Major League Soccer
 | |
| Founded | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Country | United States and Canada |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Most championships | Cups: LA Galaxy (6) Shields: D.C. United, LA Galaxy (4 each) |
| Website | Official Site |
Major League Soccer (MLS) is an American soccer league that started in 1996. As of the most recent 2025 season, 30 teams play in the league. The commissioner of the league (the person in charge) is Don Garber.
MLS, founded in the United States, is a fully professional league with 30 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 playoff tournament to decide the league champion. The championship game is known as the MLS Cup.
In November 2025, MLS announced that it would change to a summer-to-spring season spanning two calendar years, aligning its season with that of most European leagues, starting in July 2027. With the change, the season will start in July and take a winter break between December and February, with no league matches at all in January. The season resumes in late February and runs through April, with the MLS Cup playoffs in May. A shortened transitional season will be held from February to May 2027.[1]
Teams
[change | change source]Current
[change | change source]
- ↑ Opening for the 2026 season. Inter previously played at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
- ↑ NYCFC plans to open Etihad Park in the New York City borough of Queens in 2027.
Former teams
[change | change source]| 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 |
MLS Cup winners
[change | change source]Related pages
[change | change source]References
[change | change source]- ↑ "MLS to align calendar with top leagues around the world" (Press release). Major League Soccer. November 13, 2025. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
- 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.
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