The 2025 season is the upcoming first season for San Diego FC in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top flight of professional club soccer in the United States. San Diego FC was announced as an expansion team on May 18, 2023, under the ownership of Egyptian businessman Mohamed Mansour and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, a local indigenous tribe.[1] The team will play their home matches at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, which it will share with San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the San Diego State Aztecs football team.[2]
| 2025 season | ||
|---|---|---|
| General manager | Tyler Heaps | |
| Head coach | Mikey Varas | |
| Stadium | Snapdragon Stadium | |
| Major League Soccer | TBD | |
| MLS Cup Playoffs | TBD | |
| U.S. Open Cup | TBD | |
| Leagues Cup | TBD | |
|
| ||
Former FC Dallas and United States men's national team assistant coach Mikey Varas was hired as the club's first head coach on September 16, 2024.[3] The 2024 MLS expansion draft will take place on December 11, 2024, and allow San Diego FC to select up to five players from other MLS teams based on eligibility requirements. The team will also get the first pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft, which is scheduled to take place on December 20, 2024.[4]
The first San Diego FC players, including Designated Player and Mexican forward Hirving "Chucky" Lozano, were sent on loan until they join the club in January 2025.[5] The club plans to use players from the international Right to Dream academy system and other teams owned by Mansour, including FC Nordsjælland.[6][7] The first regular season match for San Diego FC is scheduled to be played on February 23 against the LA Galaxy. The team's first home match is scheduled for March 1 against St. Louis City SC.[8]
Preseason
editThe preseason camp for San Diego FC is scheduled to begin on January 11, 2025, with the first training sessions two days later. The club's first training matches will be played behind closed doors against Phoenix Rising FC and Sacramento Republic FC, both from the second-division USL Championship.[9] San Diego FC will play in the 2025 Coachella Valley Invitational in February at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, against New York City FC, the Portland Timbers, and New York Red Bulls. Sister club San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League will also travel to California to play in the tournament's NWSL matches.[10]
Matches
edit| February 8 CVI | San Diego FC | v | New York City FC | Indio, California |
| 12:00 pm PST | Stadium: Empire Polo Club |
| February 12 CVI | Portland Timbers | v | San Diego FC | Indio, California |
| 1:30 pm PST | Stadium: Empire Polo Club |
| February 15 CVI | San Diego FC | v | New York Red Bulls | Indio, California |
| 10:00 am PST | Stadium: Empire Polo Club |
Competitions
editMajor League Soccer
editStandings
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Portland Timbers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualification for the wild-card round |
| 9 | Real Salt Lake | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | San Diego FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | San Jose Earthquakes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | Seattle Sounders FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Regular season
editThe MLS regular season schedule was released on December 19, 2024.[11] Every team will play 34 matches, of which 17 are at home; this includes a full home-and-away series against the fourteen other teams in the Western Conference and six matches against opponents from the Eastern Conference. Unlike previous seasons, play will not be paused for the Leagues Cup in August.[12]
| February 23 1 | LA Galaxy | v | San Diego FC | Carson, California |
| 4:00 pm PST | Stadium: Dignity Health Sports Park |
| March 1 2 | San Diego FC | v | St. Louis City SC | San Diego, California |
| 7:30 pm PST | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
| March 8 3 | Real Salt Lake | v | San Diego FC | Sandy, Utah |
| 6:30 pm PST | Stadium: America First Field |
| March 15 4 | San Diego FC | v | Columbus Crew | San Diego, California |
| 7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
| March 23 5 | Austin FC | v | San Diego FC | Austin, Texas |
| 1:00 pm PDT | Stadium: Q2 Stadium |
| March 29 6 | San Diego FC | v | Los Angeles FC | San Diego, California |
| 7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
| April 5 7 | San Diego FC | v | Seattle Sounders FC | San Diego, California |
| 7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
| April 12 8 | Colorado Rapids | v | San Diego FC | Commerce City, Colorado |
| 6:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Dick's Sporting Goods Park |
| April 19 9 | Charlotte FC | v | San Diego FC | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| 4:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Bank of America Stadium |
| April 26 10 | San Diego FC | v | Real Salt Lake | San Diego, California |
| 4:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
| May 3 11 | San Diego FC | v | FC Dallas | San Diego, California |
| 6:00 pm PDT | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
| May 10 12 | St. Louis City SC | v | San Diego FC | St. Louis, Missouri |
| 5:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Energizer Park |
