[194] Kings owner Ranadive announced in January 2015 that he had joined the Republic ownership group, in a move seen as bolstering the city's chances of landing an MLS berth.[195] Also in January 2015, the York family, owners of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers, agreed to invest in the Republic.[196]

Sacramento's bid is also strengthened by its fan support. Upon their debut in 2014, the Republic set a USL single-game attendance record by selling out their first-ever home game at 20,000-seat Hughes Stadium;[197] since moving to the smaller, soccer-specific stadium now known as Papa Murphy's Park midway through 2014, the team has continued to play in front of capacity crowds. As of January 2015, the club had nearly 10,000 ticket deposits as part of its "Built for MLS" campaign.[195]

In March 2015, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson announced a joint initiative of the city and the club dubbed "Operation Turnkey", which would have stadium construction ready to begin should one of the other expansion candidates without a firm stadium plan fail to come up with one or the league decided to expand beyond 24 teams.[198] In April 2016, MLS commissioner Don Garber announced that the league would expand to 28 teams and said "I hope, and fully expect, Sacramento to be one (of the 28)".[199]

On February 4, 2017, after the official bid package was submitted without the Republic name or brand, Sacramento mayor Darrell Steinberg announced an agreement in principle for the Republic to be acquired by Sac Soccer & Entertainment Holdings, the company behind the submitted bid.[200] Should the city's bid for an MLS expansion team succeed, it will indeed enter the league as Sacramento Republic FC.[200] In July 2017, the group began preparations for building a 19,621-seat stadium in downtown Sacramento for the bid.[201] By October, the group had 10,000 commitments for season tickets for the proposed MLS team.[202]

On January 22, 2019, billionaire Ron Burkle was announced as the Republic's new lead investor to satisfy MLS requirements. Burkle has held a controlling stake in the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins since 1999, and previously made an attempt to buy the Sacramento Kings. Burkle also purchased the Republic's proposed stadium site at the Sacramento Railyards, along with an additional 14 acres to be developed into an entertainment district.[203] On October 21, 2019, the Republic was officially announced as the 29th team in Major League Soccer, scheduled to join the league in 2022.[137]

On July 17, 2020, Sacramento Republic and MLS announced that the team would instead begin play in 2023, due to delays from the COVID-19 pandemic in California.[112] However, on February 26, 2021, MLS announced that Burkle "had decided not to acquire an expansion team in Sacramento," and that the league would continue to work with Sacramento authorities on the future of the expansion plan.[204] As a result, the bid was considered to be on indefinite hiatus, and on March 1 the Republic's logo was removed from the banner at the top of MLSSoccer.com.[7][205] Burkle similarly rejected a Sacramento expansion team in the National Women's Soccer League in conjunction with the Republic bid, and on June 8, 2021, instead announced his investment in San Diego Wave FC to begin play in the 2022 NWSL season.[206]

One year later, the Republic's Cinderella run to the 2022 U.S. Open Cup Final drew national attention, and inspired hopes of reviving the MLS expansion bid through a new investor group.[207]

Louisville (2019–2021)

[edit]

No current plans are in place for Louisville, Kentucky, to bid for a franchise in the league. Louisville City FC plays in the USL and was in the top 4 for league attendance in the 2019 season.[208] The team has constructed a stadium in downtown Louisville. MLS has had discussions with the ownership of the team in the past, although the team president has no plans to place a bid at this time.[209][210] In June 2020, the Mayor of Louisville's office confirmed that the city has been in contact with the Major League Soccer, in coordination with Louisville City FC, for a possible expansion in the future.[211]

Other efforts

[edit]

Rochester, New York, had been mentioned as an expansion candidate due to the success of the Rochester Rhinos. The Rhinos won the US Open Cup in 1999 – the only non-MLS team to win the Cup since MLS began play three years earlier – and the Rhinos averaged over 10,000 fans from 1999 to 2005.[212] In 2006, Don Garber stated: "At some point we want to find a way we can have an MLS team in Rochester."[213] However, the Rhinos saw a downturn in attendance and finances, and the city is no longer under consideration by MLS.[213] The team ceased operations in 2023.[214][215]

Ottawa was a longshot candidate throughout late 2008 and early 2009 for one of two slots for MLS expansion,[216] but the push ended in March 2009 when MLS selected Vancouver and Portland instead.[217] On June 20, 2011, Ottawa was awarded a NASL expansion franchise which began play as Ottawa Fury FC at TD Place Stadium in 2014; Fury FC moved to USL after the 2016 season.[218] The team ceased operations following the 2019 season.[219]

MLS announced in May 2010 its desire for a second franchise in the New York City area. The former owners of the New York Cosmos expressed interest in an MLS expansion franchise, but negotiations between MLS and the Cosmos broke down,[220][221] and the new Cosmos began playing in the North American Soccer League in 2013.[222] The league also met with other prospective ownership groups for a New York expansion team.[223] For example, MLS held talks with New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon.[224][220][225] MLS awarded the second New York franchise to New York City FC in May 2013.[226] Garber confirmed in April 2014 that there would not be a third New York team after the New York Red Bulls and New York City FC.[227]

Indianapolis launched an official bid in January 2017 to upgrade their NASL franchise, the Indy Eleven, to an MLS expansion member, but their bid was not chosen.[228]

Expansion and dispersal drafts

[edit]
Draft Date Team(s) involved Players drafted First overall pick
1997 November 6, 1997 Chicago Fire
Miami Fusion 		24 Danny Pena (Los Angeles Galaxy)
2002
Allocation/Dispersal 		January 11, 2002 Miami Fusion
Tampa Bay Mutiny 		19 Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids; allocation)
Chris Henderson (Colorado Rapids; dispersal)
2004 November 19, 2004 Chivas USA
Real Salt Lake 		20 Arturo Torres (Los Angeles Galaxy)
2006 November 17, 2006 Toronto FC 10 Paulo Nagamura (Los Angeles Galaxy)
2007 November 21, 2007 San Jose Earthquakes 10 Ryan Cochrane (Houston Dynamo)
2008 November 26, 2008 Seattle Sounders FC 14 Nate Jaqua (Houston Dynamo)
2009 November 25, 2009 Philadelphia Union 10 Jordan Harvey (Colorado Rapids)
2010 November 24, 2010 Portland Timbers
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 		20 Dax McCarty (FC Dallas)
2011 November 23, 2011 Montreal Impact 10 Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo)
2014
Dispersal/Expansion 		November 19, 2014 (dispersal)
December 10, 2014 (expansion) 		Chivas USA (dispersal)
New York City FC (expansion)
Orlando City SC (expansion) 		7 (dispersal)
20 (expansion) 		Dan Kennedy (to FC Dallas; dispersal)
Donovan Ricketts (Portland Timbers; expansion)
2016 December 13, 2016 Atlanta United FC
Minnesota United FC 		10 Donny Toia (Montreal Impact)
2017 December 12, 2017 Los Angeles FC 5 Tyler Miller (Seattle Sounders FC)
2018 December 11, 2018 FC Cincinnati 5 Darren Mattocks (D.C. United)
2019 November 19, 2019 Inter Miami CF
Nashville SC 		10 Ben Sweat (New York City FC)
2020 December 15, 2020 Austin FC 5 Danny Hoesen (San Jose Earthquakes)
2021 December 14, 2021 Charlotte FC 5 McKinze Gaines (Austin FC)
2022 November 11, 2022 St. Louis City SC 5 Nicholas Gioacchini (Orlando City)
2024 December 11, 2024 San Diego FC 5 Heine Gikling Bruseth (Orlando City)

