Atlanta United FC

One of two new clubs for 2017. Arthur Blank, founder of The Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons, owns the team. Between 2008 and 2014, Atlanta was the largest media market without a MLS club, and it was also the last top 10 media market to enter the league. Their MLS Cup win in 2018 made them the first Atlanta-based team to win a championship since 1995. It will join the list of MLS teams that have a distaff counterpart in the more established of the two top-level US women's leagues, the National Women's Soccer League, in 2028. The as-yet-unnamed NWSL team is also owned by Blank and will play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Due to construction delays with Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the team played its home matches at Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium during the first half of its debut season. Notably ended the Seattle Sounders' reign as the league’s attendance champion, drawing over 48,000 per home game in its inaugural season and well over 50K in both following seasons. Perhaps even more notably, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar saw Argentine midfielder Thiago Almada became the first player ever to win the World Cup while playing in MLS.^note That said, Almada only made the squad as an injury replacement, and played a total of 6 minutes in Qatar.

Seem to have picked up a rivalry with Inter Miami over the last few seasons.

CF Montréal

Originally founded as the Montreal Impact, they are the third Canadian team to join the league (after Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps in that order), they replaced a second-division (USL/USSF/NASL) club of the same name in 2012. Some high-profile matches are played at the larger Olympic Stadium; CF Montréal's regular home ground, Stade Saputo, is located just north of Olympic Stadium. CF Montréal became the first Canadian team to reach the CONCACAF Champions League final in 2015, losing 5-3 on aggregate to Mexican club América. In 2021, the club rebranded as Club de Foot Montréal.

Initially coached by former D.C. United + Chicago Fire player Jesse Marsch (who would later go on to have success coaching in European soccer at RB Leipzig and Leeds United), their other managers have included two French ex-Arsenal players in Remi Garde and Thierry Henry. Upon Henry's resignation in 2021, he was succeeded by his assistant, Wilfried Nancy, who stayed two seasons before moving to Columbus. Played the first part of the 2021 season at Inter Miami's stadium, with some matches moved to other venues due to conflicts with the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Fierce rivals with Toronto FC in the Canadian Classique.

Charlotte FC

Announced in December 2019, the club is fronted by billionaire hedge fund manager David Tepper, owner of the NFL's Carolina Panthers. Despite St. Louis City SC being announced earlier, Charlotte FC launched a year ahead of them. Rather than build an MLS-specific stadium, the Panthers' Bank of America Stadium was renovated to make it soccer-friendly; however, included among the renovations was replacing the stadium's natural grass surface with synthetic turf, similar to other MLS clubs that share a stadium with an NFL or CFL team. Previous efforts to bring MLS to the Carolinas include a bid by Marcus G. Smith, president of Speedway Motorsports, as well as a rival bid by the Raleigh-Durham based USLC club North Carolina FC, both in 2016.

Notably, CFC set a new single-game MLS attendance record in its home debut (though that record only lasted for one season).

They appear to see their main rival as Atlanta United.

Chicago Fire FC

One of the first teams established after MLS' launch along with the now-defunct Miami Fusion FC, the Fire won both the MLS Cup and the US Open Cup in their inaugural season in 1998. Named for the Great Chicago Fire of 1871; in fact, the official announcement of the team's entry into MLS was made on the anniversary of said event.

They've fallen on hard times recently but have started to undergo a renaissance. They're also known for being the first club for Carlos Bocanegra, the former United States national team captain, and as the last club of German World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger^note who, upon signing for the club, was infamously asked if he thought he'd be able to help them win the World Cup, who retired at the end of the 2019 season.

In 2019, the club announced its intentions to abandon its soccer-specific stadium in suburban Bridgeview in favor of returning to the larger Soldier Field (home of the Bears), at least temporarily, starting in the 2020 season. Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri, formerly of Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Liverpool, joined after the 2021–22 season, becoming the league's highest-paid player before Lionel Messi's 2023 arrival at Inter Miami.

In June 2025, the Fire proposed building a new MLS-specific stadium at The 78, a currently undeveloped plot of land on the Chicago River in the South Loop neighborhood. The White Sox had also explored building their new ballpark at The 78; however, the ChiSox instead shifted their focus to the Amtrak railyard across the Chicago River from The 78. The Fire's new stadium broke ground on March 3, 2026, and two months later, McDonald's, whose headquarters are in Chicago, acquired the stadium's naming rights.

Have a minor rivalry with FC Dallas in the Brimstone Cup and also don't like Columbus Crew.

Columbus Crew

One of the ten charter clubs, the Crew are notable for celebrating the working-class side of their fanbase. Won the MLS Cup in 2008, 2020, and 2023, as well as three Supporters' Shields. The team is credited with building the first MLS-specific stadium, with other teams following suit.

In October 2017, then-team operator Anthony Precourt announced his intention to move the club to Austin, Texas in 2019 if he didn't get a new stadium built in downtown Columbus. This potential move not only angered Crew supporters, with some rival supporter groups showing their disapproval as well, but it also threw a monkey wrench into San Antonio's expansion efforts.^note  After meeting with MLS higher-ups in 2015, Spurs Sports and Entertainment made a substantial investment — $18 million — to start San Antonio FC & purchase Toyota Field for them to play on… however, MLS neglected to mention that Precourt held an option to move the Crew to Austin after acquiring the club in 2013. The two cities are only 80 miles (130 km) from each other. The city of Columbus and state of Ohio also filed suit, citing a state law that had been passed in the wake of the even more controversial relocation of the Cleveland Browns. The Crew's situation resonated with the Browns ownership, and they entered into talks with MLS and Precourt to buy the Crew. Just before the end of 2018, a settlement was reached: Columbus and the state of Ohio dropped their suit; the Browns owners bought the Crew and kept the team in Columbus, pledging over $200 million for a new Crew stadium in downtown Columbus (now known as ScottsMiracle-Gro Field); and Precourt got a new MLS team for Austin, with a stadium deal in that city having been inked while the negotiations with the Browns were nearing their end.

