MLS soccer team names, year of establishment, achievements, stadium, owner

MLS soccer team names, year of establishment, achievements, stadium, owner

Kenneth Mwenda
April 20, 2023 at 8:33 AM

MLS soccer teams have increased over the last few years. The region's rapidly growing interest in football has contributed to this. It is the most recent of several national football leagues for men, established in the US and Canada.

MLS soccer team names, year of establishment, achievements, stadium, owner
Bobby Wood (R) of New England Revolution on the attack as Keaton Parks of New York City Football Club defends during a game at Gillette Stadium on April 1, 2023. Photo: Andrew Katsampes
Source: Getty Images

With 29 teams—26 in the US and 3 in Canada—Major League Soccer (MLS) is one of the most well-known sports leagues in the US and Canada. The clubs are split between the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference.

MLS soccer team names

Since the 2005 season, the MLS has continued to grow, most recently with the addition of St. Louis City, SC, for the 2023 season. The league's main office is in Manhattan's Midtown. Here is a list of the MLS team names in alphabetical order as found in fantasy soccer 2023.

Atlanta United FC

MLS soccer team names
Atlanta United logo on display during the match between Toluca FC and Atlanta United FC on February 15th, 2023 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. Photo: Rich von Biberstein
Source: Getty Images

The Atlanta-based team represents the Eastern Conference in the MLS competition. Founded in 2014, Atlanta United started playing as an MLS expansion team in 2017 as the twenty-second team in the league. It is the first Major League Soccer (MLS) club to call Atlanta home, and the club shares the city's Mercedes-Benz Stadium with the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL).

Austin FC

Long MLS soccer team names
A general view of Q2 Stadium is seen with an Austin FC logo on a stadium seat on October 07, 2021. Photo: Robin Alam
Source: Getty Images

Austin FC participates in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a Western Conference team. The club debuted in 2021 after being founded in 2018.

Their main stadium is Q2 Stadium in north Austin. They are the first club from a significant professional sports tournament to play in the state capital of Texas, which up until the year 2021, was the biggest city in the country without such a team.

Charlotte FC

MLS soccer team names list
The Charlotte FC logo is seen before their game against Atlanta United at Bank of America Stadium on March 11, 2023, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo: Eakin Howard
Source: Getty Images

The group participates in Major League Soccer as an Eastern Conference team. David Tepper, who was granted the expansion franchise on December 17, 2019, is the team's owner.

It debuted in the 2022 MLS season as the 28th franchise. Charlotte FC plays at Bank of America Stadium.

Chicago Fire FC

The Chicago Fire Football Club is a professional football team in the United States. The club joined the Eastern Conference in 2002 and competes in Major League Soccer as a member.

Colorado Rapids

MLS soccer team longest names
Colorado Rapids logo displayed at Sporting Goods Park on April 24, 2021, in Commerce City, Colorado. Photo: C. Morgan Engel
Source: Getty Images

The Rapids play in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The club, a founding member of MLS, was established in 1995 as a division of the Anschutz Corporation and later became a founding sports franchise of the global sports & entertainment behemoth AEG. Kroenke Sports & Entertainment corporation owns the Rapids.

Columbus Crew SC

MLS fantasy soccer team names
Columbus Crew SC corner flag before the game against Minnesota United on October 28, 2018, at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Photo: Jason Mowry
Source: Getty Images

The Crew, one of the league's original ten clubs, joined Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1996 and competes as a member of the Eastern Conference. The franchise was established in 1994. Its stadium is Lower.com Field, which opened in 2021.

DC. United

MLS team names
DC United logo on the giant digital scoreboard at Audi field during the game against Atlanta United on April 2, 2022, at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. Photo: Randy Litzinger
Source: Getty Images

The top division of American soccer, Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference, features DC United, a professional soccer club based in Washington, DC. The club debuted in Major League Soccer in 1995 and has participated in every season since its inaugural campaign in 1996.

FC Cincinnati

MLS team nicknames
A fan flies the Cincinnati FC flag in the match against Sporting Kansas City at Nippert Stadium on April 07, 2019, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Photo: Justin Casterline
Source: Getty Images

The club is based in Cincinnati and competes in Major League Soccer's Eastern Conference. As a United Soccer League (USL) franchise that competed from 2016 to 2018, the team was first introduced on August 12, 2015.

Dallas FC

Dallas FC participates in Major League Soccer as a Western Conference competitor. As a founding MLS member, the franchise started competing in 1996. The Dallas Burn was the club's original name when it was founded in 1995 and only changed to it in 2004.