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]

Bibliography

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Expansion of Major League Soccer

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The expansion of Major League Soccer (MLS) refers to the professional soccer league's methodical growth from its founding cohort of 10 teams in 1996 to 30 franchises across the United States and Canada by the 2025 season, driven by investor commitments, rising domestic attendance, and strategic market penetration to establish soccer as a viable major sport in North America. This process has involved phased additions, including early increments to 12 teams in 1998 with the Chicago Fire and Miami Fusion, followed by contractions such as the folding of those same Miami and Tampa Bay teams in 2002 amid financial strains, reducing the league temporarily to 10 clubs before a sustained resurgence. A pivotal acceleration occurred from 2005 onward, nearly doubling the league's size to 19 teams by 2014 through entries like Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA in 2005, Toronto FC in 2007, Seattle Sounders in 2009, and Philadelphia Union in 2010, coinciding with the proliferation of soccer-specific stadiums that enhanced fan experience and revenue potential. Subsequent waves added Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers in 2011, New York City FC and Atlanta United in 2017, and Inter Miami CF in 2019, with the most recent milestone being San Diego FC's 2025 debut, which set a league record for expansion-team points in its inaugural campaign. These expansions have been financed by escalating franchise fees—reaching hundreds of millions per team in recent years—enabling reinvestment in infrastructure, player acquisition, and broadcasting deals, though critics have noted potential strains on competitive balance from rapid talent dilution across more squads. The league's single-entity structure has centralized expansion decisions under Commissioner Don Garber's leadership since 1999, prioritizing markets with demonstrated fan bases and ownership groups capable of stadium development, as evidenced by successes like Atlanta United's record-breaking average attendance exceeding 40,000 in its 2017 debut season. This approach has transformed MLS from a post-North American Soccer League recovery effort into a commercially robust entity, with total league valuation surpassing $10 billion by 2025, though ongoing debates persist over whether unchecked growth risks oversaturating secondary markets without commensurate on-field quality improvements.

Foundational Period (1993–2004)

League Foundation and Initial Teams (1993–1996)

Major League Soccer (MLS) originated as a direct response to FIFA's stipulation that the United States establish a professional first-division league to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup. On December 17, 1993, United States Soccer Federation President Alan Rothenberg announced the formation of MLS, initially envisioning a 1995 launch with 12 teams to fulfill this mandate and capitalize on World Cup momentum. Facing delays in securing investors, stadiums, and operational readiness, MLS postponed its inaugural season to 1996 and scaled back to 10 teams, as decided by June 1995. The league prioritized major metropolitan markets for their population density, media reach, and sponsorship potential, awarding franchises to locations including Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, and Columbus, Ohio, while bypassing some traditional soccer hotbeds to focus on broad commercial viability. The original teams comprised Columbus Crew (announced June 1994), D.C. United, Los Angeles Galaxy, MetroStars (New York/New Jersey), New England Revolution, Tampa Bay Mutiny, Colorado Rapids, Dallas Burn, Kansas City Wiz (later Wizards), and San Jose Clash. To address anticipated low initial interest in professional soccer and mitigate financial risks, MLS adopted a single-entity structure in 1995, operating as a where the league centrally owned teams, player contracts, and media rights rather than granting full independence to individual owners. This model, led by , enabled unified cost controls, centralized player allocation via drafts, and coordinated marketing efforts, distinguishing MLS from traditional sports leagues and aiming to ensure league-wide survival in an unproven U.S. market.

First Expansion Waves and Additions (1997–1998)

In April 1997, Major League Soccer announced its first expansion, awarding franchises to Chicago and Miami to begin play in the 1998 season, thereby increasing the league from 10 teams to 12. The selections prioritized markets offering committed ownership groups and opportunities to broaden the league's national footprint, with Chicago filling a Midwest void amid existing teams concentrated on the coasts and in select central regions. Miami, despite prior inconsistent local soccer attendance, was chosen for its potential to tap South Florida's demographic diversity and sponsor interest, complementing the nearby Tampa Bay Mutiny without immediate coastal oversaturation. The Chicago Fire, named on October 8, 1997, to evoke the city's historic Great Fire, secured strong backing from local investors focused on building fan engagement in a soccer-scarce market. This foundation enabled rapid success, including key acquisitions like goalkeeper Jorge Campos and midfielder Peter Nowak via trades and drafts. The Miami Fusion, led by South Florida businessman Roberto Sakowitz, emphasized international talent to appeal to the region's Latin American communities. Both teams participated in the inaugural MLS Expansion Draft on November 6, 1997, where Chicago won the first overall pick via coin toss and selected defender Danny Peña from the Los Angeles Galaxy. These additions reflected MLS's early strategy of measured growth, emphasizing sustainable market entry over aggressive profitability amid the league's single-entity structure and limited revenues, which prioritized sport development and television exposure. The Fire's immediate on-field achievements, including the MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup in their debut year, validated Chicago's selection, while Miami's efforts highlighted challenges in fan mobilization despite competitive play.

Contractions and Market Withdrawals (2001–2002)

In early 2002, Major League Soccer eliminated the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion after the 2001 season, contracting the league from 12 to 10 teams to address chronic financial shortfalls. The announcement came on January 8, 2002, with Commissioner Don Garber stating the move was "extremely difficult" but necessary to stabilize operations amid persistent losses across the league, which had accumulated approximately $350 million from its 1996 inception through 2004. This reduction consolidated resources, allowing remaining franchises to benefit from reallocated player talent and a more focused schedule, though it highlighted the league's vulnerability without robust national broadcasting revenue or widespread fan engagement. The Tampa Bay Mutiny, league-operated since its 1996 founding, folded due to the absence of a committed buyer and ongoing operational deficits driven by low attendance averaging under 10,000 per match in its final seasons, coupled with the lack of a dedicated soccer-specific stadium. Negotiations with potential investors, including the Glazer family (owners of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers), collapsed after MLS raised its asking price for the franchise, underscoring the high barriers to entry in a market saturated with established professional sports teams. Similarly, the Miami Fusion's dissolution stemmed from owner Ken Horowitz's decision to withdraw investment, citing inadequate community backing, corporate sponsorship, and gate receipts that failed to cover costs despite access to a 20,000-seat venue. Both Florida teams operated in close proximity—roughly 250 miles apart—exacerbating revenue dilution in a regional market with limited soccer affinity and competition from MLB, NBA, and NFL franchises. These withdrawals reflected deeper structural issues, including high player salaries relative to ticket and merchandise income, minimal national television exposure under existing ABC and deals that yielded low viewership, and weak local fan bases unable to generate sustainable attendance amid competing entertainment options. The contractions signaled caution against further expansion during an economic slowdown following the 2000-2001 dot-com bust and the , 2001, attacks, which dampened sponsorship inflows and consumer spending on non-essential events like soccer matches. By paring back to core viable markets, MLS averted broader collapse—rumors of which circulated in late 2001—but deferred aggressive growth until improved financial models emerged.