2020 was planned to be the final season for Historic Crew Stadium (Mapfre Stadium from 2015–2020), with the stadium continuing to serve as the home of their Next Pro and academy sides^note and later becoming home to a side in the current United Football League in that other type of football with the surrounding area being redeveloped as the Crew's new training ground; however, the Crew played their first three home matches of the 2021 season in their old ground before the new one opened.

Early in the 2021 season, the current owners announced they would rebrand the team as "Columbus SC"... and got fan reaction similar to that received by the six English Premier League teams that announced they would leave the UEFA Champions League for a proposed European Super League. In other words, "extremely negative" doesn't begin to describe fan sentiment. The "Columbus SC" branding lasted only a week (about 5 days longer than the proposed ESL did), with the owners returning to the original "Columbus Crew", without the "SC", although the crest intended for the rebrand, which is shaped like Ohio's state flag, was retained with minor tweaks.

Fierce rivals with FC Cincinnati, a rivalry which predates Cincinnati's induction into MLS, in the Hell Is Real Derby^note Named for a famous evangelizing sign on the freeway between the two cities that announces "Hell Is Real", and they also have a rivalry against Toronto FC in the Trillium Cup. Like Atlanta United, the Crew will join the list of MLS teams with a directly owned NWSL side, also as yet unnamed, in 2028. The women's team will also play at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.

D.C. United

Second to the LA Galaxy in overall honors, with 4 MLS Cups and 4 Supporters' Shields. One of the founding members of MLS, the name "United" was adapted from English club names (like Manchester United and Leeds United) and is a reflection of Washington D.C.'s status as the capital of the United States. For most of the early years of MLS, D.C. United had the only European-style name.

From 2005 to 2008, D.C. United shared its home ground with a Major League Baseball team when the Nationals played at RFK Stadium, meaning they played on turf laid over dirt in some places for part of the year. After playing in RFK Stadium from their 1996 inception until 2017, the club opened the new Audi Field in the District during the 2018 season.^note Due to construction delays, United played 12 of their first 14 regular-season games in 2018 on the road. The two home games in this stretch were played in Maryland, one at a small soccer stadium in suburban Germantown and the other at the US Naval Academy's (American) football stadium in Annapolis.

Longtime Manchester United and England star Wayne Rooney was captain for two seasons until returning to England after the 2019 season to become a player and assistant coach at Derby County, before returning as their head coach in 2022 (after departing Derby following their descent into financial chaos). After two seasons without a playoff appearance, he left at the end of the 2023 season and returned to England at Birmingham City.

United is one of several MLS sides that have partnerships with separately owned NWSL sides. The Washington Spirit practice at United's HQ complex in Northern Virginia, and split home games between Audi Field and the stadium that hosts United's reserve side before moving all home games to Audi Field in 2023.

Their main rivals are New York Red Bulls in the Atlantic Cup.

FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati was announced as the next member of MLS in May 2018, becoming the seventh team to be promoted to MLS from a lower-level league. Founded in 2015 and playing its first season in the United Soccer League (now known as the USL Championship) in 2016, FCC is backed by a group led by local billionaire Carl Lindner III.

During its time in the USL, FCC was the best-supported U.S. soccer team outside of MLS, consistently drawing crowds at Nippert Stadium, home to University of Cincinnati (American) football, that would place the team safely in the top half of MLS (and, in fact, fourth in 2018). It had been the early favorite to snag one of the franchises awarded in the 2018 phase, but initially lost out to Nashville due largely to problems finding an appropriate site for a new stadium. Shortly before the MLS announcement, FCC reached a deal with the city of Cincinnati for a new stadium in the West End, near downtown and the rapidly gentrifying Over-the-Rhine, that opened in May 2021.

Although FCC's entry was announced after Miami and Nashville, it joined MLS in 2019, largely because its then-current home could easily accommodate crowds larger than the new stadium can hold.^note Nippert can hold 40,000, though FCC restricted capacity to 33,250 for MLS games. The new stadium holds around 26,000.

While Cincy's media market is smaller than that of any previously existing MLS team, the market of 2021 MLS entry Austin FC is smaller still. Even though the team propped up the MLS table in its first season, the fans turned out in droves, placing FCC third in average attendance behind the attendance giants of Atlanta United and the Seattle Sounders.

For FCC's first three MLS seasons, the club finished dead last in the overall table; however, the club finally made the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time in their fourth season, and took it one better in 2023 by winning the Supporters' Shield.

Fierce rivals of Columbus Crew in the Hell Is Real Derby.

Inter Miami CF

After several years in limbo due to stadium issues, the Miami franchise was finally made official in January 2018 and in September of the same year, the club's name was unveiled: Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami.^note The club's short name, Inter Miami, has drawn ire from Italian Serie A side Inter Milan.

The club was initially backed by retired English football icon David Beckham, his business partner Simon Fuller (creator of the Idol franchise), and Miami-based Bolivian telecom billionaire Marcelo Claure. In December 2017, the ownership group gained further financial clout with the addition of Miami construction magnates Jorge and José Mas and Japanese telecom billionaire Masayoshi Son (a business partner of Claure). Both Son and Claure eventually sold their stakes, with Claure later buying into NYCFC. Beckham exercised an option in his original MLS contract to buy an expansion team at a reduced price.^note Beckham's expansion fee was $25 million, while the owners for NYCFC, Orlando City, Atlanta United, LAFC, and Minnesota United paid between $70 million to $100 million, the owners of FC Cincinnati and Nashville SC each paid $150 million (Jimmy Haslam also paid the same price to take over the Columbus Crew from Anthony Precourt), St. Louis City SC paid $200 million, Charlotte FC paid $325 million, and San Diego FC $500 million.