Houston Dynamo

MLS soccer teams owners
A Houston Dynamo fan holds up a Dynamo flag as the Houston Dynamo plays against D.C. United at Robertson Stadium on August 1, 2009, in Houston, Texas. Photo: Thomas B. Shea
Source: Getty Images

The Dynamo compete in Major League Soccer as a member of the Western Conference. Established on December 15, 2005, the club was established after their former owners moved the San Jose Earthquakes players and staff to Houston following the 2005 season.

Inter Miami CF

MLS team stadiums
The logo of Inter Miami CF is seen during a news conference at Barry University in Miami, Florida, United States, on January 21, 2020. Photo: Marco Bello
Source: Getty Images

The club, founded in 2018, debuted in the MLS in the 2020 campaign. The club currently hosts its home MLS matches at DRV PNK Stadium, situated on top of the former Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

LA Galaxy

MLS teams achievements
Los Angeles Galaxy corner flag before a game between Orlando City SC and Los Angeles Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park on March 19, 2022, in Carson, California. Photo: Dave Bernal
Source: Getty Images

The Galaxy is a member of the Western Conference. The club debuted in competition in 1996 as one of the league's original 10 members. The Galaxy was established in 1994 and is owned by the Anschutz Entertainment Group.

Los Angeles FC

MLS soccer team names
Pregame festivities as the LAFC fans prepare for the MLS Cup Western Conference Final match against Austin FC at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on October 30, 2022. Photo: Shaun Clark
Source: Getty Images

Los Angeles FC participates in the MLS as a Western Conference member. The club was founded on October 30, 2014, and debuted as an expansion team in 2018. The club holds its home games at Exposition Park's BMO Stadium, a facility designed specifically for soccer.

Minnesota United FC

Long MLS soccer team names
A general view of a corner flag before the pre-season friendly match between Minnesota United and Everton at Allianz Field on July 20, 2022, in St Paul, Minnesota. Photo: Tony McArdle
Source: Getty Images

The Western Conference is home to the professional football club based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The club started competing in 2017 as the tournament's 22nd club and substituted the North American Soccer League (NASL) franchise of the same name.

Montreal Impact

MLS soccer team names list
Montreal Impact ambassadors carry the team's crest during pre-game ceremonies at the Olympic Stadium on March 17, 2012, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Photo: Richard Wolowicz
Source: Getty Images

Montréal Impact is a Canadian professional Football club based in Montréal, Québec, Canada. The club plays in the Eastern Conference of MLS. Established in 1992 as the Montréal Impact, the side started playing in the MLS in 2012 as an expansion team, the league's nineteenth franchise and third Canadian club.

Nashville SC

MLS soccer team longest names
Nashville SC logo on seats at Geodis Park before the MLS match between the Philadelphia Union and Nashville SC at GEODIS Park on May 01, 2022, in Nashville, TN. Photo: Kevin Langley
Source: Getty Images

Major League Soccer team Nashville Soccer Club is based in Nashville, Tennessee. The team, a continuation of the USL club of the same name, started league play in 2020. Geodis Park serves as the home stadium.

New England Revolution

MLS fantasy soccer team names
The New England Revolution soccer team's new logo is unveiled on a flag in the archway at the Boston Harbor Hotel in Boston, MA, on November 4, 2021. Photo: Craig F. Walker
Source: Getty Images

The New England Revolution is an American Major League Soccer team that plays in the Eastern Conference and is based in Greater Boston. Its name is one of the longest in MLS. It has participated in the league since its first season, making it one of the ten founding clubs of the MLS.

New York City FC

MLS team names
Logo of New York City on the corner flag in Yankee Stadium during the MLS match between Toronto FC and New York City at Yankee Stadium on July 12, 2015, in New York City. Photo: Matthew Ashton
Source: Getty Images

New York City FC competes in the Eastern Conference. It is jointly owned by Yankee Global Enterprises, owner of the New York Yankees, and City Football Group, owner of the English soccer club Manchester City. As the 20th expansion team in the MLS, New York City played its inaugural league match in 2015.

New York Red Bulls

MLS team nicknames
A general view of the New York Red Bulls logo during the Major League Soccer game against Atlanta United on June 30, 2022, at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. Photo: Rich Graessle
Source: Getty Images

A professional football club from the United States, the New York Red Bulls, is based in the New York metropolitan area. The Eastern Conference is where the Red Bulls play in Major League Soccer.

New York Red Bulls was founded in October 1994, being one of the oldest MLS teams, and they debuted as the New York/New Jersey MetroStars for the league's inaugural season in 1996. The team was bought by Red Bull GmbH in 2006, who rebranded it under its current name as a member of the organisation's international network of football clubs.