Motivations and Economic Framework

Business Incentives for Expansion

The primary business incentive for MLS expansion lies in the generation of substantial revenue through franchise fees, which have escalated from approximately $5–10 million for early entrants like Toronto FC in 2005 to $100 million for New York City FC in 2013 and a record $500 million for San Diego FC announced in 2023. These fees provide a direct influx of capital to the league's single-entity structure, enabling investments in infrastructure such as stadium developments and operational subsidies for incumbent teams, while mitigating the financial dilution from dividing central revenues among more franchises. Revenue redistribution from expansion fees underpins MLS's emphasis on financial stability over aggressive, European-style proliferation, where uneven income distribution and relegation risks often lead to club insolvencies. In MLS, fees offset shared media and ticket revenues split across an expanding roster of teams—now 30—prioritizing collective profitability through mechanisms like equalized broadcasting deals, which have driven league-wide revenue from $1.6 billion in 2022 to over $2 billion in 2023. This model fosters sustained growth without the volatility seen in Europe, where leagues like Ligue 1 generate higher per-club revenues but face greater disparities. Expansion also facilitates into underserved U.S. and Canadian regions, correlating with broader and media metrics that enhance overall league valuation. Total regular-season reached a record 11.45 million in 2024, with average per-match figures exceeding 23,000, reflecting increased fan engagement in . Concurrently, viewership surged 29% year-over-year in 2025 across linear and streaming platforms, averaging 3.7 million weekly live viewers, bolstering media rights negotiations amid territorial expansion. A further incentive involves cultivating grassroots soccer adoption to build long-term fan bases and talent pipelines, with new teams anchoring local youth programs that have elevated participation rates. MLS initiatives like MLS NEXT now supply 93% of U.S. youth national team players as of mid-2025, leveraging proximity to professional clubs to integrate academies into community development and sustain revenue through future ticket, merchandise, and sponsorship streams. This measured approach contrasts with Europe's talent-export focus, prioritizing domestic ecosystem stability to underpin franchise values averaging near $700 million in 2024.

Expansion Fees and Revenue Distribution

Expansion fees represent a primary financial mechanism for Major League Soccer (MLS) growth, providing upfront capital to the league and its franchises upon awarding new teams. These fees, paid by ownership groups seeking entry, have escalated dramatically over time, reflecting rising franchise valuations and market demand. For instance, the Seattle Sounders FC paid $30 million to join in 2009, while Los Angeles FC committed $110 million in 2014 ahead of its 2018 debut. More recently, San Diego FC's ownership group agreed to a record $500 million fee in 2023 for entry in 2025, surpassing prior highs like the $325 million for Charlotte FC in 2019. This progression—from single-digit millions in the league's early expansions to half a billion dollars—demonstrates causal linkage to MLS's maturation, as higher fees signal investor confidence in untapped markets and revenue potential from media rights, sponsorships, and attendance. The distribution of these fees bolsters league sustainability by compensating existing teams for the dilution of shared revenues, such as central marketing funds and broadcast deals spread across more franchises. While exact splits vary by agreement, fees are allocated to offset operational costs for incumbents and fund league-wide investments in facilities, youth development, and promotion, thereby reducing historical subsidies from ownership and enabling salary cap expansions. For example, proceeds have supported infrastructure upgrades and marketing that correlate with broader financial health, allowing teams to allocate more toward player compensation without external bailouts common in the league's formative years. Empirical data underscores fees' role in revenue escalation: MLS collective revenues hovered below $100 million annually in the early 2000s amid contractions, but climbed to over $1.6 billion by 2022 and exceeded $2 billion in 2023, driven partly by expansion capital reinvested into high-growth areas like sponsorships (up 10% year-over-year in 2024) and player transfers nearing $250 million in recent windows. This influx has facilitated average franchise valuations approaching $700 million by 2024, with fees acting as a buffer against expansion's short-term revenue per team decline while fostering long-term ecosystem expansion.
Expansion TeamEntry YearFee Amount
2009$30 million
2018$110 million
2025$500 million

Selection Criteria and Process

Major League Soccer's expansion selection process begins with the league announcing opportunities for new franchises, inviting formal applications from prospective ownership groups in eligible markets. These bids undergo a confidential review by the commissioner—currently —and an executive committee, focusing on alignment with the league's long-term strategic goals rather than public auctions or open competitions. While public elements like town halls and media announcements build interest, final decisions remain closed-door, prioritizing operational sustainability over speculative hype. Key criteria include a committed ownership group demonstrating financial wherewithal, soccer passion, and local business support, ensuring the franchise can withstand league-wide revenue sharing and development costs. A dedicated soccer-specific stadium is non-negotiable, as it supports matchday revenue, fan experience, and independence from NFL or MLB venues that limit scheduling and branding control. Market evaluations assess demographics, existing soccer infrastructure, and potential fan base without risking cannibalization of nearby teams, favoring regional balance—such as avoiding oversaturation in the Northeast Corridor. Although larger metropolitan areas often align with revenue potential through higher attendance and sponsorships, the league emphasizes viability over sheer population size; for instance, selections like FC Cincinnati succeeded due to robust ownership and stadium commitments despite competing with established Midwest markets, underscoring that demographic metrics alone do not guarantee approval. Preferences may extend to markets with MLS Next Pro affiliates or youth academies, facilitating talent pipelines, but these remain secondary to core financial and infrastructural proofs. This data-informed approach mitigates risks evident in past contractions, where weaker ownership led to failures, though critics note an implicit bias toward metros exceeding 2 million in population for scalable media deals.

First Expansion Era (2005–2014)

Western and Midwestern Additions (2005–2008)

Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake joined Major League Soccer in 2005, expanding the league to twelve teams and prioritizing untapped Western markets with strong potential for fan growth. Chivas USA, based in Carson, California, operated as a second franchise in the Los Angeles area, sharing the Home Depot Center with the LA Galaxy and targeting the region's large Mexican-American demographic through an initial policy of fielding only players of Mexican heritage. Real Salt Lake debuted in Salt Lake City, Utah, utilizing Rice-Eccles Stadium, a venue built for the 2002 Winter Olympics, to establish a foothold in the Intermountain West where no prior professional soccer team had sustained operations. Both teams participated in the 2004 MLS Expansion Draft to build initial rosters from existing clubs. The 2006 season saw the relocation of the franchise to , , rebranded as the Houston Dynamo, addressing stadium and ownership challenges in while entering a market with demonstrated infrastructure readiness at . The move, finalized in December 2005, transferred the club's players, staff, and competitive assets, enabling the Dynamo to achieve immediate on-field success, including an victory in their inaugural season. Toronto FC entered MLS in 2007 as the league's first Canadian franchise, broadening geographic reach northward and capitalizing on the Toronto area's multicultural population and sports infrastructure under ownership by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. The club played home matches at BMO Field, a newly renovated soccer-specific stadium, and selected Maurice Edu first overall in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft to anchor its midfield. In 2008, MLS revived the San Jose Earthquakes name through a new expansion franchise awarded to Bay Area investors, restoring Western Conference balance at seven teams per side after the prior relocation and filling a void in the tech-driven Silicon Valley market with demonstrated fan support. The team began play at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, acquiring key personnel such as goalkeeper Joe Cannon to rebuild competitiveness. This period marked MLS's shift toward deliberate market diversification, emphasizing regions with viable venues and economic backing over saturated Eastern corridors.