After three failed stadium proposals, Miami Beckham United then planned to build their new stadium in the Overtown neighborhood. The Miami-Dade government had previously endorsed FIU's^note Florida International University on-campus football stadium as a short-term solution. The league sought to have the Miami team ready in 2018, to launch alongside LAFC; however, with the league's announcement of expansion for 2020 and intense competition for new franchises, Beckham's group could have lost their franchise rights if a stadium was not secured in time. More recently, rumors emerged in spring 2017 that the Beckham group may abandon Miami in favor of Las Vegas; however, in June 2017, the group acquired the last parcel of land necessary to build their stadium, and that October, a local judge dismissed a lawsuit seeking to halt construction.

In July 2018, Beckham unveiled alternate plans for a stadium as part of a larger mixed-use development, dubbed Miami Freedom Park before getting its sponsored name of Nu Stadium, on the site of the city-owned Melreese Country Club, near Miami International Airport. The Melreese site was approved by Miami-Dade voters in a November 2018 referendum and was approved by the Miami-Dade council in April 2022, with construction on the Freedom Park stadium starting in 2023 and its opening set for 2026. In late January 2019, Inter Miami announced plans to redevelop the Lockhart Stadium site to serve as their permanent training ground; the development also includes a new 18,000-seat stadium which now hosts Inter Miami's USL/Next Pro reserve side (later unveiled as Fort Lauderdale CF, and since renamed Inter Miami CF II) while also serving as an interim home for the first team until Freedom Park opened. The club received unanimous approval from the Fort Lauderdale city council to redevelop the Lockhart Stadium site in April 2019 and demolished the old Lockhart Stadium a month later; the replacement became known as Inter Miami CF Stadium, later DRV PNK Stadium, and still later Chase Stadium before reverting to Inter Miami CF Stadium after the 2025 season.

Inter Miami II started play in League One in 2020. After a disastrous start to the 2023 season, Inter fired its head coach, Beckham's former Manchester United and England teammate Phil Neville, and then made perhaps the biggest MLS signing at least since that of Beckham, if not in league history, by picking up Argentine legend Lionel Messi fresh off a World Cup win.^note Messi owns several properties in the Miami area, and before his move to MLS frequently vacationed there. Also of note, the Argentina national team is soon to open a satellite training center in the Miami area. Inter also moved to provide Messi with even more of a comfort zone by hiring Tata Martino, a former Albiceleste and Barcelona manager, as head coach; signing two of his old Barça teammates, Spanish internationals Jordi Alba (who then captained La Roja) and Sergio Busquets; and also picking up two young Argentine talents. US international DeAndre Yedlin is also on the squad. Past stars include former England international defender Kieran Gibbs and Messi's former international teammate Gonzalo Higuaín (both now retired).

Messi's arrival during the Leagues Cup flipped the script on Inter's 2023 season; he proceeded to score 10 goals in his seven Cup games on Inter's way to its first-ever trophy. While the Herons' disastrous start, combined with international duty for several key players, fixture congestion, and an ill-timed injury to Messi, kept them out of the playoffs, things appeared to be looking up in South Florida. And that was before Inter signed another former Messi teammate in Luis Suárez, and replaced Martino with Argentina U20 national team manager and former Albiceleste player Javier Mascherano. The "superteam" delivered, topping the table for virtually all of the 2024 season and clinching the 2024 Supporters' Shield with two matches to spare... until blowing a 1–0 series lead to Atlanta United in Round One of the playoffs. Inter didn't have quite as good a regular-season record in 2025, but this time went all the way to see out the then-Chase Stadium, as well as the playing careers of Alba and Busquets, with its first MLS Cup title. However, Mascherano left after a shaky start to the 2026 season amid rumored tension with Messi. The interim HC is another Argentine.

Have turned into the designated villains of the league due to Messi's presence, met with mockery with every defeat, and growing a fierce rivalry with Atlanta United over the 2024 playoff defeat, as well as a local derby with Orlando City SC just up the road.

Nashville SC

Officially announced in December 2017, the club is fronted by local billionaire John Ingram, with backing by the Wilf family, owners of the Minnesota Vikings who lost out on the Twin Cities expansion bid in 2014, plus the support of several of the city's largest corporations. It's one of several teams with an all-star cast of owners – minority investors include Reese Witherspoon (and her second ex-husband), Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry, Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg, and Milwaukee Bucks megastar Giannis Antetokounmpo and three of his four brothers.

Nashville was initially seen as the longest shot among the final four candidates for expansion in 2020; while it had drawn large crowds for international matches, it had no professional soccer when it launched its expansion bid. However, a combination of cultural appeal, stumbles by the early expansion frontrunners (mainly Cincinnati's stadium site issues), and a well-advanced stadium plan, with a site nailed down at the former state fairgrounds just south of downtown, left Nashville as the clear front-runner. The city launched a USL Championship team, Nashville SC, in 2018, and club and MLS officials announced in February 2019 that the Nashville SC name would carry over to MLS, making it the eighth lower-division club to be promoted to MLS. In late January 2019, club officials announced that Nashville SC would begin play at the Tennessee Titans' Nissan Stadium while the venue that eventually became Geodis Park was under construction. After spending the first two months of the 2022 season on the road, the new ground opened in May 2022.

Nashville SC's conference alignment has flip-flopped numerous times since their MLS debut; originally placed in the Western Conference at the beginning of the 2020 season, the team moved to the Eastern Conference starting with the MLS is Back tournament, resulting in an unbalanced conference alignment, and stayed there in 2021, moved back to the Western Conference when Charlotte FC debuted in 2022, and NSC moved back to the East when St. Louis City SC debuted in 2023.

NSC also boasts something of a celebrity superfan in the form of Jars of Clay guitarist Stephen Mason, aka Soccer Moses. Also of note is that it's the only MLS team whose Next Pro affiliate plays outside its local market; it decided to place its reserve side in Huntsville, Alabama.

They seem to have come to see Atlanta United as their main rivals.

