Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is an American soccer league that started in 1996. As of the current 2024 season, 29 teams play in the league. One other team plans to join in 2025. The commissioner of the league (the person in charge) is Don Garber.
 | |
| Founded | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Country | United States and Canada |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Most championships | Cups: LA Galaxy (5) Shields: D.C. United, LA Galaxy (4 each) |
| Website | Official Site |
MLS, founded in the United States, is a fully professional league with 29 teams, three of which are based in Canada. The United States Soccer Federation (USSF or U.S. Soccer), which runs soccer in that country, considers MLS to be the country's top men's league. The Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), which runs soccer in Canada, considers the Canadian Premier League as its top men's league, but MLS has much greater Canadian media coverage and is seen as having a higher level of play. Referees are approved by U.S. Soccer and the CSA. In turn, both national governing bodies are members of FIFA, which governs all play between national teams and sets the rules for the sport along with the national governing bodies of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
MLS was formed in 1993 as a professional league, with play starting with 10 teams in 1996. The MLS regular season starts in late February and ends in November, with each team playing 34 games. The regular season is followed by a 14-team playoff tournament to decide the league champion.
Teams
changeCurrent
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Former teams
change| Team | City | Last Stadium | Founded | Joined | Left MLS | Dissolved | Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Mutiny | Tampa, Florida | Raymond James Stadium | 1994 | 1996 | 2001 | 2002 | Central Conference |
| Miami Fusion | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | Lockhart Stadium | 1997 | 1998 | 2001 | 2002 | Eastern Conference |
| Chivas USA | Carson, California | StubHub Center | 2004 | 2005 | 2014 | 2014 | Western Conference |
Future teams
change| Team | City | Stadium | Founded | Planned to join | Manager | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego FC | San Diego, California | Snapdragon Stadium | 2023 | 2025 |  Mikey Varas
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MLS Cup winners
changeRelated pages
changeReferences
change- Best Players in Major league Soccer (MLS) in 2012. hub, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012.
- Major League Soccer. Archived 2017-05-24 at the Wayback Machine Princeton, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012.
- An Overview of American Soccer History. Archived 2016-03-05 at the Wayback Machine Dave Litterer, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012.
- Soccer Politics / The Politics of Football. Duke University, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012.