Northern and Eastern Expansions (2009–2012)

In 2009, Major League Soccer expanded northward with the addition of Seattle Sounders FC as its 15th franchise, awarded in November 2007 to a ownership group led by film producer Joe Roth and local investors including Adrian Hanauer. The team's entry capitalized on Seattle's established soccer fan base from prior lower-division iterations, resulting in robust attendance from the outset, including 32,523 fans at its March 19 debut match against the New England Revolution. Strong ownership commitment, evidenced by over 22,000 season ticket sales, positioned the Sounders to lead league-wide attendance early in the season. The 2010 season brought eastern expansion to the , filling a gap in the U.S.'s fourth-largest lacking a top-tier soccer club. The Union debuted at the newly constructed PPL Park, a with approximately 18,500 capacity, averaging 19,254 attendees per home match in their inaugural year. This entry targeted Pennsylvania's dense urban population and proximity to existing East Coast franchises, fostering regional rivalries. Further northern growth occurred in 2011 with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, MLS's second Canadian team after Toronto FC, and the Portland Timbers, both transitioning from successful lower-division operations. Vancouver's inclusion emphasized cross-border integration, with MLS mandating a minimum of three Canadian domestic players per roster to bolster national team development amid limited domestic league options. Portland, meanwhile, leveraged its fervent supporter culture, including the Timbers Army group of over 3,600 dedicated fans, to sell out all 17 home games at the renovated PGE Park, drawing consistent crowds exceeding 18,000. These additions prioritized markets with proven soccer enthusiasm over untapped commercial potential, enhancing league attendance through organic fan engagement. The period culminated in 2012 with the Montreal Impact, the league's first French-Canadian franchise, entering as the 19th team and third in Canada. Operating from the new Olympic Park Stadium (later Saputo Stadium), the Impact averaged 22,772 fans per match, ranking third league-wide and setting local records on multiple occasions despite initial on-field struggles. This expansion extended cross-border dynamics, providing Quebec's bilingual market additional pathways for player development while navigating linguistic and cultural distinctions in a predominantly English-language league structure. Canadian franchises like Montreal and Vancouver participated in the domestic Canadian Championship for CONCACAF qualification rather than the U.S. Open Cup, reflecting tailored integration to support national federations without diluting league competitiveness. Overall, these moves from 2009 to 2012 boosted MLS's average attendance through high-demand northern markets, averaging over 18,000 per game league-wide by 2012.

Team Dissolutions and Relocations (2006–2014)

In 2006, the San Jose Earthquakes franchise was relocated to Houston, Texas, where it was rebranded as the Houston Dynamo, primarily due to the original ownership group's failure to secure a dedicated soccer-specific stadium in the Bay Area amid ongoing lease disputes at Spartan Stadium. This move preserved the league's investment in the franchise by shifting it to a market demonstrating stronger commitment through a temporary use of Rice University's Robertson Stadium and subsequent plans for permanent facilities, avoiding contraction. The Dynamo quickly achieved viability, capturing MLS Cup titles in both 2006 and 2007 under coach Dominic Kinnear, with improved operational stability from the relocation. This adjustment exemplified relocations as a mechanism for market optimization, enabling sustained competitiveness without fragmenting support in underperforming venues. The Houston relocation underscored empirical benefits for league health, as the franchise transitioned from chronic infrastructure deficits in San Jose—where attendance and revenue lagged—to a supportive environment that bolstered on-field success and fan engagement, later facilitating a fresh expansion back to San Jose in 2008 with retained historical records. No additional relocations occurred between 2007 and 2014, reflecting stabilized operations amid expansion, though the strategy demonstrated how targeted shifts could enhance overall viability without diluting established markets. By contrast, the period's sole dissolution involved Chivas USA, whose operations ceased after the 2014 season on October 27, following a unanimous MLS Board of Governors vote after the league assumed control from owner Jorge Vergara in February 2014 amid disputes over management and branding. The club's failure stemmed from restrictive "Chivas model" policies emphasizing Mexican nationals, which alienated broader Los Angeles demographics and competed unsuccessfully against the established LA Galaxy, resulting in chronic low attendance averaging 7,063 per home game—the lowest in MLS that year. Ownership mismanagement, including reported staff firings on ethnic grounds and failure to adapt commercially, compounded financial losses exceeding $20 million annually, rather than league-wide saturation from expansions. Chivas USA's folding highlighted isolated operational deficiencies over systemic expansion pressures, as the league promptly planned a replacement franchise in Los Angeles—eventually LAFC in 2018—demonstrating that targeted dissolutions of mismanaged entities preserved resource allocation for viable markets without broader contraction. This event marked the third MLS franchise cessation historically, but the first in nearly a decade, affirming relocations and selective terminations as efficient tools for maintaining league integrity during growth.

Accelerated Growth Phase (2015–2025)

Eastern and Southern Markets (2015–2017)

In 2015, Major League Soccer expanded into prominent Eastern and Southern markets with the additions of New York City FC and Orlando City SC, increasing the league to 20 teams and targeting high-visibility urban centers and emerging Sun Belt regions. New York City FC, owned by the City Football Group consortium including Manchester City, commenced operations on March 8, 2015, hosting home matches at Yankee Stadium under a temporary agreement that converted the baseball field for soccer use. This arrangement, while providing access to a major venue with over 30,000 capacity, drew criticism for suboptimal pitch conditions and dimensions ill-suited to the sport, highlighting ongoing challenges in securing dedicated soccer facilities in dense markets. Orlando City SC, transitioning from the United Soccer League after strong attendance in lower divisions, also debuted in 2015, playing initial seasons at the Citrus Bowl before committing to a soccer-specific stadium downtown. The club's approval hinged on firm plans for a 25,500-seat venue, with construction beginning in late 2014 and accelerating through 2015 despite logistical hurdles like existing infrastructure on the site, underscoring MLS's emphasis on purpose-built facilities to ensure viability and fan commitment in Sun Belt growth areas. This rapid development timeline, completed ahead of the 2017 season, exemplified how stadium pledges facilitated expansion into underserved Southern markets with burgeoning populations. By 2017, the league further targeted Southern dynamism and established soccer footholds with Atlanta United FC and Minnesota United FC, elevating the total to 22 teams and amplifying national visibility through record-breaking early performance. Atlanta United, backed by Home Depot co-founder Arthur M. Blank, launched in Mercedes-Benz Stadium—a multi-purpose venue completed that year—capitalizing on the city's economic expansion and drawing average crowds exceeding 47,000 in its inaugural season, the highest for any expansion team. The club rapidly ascended in value, reaching an estimated $500 million by 2019, driven by strong revenue and on-field success that outpaced historical MLS newcomers. Minnesota United, relocating from the North American Soccer League with a loyal fanbase rooted in the region's NASL legacy, began play sharing TCF Bank Stadium while developing Allianz Field, a privately funded $250 million soccer-specific project approved via state incentives, reflecting MLS's strategy to leverage heritage markets for sustained growth.