New England Revolution

Perhaps the least successful among the ten charter franchises, excluding the Tampa Bay Mutiny, who folded after the 2001 season. The Revs have not won the Cup, and didn't win the Shield until 2021 (and with it, claimed the MLS points record at 73 and tied with the NY Red Bulls for most wins in the post-shootout era)… despite being runners-up five times in the Cup, and second overall once. Their only other trophies have been from the Open Cup or international competitions.

Shares ownership with the NFL's New England Patriots, with whom they also share a stadium. In November 2021, the Revs redesigned their crest, retiring the "crayon flag" logo the club had used since the league's inception, becoming the last among MLS's charter clubs to update their logo. During that offseason, they signed US international Jozy Altidore. The Revs are housing Boston's new NWSL side, the separately owned Boston Legacy FC, at Gillette Stadium in 2026 before that team makes moves into a renovated White Stadium in Boston proper in 2027.

They mainly don't like Philadelphia Union.

New York City FC

One of the two 2015 expansion teams, and the second team based in the New York metropolitan area. Unlike the Red Bulls or the NFL's Jets and Giants, they're trying to play in the Big Apple itself; until a stadium is built, Yankee Stadium in The Bronx is hosting their games, making NYCFC the second club (after D.C.) to share its stadium with a Major League Baseball club.^note This is not by coincidence — the New York Yankees initially owned a 20% stake in the team (selling half of that interest to Marcelo Claure in 2024), with Manchester City owning the rest. However, scheduling conflicts have forced NYCFC to play occasional matches at the Mets' Citi Field or Red Bull Arena/Sports Illustrated Stadium. In late July 2022, it was reported that NYC mayor Eric Adams planned to approve a new stadium to be built near Citi Field. Ground was broken in 2025, with it scheduled to open in 2027.

Had a number of high-profile players in their early years in former England midfielder Frank Lampard and World Cup winners Andrea Pirlo and David Villa, and a high-profile former manager in Patrick Vieira, but all are now gone. That turned out to be a non-issue by 2021, however, as a roster primarily made of young guns, spearheaded by Golden Boot winner Valentin Castellanos and veteran keeper Sean Johnson, finally secured some silverware by winning the MLS Cup on penalty kicks.

Fierce rivals with New York Red Bulls in the Hudson River Derby.

New York Red Bulls

Originally the New York/New Jersey MetroStars (later just the MetroStars, with no region identifier), they are the only MLS team to have their sponsor, who also owns the club, included in the team name; Red Bull owns several football clubs globally, including FC Red Bull Salzburg in their native Austria as well as Germany's RB Leipzig and Brazil's RB Bragantino. Three-time Supporters' Shield winners (2013, 2015, 2018). They were the last club of Thierry Henry, who retired as a player after the 2014 season but returned to MLS in 2019 as the head coach in Montreal, stepping down from that role after the 2020 season.

Also notable for having a severe case of Every Year They Fizzle Out (like cans of Red Bull); before missing out on the playoffs in 2025, the Red Bulls had qualified for the MLS playoffs for 15 consecutive years, which had been the longest ongoing streak among all major North American sports leagues—but have never won an MLS Cup. This was almost averted in 2024, when they sneaked into the playoffs as the 7 seed in the East and proceeded to defeat three higher-seeded teams before losing out in the MLS Cup final to the LA Galaxy.

They also have one of the most developed soccer academies in US soccer, as well as one of the best USL Championship teams (New York Red Bulls II). The Red Bulls' 2018 Supporters' Shield win set the MLS record for most points attained in a single season (71) as well as the most wins in the post-shootout era (22). They still hold the wins record (now shared with the Revs and Inter Miami), but the points record fell the next season to LAFC (and in turn to Inter in 2024). Another side that has a de facto partnership with an NWSL side, with Gotham FC^note which dropped the geographic marker "NJ/NY" from its name, but not its crest, after the 2024 season also making Sports Illustrated Stadium its home.

Fierce rivals with New York City FC in the Hudson River Derby, and they also disdain DC United in the Atlantic Cup.

Orlando City SC

A 2015 expansion team, they are the first club based in Florida and the Southeastern US since the contraction of the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion FC after the 2001 season. Their ascent came at the tail end of a whirlwind grassroots rise as a third-division minor league team. The final club of Brazilian Ballon d'Or winner (Ricardo) Kaká, who retired after the 2017 season, and currently home to former Brazilian international striker Alexandre Pato. Also one of four MLS clubs with an official Distaff Counterpart in the National Women's Soccer League; they own and operate the Orlando Pride, which joined the NWSL in 2016.^note In contrast to MLS teams that partner with separately owned NWSL sides, which are mentioned in the team descriptions.

They really don't like Inter Miami CF.

Philadelphia Union

An expansion team started in 2010 and is based in the riverside suburb of Chester with a stadium having a beautiful view of the nearby Commodore Barry Bridge. A lot of their culture is related to Benjamin Franklin and The American Revolution — they have 13 stars on the crest, their name is a reference to the union of the Thirteen Colonies, they put a snake on the crest to reference Franklin's famous "Join or Die" political cartoon, their oldest and biggest supporters group is called the Sons of Ben… you get the idea. Prior to the Union's establishment in 2008, Philadelphia was the largest media market without an MLS franchise, holding this distinction for nearly a decade.

During the league's COVID-19 hiatus in 2020, NBA superstar Kevin Durant became a new minority investor in the team. That season also saw the Union win their first trophy in the form of the Supporters' Shield, only to flame out in their first playoff match. The Union had a far more gut-wrenching loss in the 2022 MLS Cup final against Los Angeles FC, scoring what appeared to be the championship-winning goal in stoppage time of extra time, only to see LAFC equalize at the death and win on penalties.

While Philly doesn't have an NWSL side, it did host the aforementioned Gotham FC for one home game in both 2021 and 2022.^note Presumably, Gotham wanted to cultivate a South Jersey fanbase. However, they have since played all of their home games in North Jersey.