| May 14 13 | San Diego FC | v | Colorado Rapids | San Diego, California |
| 7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
| May 17 14 | San Diego FC | v | Sporting Kansas City | San Diego, California |
| 7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
| May 24 15 | San Diego FC | v | LA Galaxy | San Diego, California |
| 1:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
| May 28 16 | Seattle Sounders FC | v | San Diego FC | Seattle, Washington |
| 5:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Lumen Field |
| May 31 17 | San Diego FC | v | Austin FC | San Diego, California |
| 7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
| June 14 18 | Minnesota United FC | v | San Diego FC | Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| 5:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Allianz Field |
| June 25 19 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | v | San Diego FC | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| 7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: BC Place |
| June 28 20 | FC Dallas | v | San Diego FC | Frisco, Texas |
| 5:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Toyota Stadium |
| July 5 21 | San Diego FC | v | Houston Dynamo FC | San Diego, California |
| 7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
| July 12 22 | Chicago Fire FC | v | San Diego FC | Chicago, Illinois |
| 5:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Soldier Field |
| July 16 23 | San Diego FC | v | Toronto FC | San Diego, California |
| 7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
| July 19 24 | San Diego FC | v | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | San Diego, California |
| 7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
| July 25 25 | San Diego FC | v | Nashville SC | San Diego, California |
| 7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
| August 9 26 | Sporting Kansas City | v | San Diego FC | Kansas City, Kansas |
| 5:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Children's Mercy Park |
| August 17 27 | San Jose Earthquakes | v | San Diego FC | San Jose, California |
| 4:00 pm PDT | Stadium: PayPal Park |
| August 23 28 | San Diego FC | v | Portland Timbers | San Diego, California |
| 7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
| August 31 29 | Los Angeles FC | v | San Diego FC | Los Angeles, California |
| -:-- pm PDT | Stadium: BMO Stadium |
| September 13 30 | San Diego FC | v | Minnesota United FC | San Diego, California |
| 7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
| September 20 31 | Atlanta United FC | v | San Diego FC | Atlanta, Georgia |
| 1:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
| September 27 32 | San Diego FC | v | San Jose Earthquakes | San Diego, California |
| 7:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Snapdragon Stadium |
| October 4 33 | Houston Dynamo FC | v | San Diego FC | Houston, Texas |
| 5:30 pm PDT | Stadium: Shell Energy Stadium |
| October 18 34 | Portland Timbers | v | San Diego FC | Portland, Oregon |
| 6:00 pm PDT | Stadium: Providence Park |
Players
editRoster
editNote: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Squad includes all players who had first team contracts or appearances during the 2024 season across all competitions. Ages listed for each player is calculated from February 22, 2025, the first matchday of the MLS regular season.
| No. | Name | Nationality | Position | Age | Previous club | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Hirving Lozano |  Mexico |
FW | 29 |  PSV Eindhoven (NED) |
DP |
| — | Tomás Ángel |  Colombia |
FW | 22 |  Los Angeles FC (USA) |
|
| — | Heine Gikling Bruseth |  Norway |
MF | 20 | Orlando City SC (USA) |
|
| — | Hamady Diop |  Senegal |
DF | 23 | Charlotte FC (USA) |
|
| — | CJ dos Santos | United States |
GK | 24 | Inter Miami CF (USA) |
|
| — | Aníbal Godoy |  Panama |
MF | 35 | Nashville SC (USA) |
|
| — | Marcus Ingvartsen |  Denmark |
FW | 29 | FC Nordsjælland (DEN) |
|
| — | Jacob Jackson | United States |
GK | 24 | San Jose Earthquakes (USA) |
|
| — | Jasper Löffelsend |  Germany |
MF | 27 | Colorado Rapids (USA) |
|
| — | Paddy McNair |  Northern Ireland |
DF | 28 |  West Bromwich Albion F.C. (ENG) |
|
| — | Christopher McVey |  Sweden |
DF | 27 | D.C. United (USA) |
|
| — | Alex Mighten | England |
MF | 22 | FC Nordsjælland (DEN) |
|
| — | Jeppe Tverskov | Denmark |
MF | 31 | FC Nordsjælland (DEN) |
|
| — | Andrés Reyes | Colombia |
DF | 25 | New York Red Bulls (USA) |
|
| — | Manu Duah |  Ghana |
MF | 19 | UC Santa Barbara (USA) |
|
| — | Pablo Sisniega | Mexico |
GK | 29 | San Antonio FC (USA) |
Coaching staff
edit| Position | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Mikey Varas | United States
|
| Assistant coach | Frank Hjortebjerg | Denmark
|
| Assistant coach | Kelvin Jones | United States
|
| Assistant coach | Luciano Fusco | United States
|
| Goalkeeper coach | Jason Grubb | United States
|
Transfers
editFor transfers in, dates listed are when San Diego FC officially signed the player to the roster. Transactions where only the rights to the players are acquired are not listed. For transfers out, dates listed are when San Diego FC officially removed the players from its roster, not when they signed with another club. If a player later signed with another club, his new club will be noted, but the date listed here remains the one when he was officially removed from the San Diego FC roster.