Western Reinforcements and Midwest Entry (2018–2019)

In 2018, Los Angeles FC debuted in Major League Soccer as the 23rd franchise and a Western Conference addition, creating an immediate intra-market rivalry with the established LA Galaxy and reinforcing the league's presence on the West Coast. Owned by a consortium including Magic Johnson and Peter Thiel, LAFC opened the 22,000-seat Banc of California Stadium and posted a strong inaugural regular-season record of 19 wins, 7 losses, and 8 draws, earning 65 points and third place in the Western Conference. This performance qualified LAFC for the playoffs—the fifth expansion team in league history to reach the postseason in its first year—and marked a competitive boost for the conference, where LAFC challenged incumbents like Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas for supremacy. The El Tráfico derby between LAFC and the Galaxy elevated local soccer's profile, with the inaugural matchup on March 31, 2018, drawing significant attention despite the Galaxy's temporary venue at the StubHub Center. LAFC advanced to the Western Conference semifinals before falling to the Galaxy, but the rivalry's intensity contributed to sustained fan engagement, helping LAFC average over 20,000 attendees per home game in a stadium with limited capacity and setting the stage for the club's deeper playoff runs in subsequent years. On May 29, 2018, MLS granted expansion rights to FC Cincinnati for a 2019 Eastern Conference entry, the 26th team overall and the league's initial foray into Ohio as a means to tap untapped Midwest markets beyond Chicago. Cincinnati's bid succeeded over competitors like Sacramento Republic FC and St. Louis due to its proven fan commitment—evidenced by USL Championship records of 437,197 total attendees and a 25,717 average in 2018—and firm plans for a privately funded, soccer-specific stadium in the West End neighborhood, aligning with MLS criteria emphasizing dedicated facilities over larger-city promises lacking concrete infrastructure progress. The $150 million expansion fee reflected the value of this market readiness. FC Cincinnati commenced play at Nippert Stadium, a university facility adapted for soccer with a capacity exceeding 30,000, while construction advanced on the 21,000-seat West End Stadium for 2021 occupancy. Competitively, the team faltered in its debut year with a league-worst 6–22–6 record and a record 75 goals conceded, highlighting roster-building challenges common to expansions; however, it achieved immediate market penetration, averaging 27,336 fans per home match for third-highest MLS attendance and totaling over 464,000 supporters, which validated the Midwest entry's commercial viability despite on-field results.

Southern and Central Additions (2020–2023)

In 2020, Major League Soccer added its 25th and 26th franchises, Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC, marking the league's entry into new southern markets amid the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Inter Miami CF, owned by a group including David Beckham who exercised a discounted expansion option from his 2007 LA Galaxy contract, succeeded where prior Miami bids by Traffic Sports Group had failed due to insufficient stadium commitments and financial instability. Nashville SC, awarded the franchise on December 20, 2017, to owner John Ingram, benefited from the city's rapid population growth and existing lower-division infrastructure, launching play at Nissan Stadium before transitioning to GEODIS Park. These additions demonstrated MLS's commitment to southern expansion, targeting Sun Belt regions with high demographic potential despite logistical challenges from the pandemic, including delayed stadium developments and restricted fan attendance. The league continued its growth into Texas with Austin FC as the 27th team in 2021, capitalizing on the state's economic boom and avoiding pandemic-related delays through a privately financed $225 million stadium project on city-owned land. Austin's selection in January 2019 followed competitive bidding and emphasized a soccer-specific venue in the Q2 Stadium, designed to seat 20,000 with integrated public spaces, reflecting MLS's priority on dedicated facilities to ensure long-term viability. This entry reinforced the Sun Belt strategy, as Austin's tech-driven population influx aligned with MLS's focus on untapped markets beyond traditional coastal hubs. Charlotte FC joined as the 28th franchise in 2022, its debut postponed from 2021 due to COVID-19 disruptions affecting stadium renovations at Bank of America Stadium and broader league scheduling. Owned by David Tepper, who paid a record $325 million expansion fee, the team targeted North Carolina's growing metro area with ambitions to leverage Tepper's sports ownership experience from the NFL's Carolina Panthers. The delay allowed additional preparation time, including a December 2021 expansion draft, enabling Charlotte to build a roster suited to the competitive Eastern Conference while highlighting MLS's adaptability to external shocks. St. Louis City SC entered as the 29th team in 2023, filling a central U.S. void accelerated by the NFL St. Louis Rams' 2016 relocation to Los Angeles, which had left the city seeking a marquee sports anchor. Awarded in August 2019 to a group led by Carolyn Kindle and Jim Kavanaugh, the franchise debuted at CityPark, a $450 million soccer-specific stadium in the revitalized Mill Creek Valley district, after its own COVID-induced delay from 2022. St. Louis achieved unprecedented inaugural success, posting a 17-10-7 regular-season record to clinch the Western Conference's top seed and the Supporters' Shield—the first for an expansion team—while setting MLS records with five straight opening wins and the most victories by a debut club. This performance underscored the potential for rapid competitiveness in underserved markets, bolstering league resilience post-pandemic through strategic ownership and venue investments.

Latest Expansion: San Diego FC (2025)

San Diego FC was awarded Major League Soccer's 30th franchise on May 18, 2023, following an expansion fee of $500 million paid by the ownership group led by Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, marking the highest fee in league history at the time. The team debuted in the 2025 season, playing home matches at the 35,000-seat Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California, a multi-purpose venue previously used by San Diego State University and the NWSL's San Diego Wave FC. Mansour's involvement brings established international soccer connections, including investments in English Premier League clubs, while the Sycuan Nation's participation underscores local indigenous stakeholder engagement and sponsorship commitments. In its inaugural 2025 regular season, San Diego FC achieved a record-breaking performance for an expansion team, securing 19 wins and clinching the top spot in the Western Conference standings with a 4-0 victory over the Portland Timbers on October 17. This surpassed the previous benchmarks set by Los Angeles FC (17 wins in 2018) and St. Louis CITY SC (17 wins in 2023), demonstrating exceptional on-field cohesion under head coach and sporting director Tommy Albjerg. Attendance figures reflected strong fan support, with an average of 28,064 per home match (excluding Leagues Cup games) and a single-game record of 34,506 at the opener, contributing to the league's second-highest total attendance of 11.2 million fans across the season. The addition of San Diego FC addressed competitive imbalances on the West Coast, where Los Angeles clubs had dominated regional representation and resources since LAFC's 2018 entry, by introducing a third California-based team to foster rivalry depth and market diversification without immediate territorial conflicts. Ownership's ties to San Diego's tech ecosystem—via Snapdragon Stadium's naming rights linked to Qualcomm—and broader sports investments positioned the club for sustainable growth, emphasizing youth academy development and community integration to counterbalance the entertainment-heavy markets of Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Failed and Stalled Bids

Early and Mid-2000s Efforts (2004–2009)