Their main rivals appear to be New York Red Bulls,

Toronto FC

The first Canadian team to join MLS, having started play in 2007. Though their MLS career started out rather undistinguished (until 2016, they had never finished higher than 11th in the league), they have been more successful in the Canadian Championship (currently contested by the country's three MLS teams, all Canadian Premier League teams, and two champions of lower-level Canadian leagues), winning four years in a row from 2009-2012.

Rather unlucky in the league for many years, as they were known for purchasing great new players and performing well in the regular season, but missing the playoffs by one or two spots; however, they overcame this in the 2016 playoffs to become the first Canadian team to reach the MLS Cup match, beating national rivals Montreal in the Eastern Conference final. The next year, TFC sealed the deal, becoming the first Canadian team to claim both the Supporters' Shield and the MLS Cup. Additionally, TFC also won the Canadian Championship, thus they became the first MLS team to achieve a domestic treble.

American international Michael Bradley ended his playing career here, playing for his father from 2021–2023. Italy international Lorenzo Insigne joined after the 2021–22 Serie A season. Played the first part of the 2021 season at Orlando City's stadium.

Fierce rivals of CF Montreal in the Canadian Classique, and lesser rivals with Columbus Crew in the Trillium Cup.

Austin FC

Austin, the rapidly-growing state capital of Texas, was initially planned as the future home of Columbus Crew SC, but the Cleveland Browns' interest in the Crew led to a change of plans. In the end, a win-win situation was found for everyone (with the possible exception of those wanting to see an MLS team in nearby San Antonio): the Crew got stable ownership with the promise of a new stadium in their current city, while Anthony Precourt got an MLS team in his desired location. A site for a new stadium in the northern part of the city was confirmed in December 2018, shortly before the Browns–Crew deal was finalized. Precourt has since added several more members to the ownership team, most notably Texas native and Austin resident Matthew McConaughey.

They really do not like either FC Dallas or Houston Dynamo, as they duke it out every year for the Copa Tejas.

Colorado Rapids

One of the ten charter franchises of the MLS, they are not exactly a decorated club; although they do have one MLS Cup to their name, the Rapids hold the dubious distinction of being the only MLS club (to date) to lose the US Open Cup final to a lower division team. Also notable for being the last team to put advertisements on their kit, finally doing so during the 2014 season. They are owned by Stan Kroenke, owner of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams, the NBA's Denver Nuggets, the NHL's Colorado Avalanche and majority shareholder of English Premier League club Arsenal. The last top-level team for longtime USA keeper Tim Howard, who initially retired in 2019 but couldn't stay away from the field, playing for a USLC team he co-owns before finally retiring in 2021 to become a studio analyst for NBC's Premier League coverage.

Their stadium is located in Commerce City, part of the Denver metro area. While Denver got an NWSL team in 2026 with Denver Summit FC, that team has no ownership connection to the Rapids, and only a temporary stadium connection. Summit FC is building its own stadium near downtown Denver and hopes to open it in 2028. Before then, it plans to play at a stadium in the suburb of Centennial, but construction delays forced it to move its home opener to the Denver Broncos' stadium and other 2026 early-season home games to the Rapids' stadium.

They do battle with Real Salt Lake over the Rocky Mountain Cup.

FC Dallas

Formerly the Dallas Burn, they are another one of the 10 charter clubs of MLS. They changed their name upon transferring to a soccer-specific ground, Pizza Hut Park (now Toyota Stadium), in 2005. The team is owned by Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt. His father Lamar Hunt was one of MLS' key investors, and the Hunt family also previously owned Sporting Kansas City and the Columbus Crew; the U.S. Open Cup is named in honor of Lamar Hunt for his contributions to MLS and U.S. Soccer. Won their first Supporters' Shield in 2016. Since 2024, it's been the only club with separate sponsors for its home and away shirts.

They loathe Houston Dynamo, a match known as the Texas Derby, disdain Austin FC in their three-way contest over the Copa Tejas, and play out a rivalry with Chicago Fire for the Brimstone Cup.

Houston Dynamo FC

An expansion team in 2006^note in the same way that the Baltimore Ravens are an "expansion team" in the NFL. They were the original San Jose Earthquakes, having moved to Houston due to stadium issues.. Originally named "Houston 1836" to reflect the year Houston was founded and to have a European-style name along the lines of Schalke 04. However, the name displeased the Hispanic community in Houston, who related 1836 with the war for Texas independence. "Dynamo" comes from Houston's energy industry and many former Soviet Union-era clubs such as Dynamo Moscow.

Under the management of former US international player Dominic Kinnear, who spent nearly a decade with the club from 2006-2014^note a full decade including the two years Kinnear spent managing the club when they were the original San Jose Earthquakes, they immediately won two MLS Cups, but then went more than a decade without further silverware until claiming the US Open Cup in 2018. Another MLS team with an official Distaff Counterpart, namely the Houston Dash. The ownership team includes former boxing great and current promoter Oscar De La Hoya and well-traveled NBA superstar James Harden (who bought into the team when he was with the Houston Rockets).

They hate FC Dallas in the Texas Derby, and they both disdain Austin FC in the Copa Tejas.

LA Galaxy

Six-time MLS Cup champions, making them the most decorated team. Made big news in 2007 by signing David Beckham, and later in 2015 by signing Steven Gerrard, 2017 by signing Jonathan dos Santos, 2018 by signing Zlatan Ibrahimović, and 2020 by signing Javier "Chicharito" Hernández (all are now gone). As a result of this, and other major signings, possibly the best known MLS team in Europe before Inter Miami signed Messi. Also home to Landon Donovan for most of his MLS career (2005–2014, plus a short comeback in 2016).