In
edit| Player | No. | Pos. | Previous team | Notes | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duran Ferree (USA)
|
20 | GK | San Diego Loyal SC (USA)
|
Loaned to Orange County SC until end of 2024 USL Championship season[15] | December 13, 2023 |
| Jeppe Tverskov (DEN)
|
— | MF | FC Nordsjælland (DEN)
|
Loaned to FC Nordsjælland until January 2025[16] | March 19, 2024 |
| Marcus Ingvartsen (DEN)
|
— | FW | FC Nordsjælland (DEN)
|
Loaned to FC Nordsjælland until January 2025[16] | March 19, 2024 |
| Paddy McNair (NIR)
|
— | DF | Middlesbrough F.C. (ENG)
|
Loaned to West Bromwich Albion F.C. until January 2025[17] | July 25, 2024 |
| Hirving Lozano (MEX)
|
11 | FW | PSV Eindhoven (NED)
|
Designated Player; loaned to PSV Eindhoven until January 1, 2025[18] | June 6, 2024 |
| Alex Mighten (ENG)
|
— | MF | Nottingham Forest F.C. (ENG)
|
Loaned to FC Nordsjælland until January 2025; discovery rights acquired from Nashville SC for $50,000 in general allocation money[19] | August 30, 2024 |
| Tomás Ángel (COL)
|
— | FW | Los Angeles FC (USA)
|
Traded for $200,000 in general allocation money and a second-round pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft[20] | December 9, 2024 |
| CJ dos Santos (USA)
|
— | GK | Inter Miami CF (USA)
|
Traded for $100,000 in general allocation money[21] | December 11, 2024 |
| Christopher McVey (SWE)
|
— | DF | D.C. United (USA)
|
Traded for $50,000 in general allocation money with an additional $50,000 based on performance[22] | December 11, 2024 |
| Heine Gikling Bruseth (NOR)
|
— | DF | Orlando City SC (USA)
|
Acquired in MLS Expansion Draft[23] | December 11, 2024 |
| Hamady Diop (SEN)
|
— | DF | Charlotte FC (USA)
|
Acquired in MLS Expansion Draft[23] | December 11, 2024 |
| Jasper Löffelsend (GER)
|
— | MF | Colorado Rapids (USA)
|
Acquired in MLS Expansion Draft[23] | December 11, 2024 |
| Andrés Reyes (COL)
|
— | DF | New York Red Bulls (USA)
|
Traded for $800,000 in general allocation money[24] | December 12, 2024 |
| Jacob Jackson (USA)
|
— | GK | San Jose Earthquakes (USA)
|
Selected in 2024 MLS Re-Entry Draft Stage 1[25] | December 13, 2024 |
| Aníbal Godoy (PAN)
|
— | MF | Nashville SC (USA)
|
Free agent[12] | December 19, 2024 |
| Manu Duah (GHA)
|
— | MF | UC Santa Barbara (USA)
|
MLS SuperDraft | December 20, 2024 |
| Pablo Sisniega (MEX)
|
— | GK | San Antonio FC (USA)
|
Free[26] | December 27, 2024 |
Expansion draft picks
editIn the 2024 MLS expansion draft, San Diego FC made five selections from a list of eligible players signed with other MLS teams. The club traded away two of their players on the same day as the draft.[23]
| Player | Nationality | Pos. | Previous team | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heine Gikling Bruseth | Norway |
MF | Orlando City SC (USA)
|
|
| Jasper Löffelsend | Germany |
MF | Colorado Rapids (USA)
|
|
| Hamady Diop | Senegal |
DF | Charlotte FC (USA)
|
|
| Thiago Andrade |  Brazil |
MF | New York City FC (USA)
|
Traded to Toronto FC for first-round 2025 MLS SuperDraft pick and $250,000 in conditional general allocation money |
| Hosei Kijima |  Japan |
MF | St. Louis City SC (USA)
|
Traded to D.C. United for $400,000 in general allocation money |
Out
edit| Player | No. | Pos. | New team | Notes | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duran Ferree (USA)
|
— | GK | FC Nordsjælland (DEN)
|
Loaned until June 30, 2025[28] | September 28, 2024 |
Other transactions
edit- On December 12, 2024, San Diego FC acquired two international roster slots from Seattle Sounders FC for $250,000 in general allocation money[29]
References