Following the contraction of the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny in 2002, Major League Soccer prioritized financial recovery over aggressive expansion in the mid-2000s, having incurred cumulative losses exceeding $350 million from its 1996 inception through 2004. This caution manifested in stalled bids where prospective markets could not resolve critical hurdles in ownership stability or infrastructure commitments. In Cleveland, MLS identified the city as a candidate for one of two planned expansions ahead of the 2005 season, with local developer Bert Wolstein signing a letter of intent to serve as principal investor. Wolstein's unexpected death on May 16, 2004, at age 77 disrupted the process, leaving the bid without a committed ownership group and ultimately causing it to fail by late 2006. San Antonio advanced an early expansion initiative, securing a conditional agreement with MLS on April 14, 2005, for a franchise to launch in 2006 provided the city met requirements for ownership, fan support, and venue upgrades. The push faltered due to insufficient commitment to develop a soccer-specific stadium, with plans relying on temporary use of multipurpose facilities like the Alamodome proving inadequate for league standards. A renewed Miami bid, building on interest after the Fusion's demise, progressed through 2008 with potential ownership in place but withdrew on March 3, 2009. The collapse stemmed from the ongoing recession's impact on financing, particularly for a required soccer-specific stadium, prompting mutual agreement between the group and MLS that conditions were not viable.

2010s Regional Bids (2011–2017)

In the early to mid-2010s, Major League Soccer evaluated several regional expansion bids from Sun Belt and Midwestern markets, but most were rejected primarily due to inadequate stadium infrastructure, uncertain public funding commitments, and lingering doubts about market viability following prior professional soccer failures in those areas. San Antonio pursued a persistent campaign from 2011 onward, leveraging its substantial Hispanic population—estimated at over 60% of residents and a key demographic for soccer fandom—but repeatedly stalled on securing a suitable soccer-specific stadium. San Antonio's bid intensified in 2017 amid competition from nearby Austin, with local interests proposing expansions to Toyota Field to meet MLS's 20,000-seat minimum, backed by $18 million in initial city and county funds for acquisition and upgrades. However, MLS officials explicitly warned that approving San Antonio would be untenable if Austin advanced, citing territorial overlap and infrastructure shortfalls, leading to the bid's rejection as Austin secured the franchise. The emphasis on dedicated stadiums over multi-purpose venues underscored broader league priorities for controlled fan experiences and revenue streams, gaps that San Antonio could not bridge despite strong community support evidenced by USL affiliate San Antonio FC's attendance averages exceeding 6,000 per match. Tampa Bay's 2016 bid, spearheaded by USL's Tampa Bay Rowdies owner Bill Edwards, proposed renovating Al Lang Stadium on St. Petersburg's waterfront with up to $80 million in private investment to achieve MLS standards, following a successful May 2017 referendum approving $72 million in public bonds for related infrastructure. Despite this progress, the effort faltered by late 2017 due to ownership stability concerns and historical market challenges stemming from the Tampa Bay Mutiny's 2001 contraction amid low attendance and financial losses, which had eroded confidence in the region's ability to sustain top-tier soccer without diversified revenue. MLS ultimately prioritized more robust markets, declining Tampa in favor of Cincinnati, Nashville, and others in the 2018 expansion round. Midwestern attempts, such as Detroit's, faced similar economic scrutiny; a 2011 application from Silverdome owners aimed at suburban play but lacked a compelling urban stadium plan, while a 2017 push backed by billionaire investors Tom Gores and Dan Gilbert proposed a downtown site yet hinged on unresolved public funding and site viability amid Detroit's post-recession recovery. Raleigh's nascent 2017 bid via North Carolina FC outlined a $150 million downtown stadium on state-owned land but was eliminated from shortlists by November, reflecting concerns over smaller metropolitan population (around 1.4 million) and competition from established Southeastern markets like Atlanta. These rejections highlighted MLS's risk-averse strategy, favoring bids with verifiable infrastructure timelines over speculative economic potential in secondary markets.

Late 2010s and Early 2020s Proposals (2016–2021)

In the late 2010s, Major League Soccer received overlapping expansion proposals as the league targeted growth to 28 teams by 2020 and eventually 30, intensifying competition among bidder cities. MLS emphasized criteria such as verified market demand, committed soccer-specific stadium financing, and stable ownership groups capable of paying expansion fees exceeding $200 million per team. This period saw bids from markets with established United Soccer League (USL) franchises, where fan enthusiasm was evident through high attendance—Sacramento Republic FC averaged over 11,000 fans per home match in 2017—but ultimate selection favored locations with stronger projected corporate support and media market size. Sacramento's bid, led by investor Kevin Nagle, was submitted on January 31, 2017, highlighting the Republic FC's USL success and plans for a 19,000-seat downtown stadium. The city advanced to the finalist stage in November 2017 alongside Cincinnati, Detroit, and Nashville for two expansion spots, buoyed by 10,000 season ticket commitments and minority ownership ties to the Sacramento Kings NBA team. However, MLS awarded the franchises to Cincinnati and Nashville in December 2017, citing superior overall market viability including larger television markets and diversified sponsorship potential over Sacramento's smaller metropolitan area (DMA rank 20). Sacramento resubmitted a bid in April 2019 under Sac Soccer & Entertainment Holdings, securing conditional approval as the 29th team on October 21, 2019, with a targeted 2022 debut and $250 million expansion fee. The effort collapsed on February 26, 2021, when lead investor Ron Burkle withdrew, attributing the decision to COVID-19-related financial strains, escalating construction costs for the planned $300 million stadium, and project uncertainties. Louisville, home to USL's Louisville City FC, expressed expansion interest amid the 2019-2021 window, with ownership evaluating a formal application in March 2021 following strong local attendance and stadium plans at Lynn Family Stadium. Despite demonstrated fan enthusiasm—evidenced by sellouts and community support—the bid stalled due to the city's small media market (DMA rank 51) and perceived risks of limited revenue streams in a region dominated by University of Louisville basketball and Kentucky Derby horse racing. MLS commissioner Don Garber noted in league communications that smaller markets required exceptional proof of sustainability, which Louisville lacked compared to prioritized Sun Belt growth areas; the group instead secured a National Women's Soccer League expansion team for 2021. Indianapolis's Indy Eleven submitted an MLS application on January 31, 2017, as one of 12 initial bidders, proposing a downtown stadium between Lucas Oil Stadium and the White River State Park with partial state funding of $20 million. The bid included commitments for 6,500 season tickets but faltered by 2019, as Indiana lawmakers revised the $150 million stadium financing to demand a 25-year community benefits agreement and greater private investment from owners, amid disputes over public subsidies. MLS deprioritized the market due to unresolved stadium guarantees and competition from secured bids elsewhere, underscoring the league's insistence on binding construction timelines to mitigate relocation risks seen in prior expansions.