Team operator Philip Anschutz was instrumental in Major League Soccer's survival in its early years, having owned not only the LA Galaxy, but he also previously held stakes in the Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, D.C. United, Houston Dynamo, New York Red Bulls, and San Jose Earthquakes; the MLS Cup trophy is named in Anschutz' honor for his contributions to the league and U.S. Soccer.

Their stadium has been the temporary home to two teams in that other type of football. The NFL's Los Angeles Chargers played here from their return to LA in 2017 until the new SoFi Stadium opened in Inglewood in 2020. The San Diego State Aztecs, now on the verge of joining Pac-12 Conference (Version 2.0), played here in 2020 and 2021 after the demolition of the Chargers' old stadium, while the new Snapdragon Stadium was built on that site.

While the Galaxy's 2023 season was forgettable, the team did set a new MLS single-game attendance record, taking its home match in its local rivalry with LAFC to the Rose Bowl and drawing over 82,000. The next year was far more memorable, as the Galaxy extended its record number of MLS Cup wins.

Fierce rivals with LAFC in "El Tráfico"^note A play on the FC Barcelona-Real Madrid match title "El Clásico" coupled with Los Angeles' infamous reputation for traffic, and they also hate San Jose Earthquakes up the road in the California Clásico, while a rivalry with San Diego FC is beginning to develop as well.

Los Angeles FC

A 2018 expansion team which replaced Chivas USA as the Greater Los Angeles market's second team. Unlike the Galaxy, LAFC plays in the Los Angeles city limits. British people, think of Galaxy as Manchester United and LAFC as Manchester City. LAFC's ownership group includes names like Vincent Tan^note Yes, the infamous owner of Cardiff City, Magic Johnson, Mia Hamm, and Will Ferrell.

The team's home of BMO Stadium is adjacent to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on the site formerly occupied by the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. LAFC was originally intended to start play in 2017, but stadium delays caused their debut to be put off a year. However, this meant that unlike many of LAFC's late 2010s/early 2020s expansion contemporaries, who have spent at least part of their first season in a temporary facility, LAFC played in its new digs from the start.

From 2018–2023, LAFC was captained by Mexico international Carlos Vela, who scored an MLS record of 34 goals in 2019, breaking Josef Martínez' record from the previous season. Speaking of records set in 2019, LAFC claimed the crown for points earned in a season with 72, one more than the Red Bulls' record total from the season before; however, the Revs would take the points record two years later. In 2022, LAFC made a number of high-profile signings, including attacker Gareth Bale, formerly of Real Madrid and the all-time leading goal scorer for Wales; European Championship-winning Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini, formerly of Juventus; and former Barcelona striker Cristian Tello. Said signings helped them to the 2022 Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup, with Bale scoring the goal that sent the MLS Cup final to penalties.^note This turned out to be Bale's final club goal, as he fully retired after captaining Wales (aka Cymru) in that year's World Cup. LAFC made another run to the Cup final the next year, only to lose out to the Crew.

Yet another side with a de facto NWSL partner, with its stadium also hosting Angel City FC.

Fierce rivals with LA Galaxy in "El Tráfico" and starting to hate San Diego FC as well.

Minnesota United FC

The second of the two expansion teams for 2017, the Loons of Minnesota United became the sixth MLS club to be promoted from a lower-division league. The club's ownership group includes former NASL franchise owner Bill McGuire, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, and Twins owner Jim Pohlad. Minnesota United originally planned to build their new stadium near the Twins' home of Target Field; however, the team instead built the stadium in St. Paul after plans in Minneapolis stalled. MN United spent its first two MLS seasons at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium,^note now Huntington Bank Stadium but moved to the new Allianz Field for 2019 and beyond.

Mild rivals with Sporting Kansas City in "The Nicest Rivalry in Sports".

Portland Timbers

Joined the league in 2011, replacing the USL team of the same name. Has found quite a fanbase, hosted the 2014 All-Star game and won their first MLS Cup in 2015.

The Timbers had been another MLS team with an official Distaff Counterpart, namely Portland Thorns FC, which was a source of controversy in 2021 regarding the owners of both clubs' handling of sexual abuse allegations against former Thorns head coach Paul Riley and domestic violence allegations against Timbers striker Andy Polo. Timbers owner Merritt Paulson soon sold the Thorns. Similar issues hit the Timbers again shortly after the start of the 2024 season, though not against the team itself. After the CEO of DaBella, a home improvement services company that had started the season as shirt sponsor, was credibly accused of sexual harassment, the Timbers dropped the DaBella sponsorship, going without a sponsor for a few games before signing Oregon-based dairy cooperative Tillamook through the 2025 season.

Providence Park is the only MLS-specific stadium to use synthetic turf rather than natural grass^note Toronto's BMO Field also originally used synthetic turf before switching to grass in 2010; however, the arrival of the CFL's Argonauts in 2016 necessitated the partial use of synthetic turf again due to a Canadian football field being significantly longer than its American cousin, since the stadium has also served as the home of the FCS Portland State Vikings of the Big Sky Conference. The Vikings have now moved their home games to a smaller venue in suburban Hillsboro, but the Timbers have so far stayed with synthetic turf.

They, the Seattle Sounders, and the Vancouver Whitecaps duke it out every year over the Cascadia Cup, and they all hate each other.

Real Salt Lake

One of the first expansion teams, along with the now-defunct Chivas USA, to be established after the contraction of the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion FC in 2001. Based in Utah, the "Real" in its name is meant to associate themselves with Real Madrid as well as having a European-sounding name. It was not until 2006 when Real Salt Lake and Los Blancos established a mutual partnership, with RSL and Real Madrid meeting twice a year for a friendly (one at home and one away), the training of RSL players at the Bernabéu, and the establishment of a Real Madrid youth academy in Salt Lake City.

Replaced Sporting Kansas City as the (then) fourth MLS team with an official Distaff Counterpart in the 2017 offseason; Real launched Utah Royals FC in the 2018 season to replace the defunct FC Kansas City in the NWSL.