edit- ^ Elder, Adam (May 19, 2023). "San Diego FC: Tory treasurers, tribal leaders and a $500m California dream". The Guardian. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ Zeigler, Mark (October 21, 2023). "Major League Soccer's San Diego FC will have Snapdragon scheduling priority over Wave". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ Tenorio, Paul; Weese, Lukas (September 16, 2024). "Mikey Varas named first coach in San Diego FC club history". The Athletic. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ "MLS offseason calendar: 2024-25 roster-building events". MLSsoccer.com. October 9, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ Hernandez, Cesar (June 6, 2024). "San Diego signs Chucky Lozano as club's first Designated Player". ESPN. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ Boehm, Charles (November 15, 2024). "San Diego FC: What's next in expansion team's roster build?". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ Zeigler, Mark (May 19, 2023). "San Diego's new MLS team will be defined by its unique approach to youth development". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ Zeigler, Mark (October 21, 2024). "San Diego FC learns its first two Major League Soccer opponents". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ "San Diego FC Announces Full 2025 Preseason Schedule" (Press release). San Diego FC. December 17, 2024. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
- ^ Finley, Ryan (December 17, 2024). "San Diego FC, Wave will play in same Indio tournament as they prepare for 2025 seasons". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved December 23, 2024.
- ^ "MLS unveils 2025 Regular Season schedule". MLSsoccer.com. December 19, 2024. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ a b Zeigler, Mark (December 19, 2024). "San Diego FC learns its full schedule, signs a midfielder". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ a b "Roster". San Diego FC. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
- ^ "San Diego FC Announces Assistant Coaching Staff Ahead of the Club's Inaugural MLS Season" (Press release). San Diego FC. December 18, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
- ^ "Orange County SC acquire 17-year-old goalkeeper Duran Ferree on loan from San Diego FC for 2024 USL Championship season" (Press release). Orange County SC. January 25, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ a b "San Diego FC Signs Jeppe Tverskov & Marcus Ingvartsen" (Press release). San Diego FC. March 19, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ Carlisle, Jeff (July 25, 2024). "San Diego signs ex-Manchester United defender Paddy McNair". ESPN. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ "San Diego FC Signs Hirving "Chucky" Lozano as First Designated Player in Club History" (Press release). San Diego FC. June 6, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ "San Diego FC Signs Winger Alex Mighten" (Press release). San Diego FC. August 30, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ "San Diego FC acquire Tomás Ángel from LAFC". MLSsoccer.com. December 9, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ "San Diego FC acquire CJ dos Santos from Inter Miami". MLSsoccer.com. December 11, 2024. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
- ^ "San Diego FC Acquires Swedish American Defender Christopher McVey from D.C. United" (Press release). San Diego FC. December 11, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "San Diego FC Selects Five Players, Makes Two Trades in 2024 MLS Expansion Draft" (Press release). San Diego FC. December 11, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
- ^ "San Diego FC Acquires Colombian Defender Andrés Reyes from New York Red Bulls" (Press release). San Diego FC. December 12, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
- ^ "San Diego FC select Jacob Jackson in Re-Entry Draft". Major League Soccer. December 13, 2024. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
- ^ "San Diego FC sign goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega". Major League Soccer. December 27, 2024. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
- ^ "San Diego FC: 2024 MLS Expansion Draft results". MLSsoccer.com. December 11, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
- ^ "Ekstra polstring til målmandsgruppen" [Extra padding for the goalie group] (in Danish). FC Nordsjælland. September 28, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
- ^ Finley, Ryan (December 12, 2024). "San Diego FC acquires defender from New York Red Bulls, continues building roster for inaugural season". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved December 12, 2024.