Patterns in Failures and Lessons Learned

A recurring pattern in stalled MLS expansion bids involves failures to secure stadium financing, particularly when reliant on public subsidies that face voter rejection due to concerns over taxpayer burdens. In multiple instances, proposed measures for public funding of soccer-specific stadiums have been defeated at the ballot box, highlighting the causal risk of over-dependence on government support amid fiscal conservatism in host cities. This issue underscores a first-principles lesson: viable expansions demand robust private investment to mitigate political volatility, as stadium infrastructure represents 70-80% of upfront capital costs in professional sports ventures. Weak ownership groups, lacking sufficient financial depth or long-term commitment, constitute another prevalent pitfall, often exacerbating stadium delays by failing to demonstrate the league's required equity thresholds—typically $150-300 million in franchise fees and operational reserves. MLS evaluators prioritize ownership stability as a core criterion, viewing it as a proxy for sustainability, since undercapitalized groups historically struggle with ongoing losses in nascent markets. Market overlap with existing franchises further compounds risks, as geographic proximity dilutes fan bases and ticket revenue potential, a factor evident in regions with clustered teams where demand fails to scale proportionally. Empirically, successful MLS markets exhibit average attendances exceeding 20,000 per match, driven by verifiable local soccer enthusiasm, whereas failed bids frequently rely on inflated projections detached from baseline data like lower-division turnout or regional participation rates. This disparity reveals a key lesson: expansions should privilege evidenced demand—quantified through youth academies, amateur leagues, or proven secondary-market events—over speculative modeling, which often overlooks causal barriers like competing sports loyalties in U.S. markets. Over-optimism in projections ignores the reality that MLS viability hinges on 15,000-20,000 consistent payers to cover $50-100 million annual operating expenses. The league's deliberate conservatism in expansion pacing draws directly from the North American Soccer League's 1984 collapse, where rapid growth to 24 teams in unready markets, fueled by short-term expansion fees, led to aggregate losses exceeding $100 million and franchise insolvencies. By contrast, MLS has sustained growth through vetted criteria, avoiding dilution of media rights or competitive quality, though critics argue this caution occasionally forgoes viable opportunities in favor of risk aversion. This approach prioritizes causal sustainability—ensuring each addition bolsters league-wide revenues—over volume, fostering resilience against economic downturns.

Expansion Mechanisms

Expansion and Dispersal Drafts

The MLS Expansion Draft enables newly admitted teams to build initial rosters by selecting unprotected players from existing clubs' lists. Each incumbent team submits a protection list, typically shielding up to 12 senior roster players, along with all Homegrown Players and certain Generation Adidas signees, leaving others eligible for selection. The expansion side receives a limited number of picks—such as five for San Diego FC in the December 11, 2024, draft—to avoid excessive talent concentration or depletion of any single roster; once a club loses one player, it becomes ineligible for further losses in that draft. San Diego FC utilized this mechanism to acquire defender Hamady Diop from Charlotte FC, fullback/midfielder Jasper Löffelsend from Colorado Rapids, and midfielder Heine Gikling Bruseth from Orlando City SC, bolstering defensive depth for their 2025 debut. Selections occur sequentially with a three-minute timer per pick, prohibiting trades during the process to ensure orderly distribution. Dispersal Drafts address the redistribution of players from defunct or dissolved franchises, prioritizing league-wide parity by allowing one selection per existing team from the available pool in a predetermined order, often set via weighted lottery favoring lower-performing clubs. Following the 2014 contraction of Chivas USA, the league conducted a Dispersal Draft on November 19, where FC Dallas selected goalkeeper Dan Kennedy as the top pick, followed by choices like forward Eric Avila by New York City FC; seven players were ultimately claimed across the 19 participating teams, with clubs assuming full contract obligations. This format, distinct from expansion drafts by excluding new entrants from initial rounds and limiting picks to prevent hoarding, ensures even talent dispersal without favoring any one side. Both mechanisms incorporate safeguards, such as discovery claims or compensation via allocation money for lost players, to balance competitive equity.

Allocation and Roster Building

General Allocation Money (GAM) and Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) provide expansion teams with flexible financial tools to accelerate roster construction by signing players, reducing Designated Player salary cap charges, or facilitating intra-league trades. Under MLS roster rules, new franchises receive supplemental GAM beyond the standard annual distribution—such as San Diego FC's additional $2,765,000 allocated for its 2025 inaugural season—to offset the lack of established talent pools and enable competitive spending. GAM totals $2,930,000 per club league-wide in 2025, but expansion bonuses allow rapid acquisition of high-value assets, often traded for established stars to bolster lineups ahead of debut seasons. The allocation process further aids new teams by establishing a priority ranking for signing "allocated players," typically U.S. or Canadian national team members returning from abroad or select prospects, preventing bidding wars among clubs. Expansion franchises can inherit or trade for favorable positions on the Allocation Ranking List, granting first refusal rights and enabling quick integration of proven talent without dispersal draft limitations. Combined with Designated Player slots—capped at three per team but expandable via GAM/TAM reductions—this mechanism has allowed newcomers to target marquee signings, as seen in aggressive trades for forwards and midfielders that align with ownership investment in scouting networks. Discovery claims and international roster slots offer additional pathways for global recruitment, particularly vital for expansion sides lacking domestic pipelines. Each club maintains a Discovery List of up to five non-MLS players for priority signing rights, with expansion teams like San Diego FC permitted seven slots through their compliance date to scout and claim targets abroad without competition. International slots, totaling 241 league-wide and tradable in full-season increments, cap foreign signings at eight per team but enable purchases of extra slots from cash-strapped rivals, facilitating the import of South American or European talent essential for early competitiveness. These tools have empirically enabled expansion teams to achieve rapid viability, exemplified by Atlanta United's 2017 debut where strategic GAM trades and international acquisitions propelled the club to the playoffs—the third such instance for a newcomer—through signings like Josef Martínez as a Designated Player. Such mechanisms counter initial dilution risks by prioritizing quality over quantity, allowing new entrants to integrate high-caliber players faster than draft-dependent builds alone would permit, as evidenced by Atlanta's average attendance exceeding 48,000 and postseason qualification in year one.

Impacts on League Quality and Sustainability

Growth in Popularity and Revenue

Following expansions that increased the number of teams from 16 in 2010 to 30 by 2025, Major League Soccer experienced substantial growth in attendance, with league-wide averages rising from approximately 16,570 per match in 2010 to over 23,000 by 2024 before settling at 21,988 in 2025. This more than 30% increase over the period correlates with the introduction of teams in high-demand markets like Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Seattle, which drew consistent crowds exceeding 30,000 annually and contributed to total seasonal attendance surpassing 11 million spectators for the first time in 2024. Viewership metrics further underscore this popularity surge, with MLS averaging 3.7 million gross live match viewers per week across streaming and linear platforms in 2025, marking a 29% year-over-year increase from 2024. The league's 10-year, $2.5 billion media rights agreement with Apple, initiated in 2023 and providing a minimum annual guarantee of $250 million, enhanced global accessibility and production quality, directly boosting domestic and international engagement in expanded markets. Revenue streams expanded concurrently, with league sponsorships reaching a record $665 million in 2024, up 13% from the prior year, fueled by partnerships tied to new franchises and their local economic impacts. Overall league revenues, which stood at around $902 million in 2019, have climbed toward $2 billion annually by 2025, driven by the Apple deal's stability, expansion fees exceeding $500 million per new team in recent rounds, and ancillary income from merchandise and stadium developments in growing regions. This financial and fanbase expansion aligns temporally with broader U.S. soccer momentum, including consistent U.S. Men's National Team qualifications for FIFA World Cups since 1990 and heightened anticipation for the 2026 tournament co-hosted by the U.S., where MLS-provided talent pathways have supported national team performances and domestic interest. Expansions have thus amplified soccer's cultural footprint, with new markets generating economic multipliers through tourism, local business patronage, and youth participation programs that sustain long-term growth.