RSL saw major turmoil in 2020 when then-principal owner Dell Loy Hansen was found to have had a history of racial comments, with Hansen essentially being forced to sell both RSL and the Royals. As a result, the NWSL side ceased operations, with the team's player-related assets being acquired by a group in… Kansas City. However, the NWSL offered Real's new ownership an option to return to that league, and the new RSL group took them up on it. The Royals (without the "FC") returned in the 2024 season. Ryan Smith, owner of the NBA's Jazz and the NHL's Mammoth, acquired RSL in 2022; however, he sold his soccer interests to Gail Miller, widow of former Jazz owner Larry H. Miller, in April 2025.

Their main rival is Colorado Rapids, played out for the Rocky Mountain Cup every season.

St. Louis City SC

For decades, St. Louis has been one of the hotbeds of U.S. soccer, and the city has long been trying to get MLS' interest. In 2009, one group had all approvals for a new stadium across the Mississippi in Collinsville, Illinois, but MLS wasn't impressed with the group's financial resources. Other attempts were made through the 2010s, which accelerated after the Rams left for Los Angeles in 2016. The city's bid for a team looked to have died in 2017 when city voters turned down a tax package to fund a new stadium.

However, IT billionaire Jim Kavanaugh, part of the previous ownership group and also principal owner of Saint Louis FC, the city's USLC side, didn't give up. He recruited several female members of the Taylor family, principal owners of the Enterprise Holdings car rental company, as lead investors in a new ownership group. The group got initial approval for a new stadium in downtown St. Louis, in large part because their stadium plan almost totally used their own funds; the only new taxes for the stadium are being paid by fans attending the team's games. In August 2019, MLS officially announced that St. Louis City SC (in short "City SC") would join the league, with a target date of 2022 for the team's debut (though that would be put off to 2023, mainly due to stadium delays brought on by COVID-19).

The combination of COVID-19 and the impending entry of City SC led Kavanaugh to fold Saint Louis FC at the end of the 2020 season, meaning that (1) the city was to be without pro soccer for two years and (2) City SC would have to establish its own reserve side. Both points ended up being addressed with the launch of the Next Pro side, City2, in 2022.

The ownership group is most notable as the first in MLS in which women hold a majority interest. City SC came in with a bang, topping the Western Conference table in its first season, but flamed out in Round One, being swept by its cross-state rival^note Technically interstate, but most of the KC metro population is on the Missouri side, with KCMO being much larger than KCK. Sporting KC.

As mentioned, they really do not like Sporting Kansas City, whom they see as their main rival.

San Diego FC

San Diego was awarded the 30th expansion slot in May 2023, and the club unveiled its identity as San Diego FC that October. The ownership group is led by British-Egyptian businessman Mohamed Mansour and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, the first Native American nation to have a stake in a US pro soccer franchise. Other investors include current San Diego Padres superstar Manny Machado.

Like St. Louis, San Diego had the displeasure of having its NFL team, the Chargers, move to Los Angeles, which led to several parties submitting bids for MLS expansion to fill the void, including former MLS star Landon Donovan, who was part-owner of the now-defunct USL Championship side San Diego Loyal SC. MLS had been interested in placing a club in San Diego since the league's formation, playing the 1999 MLS All-Star Game at Qualcomm Stadium (aka San Diego Stadium) and even considering placing the now-defunct Chivas USA in the city, but San Diego's lack of a suitable stadium at the time hindered that effort.

The team plays at San Diego State's Snapdragon Stadium, which was built on part of the former site of San Diego Stadium; while the venue is not a true soccer-specific stadium, it was designed to accommodate an MLS franchise. Snapdragon Stadium is also home to NWSL side San Diego Wave FC.^note While Wave FC were earlier tenants, SDFC's lease with SDSU gives the MLS club higher scheduling priority after the university itself. SDFC set an MLS record for the most points for an expansion club, earning 63 points in their debut season.

They despise LAFC and LA Galaxy just up the road.

San Jose Earthquakes

A 2008 expansion team that replaced the original San Jose Earthquakes team that moved to Houston after the 2005 season. Officially a continuation of the original team in terms of history and records, they are the 2001 and 2003 MLS Cup Champions, as well as the 2005 and 2012 MLS Supporters' Shield Champions.

They played some of their better-drawing games in Oakland their first few years back due to the stadium issues that were still present. However, a voter referendum for a new stadium in San Jose went their way and they opened their new digs, now known as PayPal Park, in 2015. The Quakes are another team sharing its stadium with an NWSL side, with expansion team Bay FC having moved in for its first season in 2024.

Originally known as the San Jose Clash, the Earthquakes adopted their current name from the original NASL franchise of the same name just after the conclusion of the 1999 season. Chris Wondolowski ended his career here in 2021 as the league's all-time goal scoring leader, passing Landon Donovan in 2019.

Their fiercest rivals are LA Galaxy in the "California Clasico", and they play Seattle Sounders every year for the Heritage Cup.

Seattle Sounders FC

The first club to be promoted to MLS from a lower-division league, joining MLS in 2009. Has had a good run in the league so far, leading the league in ticket sales each year until Atlanta United came along, winning the US Open Cup four times (including three in a row), and also claiming the Supporters' Shield in 2014.

While local businessman Adrian Hanauer has been the principal owner since 2002, the ownership group includes plenty of star power. Shortly before the team joined MLS, comedian and game show host Drew Carey and Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen (one of the founders of Microsoft) joined the group; Allen's interest passed to his sister after his 2018 death. In 2019, a group of 11 local families purchased the interest of a retiring minority owner; the most notable new members of the group were then-Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, his wife Ciara, and hip-hop artist Macklemore, with former Seattle Mariners baseball star Ken Griffey Jr. joining in 2020.

The first club of U.S. international defender DeAndre Yedlin, who left in 2015 for a successful spell in the English Premier League at Tottenham and Newcastle, and the final team of Clint Dempsey, captain of the U.S. national team before his retirement after the 2018 season.