Orlando City SC

MLS soccer teams owners
Orlando City hat logo on the bench before the Major League Soccer game between the York Red Bulls and Orlando City on March 23, 2019, at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. Photo: Rich Graessle
Source: Getty Images

Orlando City SC is an American football team based in Orlando, Florida, and competes in the Eastern Conference. Orlando City SC replaced the USL Pro team of the same name and started competing in 2015 as the 21st franchise in MLS.

Philadelphia Union

MLS team stadiums
Philadelphia Union logo at Subaru Park before the match against D.C. United on August 29, 2020, in Chester, Pennsylvania. Photo: Mitchell Leff
Source: Getty Images

The Eastern Conference is where the Union competes. The club was established on February 28, 2008, and debuted in competition in 2010. Subaru Park, a soccer-specific stadium situated in Chester, Pennsylvania, on the banks of the Delaware River, serves as the team's home field.

Portland Timbers

MLS teams achievements
Portland Timbers logo at Providence Park on February 22, 2020, in Portland, Oregon. Photo: Soobum Im
Source: Getty Images

The Western Conference is where the Timbers compete. Since the Timbers entered the league as an expansion team in 2011, they have played all their home games at Providence Park. The club was established in 2009 after Major League Soccer granted Portland a spot in its expansion draught.

Real Salt Lake

MLS soccer team names
Mascot "Leo" of Real Salt Lake waves a flag before a game against the Colorado Rapids at an MLS soccer game on September 25, 2010, at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Photo: George Frey
Source: Getty Images

Real Salt Lake plays in the Western Conference as a Major League Soccer affiliate. RSL began to play in 2005 as an expansion team. The club was established in 2004 when its first owner and founder received a Major League Soccer expansion spot.

San Jose Earthquakes

The Earthquakes compete as a member club of the Western Conference. The club debuted as one of the league's original members in 1996 under the name San Jose Clash.

Earthquakes has one of the MLS soccer club's longest names. It is fiercely rivalled by the LA Galaxy, known as the California Clásico.

Seattle Sounders FC

Long MLS soccer team names
Seattle Sounders FC logo on a flag during the MLS match against Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center on August 25, 2012, in Carson, California. Photo: Ric Tapia
Source: Getty Images

The Western Conference is where the Sounders compete in Major League Soccer. The club was founded on November 13, 2007, and as an MLS expansion, they started competing in 2009.

Sporting Kansas City

MLS soccer team names list
Sporting Kansas City logo on covers over the seats during the game against Minnesota United on September 13, 2020, at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. Photo: William Purnell
Source: Getty Images

The club competes in the Western Conference of the league. Sporting KC started playing in 1996 as a charter team in the league, then known as the Kansas City Wiz.

Lamar Hunt started the team in 1995. They are the only major professional sports league franchise that has played home games in Kansas since crossing the state line.

St. Louis City SC

MLS soccer team longest names
A St. Louis CITY SC logo attached to the side of CITY PARK on March 04, 2023, during the inaugural home game in St. Louis City, MO. Photo: Rick Ulreich
Source: Getty Images

They joined Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2023 as an expansion club and currently play as a member of the Western Conference. The team was founded in 2019 and holds home games at the CityPark, a brand-new soccer-specific stadium in Downtown St. Louis.

Toronto FC

MLS fantasy soccer team names
Toronto FC logo on the scoreboard prior to the Major League Soccer game between the New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC on November 8, 2020, at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. Photo: Rich Graessle
Source: Getty Images

Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The team participates in Major League Soccer as an Eastern Conference team.

The club's home games are held at BMO Field, situated at Exhibition Place on the Toronto waterfront to the west of Downtown Toronto. Toronto FC was the first Canadian-based franchise in the MLS when it entered as an expansion team in 2007.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

MLS team names
A view of the Vancouver Whitecaps logo and table during the 2011 MLS SuperDraft on January 13, 2011, at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Photo: Ned Dishman
Source: Getty Images

The Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a professional football club in Canada with its home base in Vancouver. They participate in the MLS competition as a Western Conference member club. The club made history in 2012 when it qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs as the first Canadian team.

The Major League Soccer features many rival cups contested by two or more teams, usually geographic rivals. Each trophy is given to the name with the highest achievement in matches during the regular season involving the participating groups. The idea resembles the rivalry trophies that American college football teams compete for.

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Authors
Kenneth Mwenda photo
Kenneth Mwenda
Kenneth Mwenda is a business and sports writer with over five years of experience. At Sportsbrief, he contributes to writing biographies and listicles.