Criticisms of Talent Dilution and Competitive Imbalance

Critics have argued that Major League Soccer's rapid expansion from 10 teams in 1996 to 30 by the 2025 season has diluted overall talent by spreading limited high-caliber players across more rosters, potentially lowering match quality and hindering the league's competitiveness against established European leagues. This concern stems from the finite pool of elite global talent willing to join MLS, where salaries lag behind top European clubs, making it harder for all 30 teams to field competitive squads simultaneously. Empirical data shows mixed evidence of dilution. While average goals per game have fluctuated—rising to 3.11 in 2024 from 2.76 in 2023—critics debate whether this reflects improved attacking play or merely compensates for defensive weaknesses in expanded rosters lacking depth. New expansion teams often post low initial win rates, such as Vancouver Whitecaps' 6 wins in 34 matches (approximately 18% win rate) in their 2011 debut season, suggesting temporary quality drops as franchises build from scratch via drafts and free agency. However, outliers like St. Louis City SC, which started 2023 with four straight wins, indicate variability rather than systemic decline. Proponents of expansion counter that the league's single-entity salary cap, set at around $5.2 million per team in 2024 plus targeted allocations, enforces parity and prevents the extreme imbalances seen in uncapped leagues, fostering competitive balance across teams. MLS Commissioner Don Garber has dismissed dilution fears, asserting an "unlimited amount of talent" available globally and domestically to support 30 teams without compromising quality. A realist perspective acknowledges short-term challenges in a maturing U.S. market, where expansion drives necessary infrastructure and fan growth despite initial roster pains, but warns against overexpansion beyond 30 teams, as further additions could exacerbate talent scarcity and travel burdens without proportional revenue gains to fund higher salaries. This view prioritizes causal links between team count and player distribution, rejecting alarmist narratives while emphasizing empirical monitoring of metrics like Designated Player acquisitions, which have concentrated stars in fewer clubs amid broader expansion.

Financial and Operational Risks

High expansion fees, often exceeding $500 million as seen in the 2023 San Diego FC agreement, compel prospective owners to secure substantial financing, frequently through leveraged debt or equity infusions that strain initial operations. This financial leverage heightens vulnerability to revenue shortfalls, as exemplified by Inter Miami CF, which generated only $50–$60 million in annual revenue prior to Lionel Messi's 2023 arrival, contributing to operational losses common among expansion teams reliant on future growth. While league bailouts remain rare due to the single-entity structure, the system's revenue pooling provides indirect support, though it underscores dependency on collective rather than individual profitability. Operationally, expansion correlates with intensified schedules, including additional matches from playoffs, international commitments, and events like the Leagues Cup, which congest fixture lists and elevate injury incidence. Studies indicate that multi-match weeks—common in such periods—increase total injury rates, with match and training injuries rising significantly during congestion defined as two games within 96 hours. A six-year team analysis further links fixture congestion to heightened injury risk, potentially by 10–15% in overloaded periods, as recovery time diminishes and fatigue accumulates. Critics argue this operational strain, unmitigated by proportional squad depth investments, compromises player welfare and long-term sustainability amid league growth. Revenue sharing mechanisms, distributing media rights and central revenues equally, partially offset these risks by stabilizing cash flows across teams. However, detractors highlight an overreliance on league subsidies—such as Soccer United Marketing's role in financing operations—as masking underlying unprofitability, with many clubs posting individual losses despite rising valuations. This model prioritizes expansion-driven equity gains over organic per-team earnings, prompting debates on whether it fosters genuine financial resilience or perpetuates structural dependencies.

Current and Future Candidates

Leading Markets: Las Vegas and Phoenix

Las Vegas has positioned itself as a frontrunner for MLS's 31st franchise following the league's expansion to 30 teams with San Diego FC's debut in 2025. An ownership group comprising Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Wes Edens and developer Naseef Sawiris secured an exclusive negotiation agreement with MLS for a team in the Las Vegas Valley, emphasizing the market's potential for high attendance driven by its status as a global tourism and entertainment hub. MLS Commissioner Don Garber has publicly favored Las Vegas over other contenders, citing its infrastructure readiness and ability to draw crowds comparable to major events, with venue discussions centering on access to Allegiant Stadium or a new soccer-specific facility to capitalize on the city's 42 million annual visitors. Phoenix, with a metropolitan population surpassing 5 million residents, represents another strong contender due to its untapped soccer market and established base in United Soccer League's Phoenix Rising FC, which has cultivated local fan support since 2017. Efforts to secure MLS entry gained momentum in early 2025 when former Mesa Mayor John Giles initiated serious discussions for a franchise in the East Valley suburb, highlighting the need for a dedicated stadium upgrade from Phoenix Rising's current 6,200-capacity venue to meet MLS standards of at least 20,000 seats. Proponents project average attendances exceeding 15,000, leveraging the region's rapid population growth and potential for a "desert rivalry" with a Las Vegas team to boost regional interest, though ownership commitments remain preliminary compared to Las Vegas.

Other Potential Sites and Strategic Considerations

Indianapolis has emerged as a prominent secondary market for MLS expansion, with city officials announcing a formal bid in April 2024 backed by the proposed Eleven Park development, which includes a 20,000-seat soccer-specific stadium as part of a $1.5 billion mixed-use project. MLS Commissioner Don Garber expressed encouragement for early discussions with Indianapolis stakeholders in July 2024, though he emphasized no immediate plans beyond the league's 30th team in San Diego for 2025. The city's metro population of approximately 2.1 million and existing soccer infrastructure, including the Indy Eleven USL team, position it as a viable mid-market option, though expansion fees exceeding $500 million—mirroring San Diego's—pose financial hurdles. Revival efforts in markets like Cleveland, which previously failed a 2007 expansion bid due to insufficient ownership commitment, have gained limited traction through the launch of an MLS NEXT Pro team in 2025, a developmental league serving as a potential testing ground for top-tier viability. Additional Canadian expansion, beyond existing clubs in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, could target cities like Calgary or Edmonton to tap untapped North American demand, aligning with MLS's cross-border strategy while avoiding U.S. market saturation. Strategically, MLS aims for a total of up to 32 teams to balance growth with competitive integrity, as articulated by Garber, who has advocated pausing after 30 to evaluate talent distribution and revenue sustainability rather than pursuing unchecked expansion. Post-2026 FIFA World Cup hosting across North America offers leverage through upgraded stadium infrastructure and heightened soccer interest, potentially converting temporary enthusiasm into sustained attendance and viewership gains, though Garber stresses prioritizing "long-lasting" domestic league health over rapid proliferation. Empirical attendance models indicate viability in mid-sized markets like Indianapolis, where factors such as stadium capacity, local promotions, and competitive success drive per-game turnout, supporting a cap around 14-16 teams per conference to maintain average revenues above $100 million per club without diluting talent pools. This approach counters growth-for-growth imperatives by favoring markets with demonstrated fan bases and fiscal stability, ensuring long-term operational resilience amid rising player salaries and media rights demands.

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