The Sounders have made the MLS Cup playoffs in all but one of their MLS seasons, the exception being a disastrous 2022 season.

During the 2023–24 offseason, the Sounders partnered with a hedge fund to buy the NWSL side then known as OL Reign from the parent company of prominent French club Olympique Lyonnais, with the sale being finalized during the 2024 season. The NWSL team's original name of Seattle Reign FC was restored during the sale process. While the hedge fund contributed most of the money, the Sounders are running soccer operations. Hanauer had held a minority interest in the Reign before OL bought the Reign after the 2019 season, but this marks the first time the Sounders have had operational control. The Reign also plays at Lumen Field, having moved there in 2022 after a three-season interlude in Tacoma.

They, Portland Timbers, and Vancouver Whitecaps duke it out every year for the Cascadia Cup, and they all hate each other, and they also play San Jose Earthquakes every season for the Heritage Cup.

Sporting Kansas City

Formerly the Kansas City Wizards (shortened to the Wiz in their (and the league's) inaugural season), they adopted the "Sporting" name in association with European club names like Sporting Lisbon. Winners of two MLS Cups (2000 and 2013), plus the Supporters' Shield in 2000 and the US Open Cup in 2004, 2012, 2015 and 2017. Most notable for defeating Manchester United in a friendly on July 25, 2010.

Their home stadium is in Kansas City, Kansas, whereas most franchises in the Kansas City area play their home games in Kansas City, Missouri (which is the larger of the two).

From 2015 through 2017, the club also had a Distaff Counterpart in FC Kansas City, though that club was separately owned. FCKC folded after the 2017 season and was effectively replaced by the aforementioned Utah Royals. The Royals later folded and were effectively replaced by a new Kansas City side, now known as Kansas City Current, that had no common ownership with FCKC. While SKC and the Current have separate ownership, the Current moved into SKC's stadium in 2022 and played there through the 2023 season, with the NWSL team opening its own new stadium in 2024.

Fierce rivals with cross-state St. Louis FC, as well as Minnesota United just up I-35 in the "Nicest Rivalry in Sports."

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Began MLS play in 2011, having also played in the USL with Seattle and Portland. The second Canadian team to join the league after Toronto FC. One of the club's owners is Basketball Hall of Famer Steve Nash, born in South Africa but raised in British Columbia's capital of Victoria. In 2015, they finally became the third MLS team to win the Canadian Championship after having previously managed the unenviable feat of five consecutive second-place finishes (to Toronto FC from 2009-12 and to the Montreal Impact, now CF Montréal, in 2013). Played the first part of the 2021 season at RSL's Rio Tinto Stadium (now America First Field).

The Whitecaps are another MLS side with a de facto women's affiliate, though not in the NWSL—Whitecaps co-owner Greg Kerfoot is the majority owner of Vancouver Rise FC, which started play in Canada's new women's pro league, the Northern Super League, in 2025.

With the Whitecaps going up for sale in the 2024 offseason as well as upcoming renovations to BC Place for the 2026 FIFA World Cup limiting the number of matchdays for the 2026 MLS season, the club is looking to build an MLS-specific stadium near the Pacific National Exhibition fairgrounds in Hastings Park in order to stay in Vancouver. Despite on-field success in 2025, the sale, coupled with the current lack of revenue control at BC Place (which is owned by the BC provincial government), makes the Whitecaps a potential source of relocation drama like 2017 Columbus, with one potential buyer stating he'd move the team to Las Vegas.

They, Portland Timbers, and Seattle Sounders duke it out every year over the Cascadia Cup, and they all hate each other.

Three MLS teams have folded, two of which came in the same year, from the same state no less. Due to ownership and stadium troubles, the franchises both closed their doors after the 2001 season, as the league itself was on the verge of folding. The league has recovered since then, with no dying teams until 2014.

CD Chivas USA

MLS' first attempt at a second team in the Los Angeles market. Before the 2014 season, it was under the same ownership as its then-parent club, the Mexican team Club Deportivo Guadalajara, whose nickname is "Chivas" (Spanish for goats). It was regarded by both Guadalajara and Chivas USA fans as the B-team of CD Guadalajara, making the former the only football club in the world with a reserves team playing in another country's top level league.

Controversially known in the 2013 season for their push to have a team of all Mexican and Mexican-American heritage just like the Guadalajara Chivas, with two dismissed non-Latino youth coaches filing a discrimination lawsuit. Shortly before the 2014 season, the team was bought by MLS. After two seasons of abysmal numbers,^note Hint: they were outdrawn by half the pro minor leagues of soccer the league decided to fold Chivas USA, and instead sold the franchise rights to an investor group led by venture capitalist Henry Nguyen.

The replacement, Los Angeles FC, began play in 2018 and did not inherit any of Chivas' records or history, making that franchise effectively dead in MLS' eyes.

Miami Fusion FC

The Fusion were one of MLS' first two expansion teams, joining in 1998 alongside the Chicago Fire. They were the first team to pick a hybridized name. They were a decent team overall, making the playoffs in three of their four years of existence and winning the 2001 Supporters' Shield. However, their incredibly low budget, equally low revenue, and lack of support meant that MLS pulled the plug on the franchise before the 2002 season, lest the entire league folded.

Tampa Bay Mutiny

A MLS charter club, the Mutiny started off as one of the hottest teams in MLS, (retroactively) winning the Supporters' Shield for the inaugural season with Colombian legend Carlos "El Pibe" Valderrama. However, they ended up losing the Eastern Conference final to eventual champions D.C. United. They went into a funk over the next few years as the team traded off its stars and moved into a new stadium. They underwent a strong resurgence in 2000, but failed to make it past the quarter-finals. They followed this up with an atrocious 2001, in which they racked up only 14 points.^note Granted, the season did get shortened thanks to 9/11. This still stands as the worst season by points in league history, and it was on that note that the Mutiny folded.