Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the United States and 3 in Canada—since the 2023 season. MLS is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.
James Smith is a Scottish retired professional footballer and currently Executive Director at Tennessee United Soccer Club. Prior to this, Smith served as Academy Director for Nashville SC. Smith spent the majority of his playing career in his native country with Celtic and Aberdeen in the Scottish Premier League. He was also capped twice by Scotland.
Several Major League Soccer teams and players hold various records and statistics.
Jalil Anibaba is an American former professional soccer player who last played in Major League Soccer for Columbus Crew. He is currently a club ambassador for Nashville SC.
Hany Abubakr Mukhtar is a German professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Nashville SC in Major League Soccer.
Walker Dwain Zimmerman is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center-back for Major League Soccer club Nashville SC and the United States national team.
The History of Major League Soccer began in 1988, when the United States Soccer Federation pledged to create a Division 1 professional soccer league as a condition to FIFA awarding the 1994 FIFA World Cup to the United States. Major League Soccer was officially formed in 1995. The league began play in 1996 with 10 teams, and in 1998 grew to 12 teams. MLS experienced some difficulties in its first seasons, with the league losing money in the early years, resulting in two teams folding after the 2001 season. MLS has rebounded since then, with increased attendance and the development of soccer-specific stadiums. With an average attendance of over 20,000 per game, MLS has the third highest average attendance of any sports league in the U.S. after the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB), and is the seventh highest attended professional soccer league worldwide. MLS currently has 29 teams, with further expansion to 30 teams planned with the addition of San Diego FC in 2025. As of 2023, MLS is the largest first division professional soccer league in the world by number of clubs.
Dominique Joel Badji is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Turkish TFF First League club Bandırmaspor.
Nashville Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in Nashville, Tennessee. The team began play in Major League Soccer in 2020 as a continuation of the USL club of the same name and plays its home matches at Geodis Park. It is principally owned by John Ingram, owner of Ingram Industries, along with investors and partial owners the Turner family of Dollar General Stores.
The 2020 Major League Soccer season was the 25th season of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. The regular season began on February 29, 2020, and was originally planned to end on October 4. The MLS Cup Playoffs were planned to begin later that month and would end with MLS Cup 2020 on November 7.
The 2020 Atlanta United FC season was the fourth season of Atlanta United FC's existence, and the twelfth year that a professional soccer club from Atlanta, Georgia competed in the top division of American soccer. Atlanta United played their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Outside of MLS, the team made their second appearance in the CONCACAF Champions League, and were set to participate in the 2020 U.S. Open Cup as defending champions, before the tournament's cancelation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020 Columbus Crew SC season was the club's twenty-fifth season of existence and their twenty-fifth consecutive season in Major League Soccer, the top flight of American soccer. Columbus were also set to compete in the U.S. Open Cup, before its cancelation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The season covers the period from November 11, 2019 to the start of the 2021 Major League Soccer season.
The 2020 Orlando City SC season was the club's 10th season of existence in Orlando and sixth season as a Major League Soccer franchise, the top-flight league in the United States soccer league system. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Open Cup was canceled.
The 2020 Nashville SC season was the club's first season as an organization and its first season as a member of Major League Soccer, after two seasons in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship by a club of the same name.
The MLS is Back Tournament took place during the 2020 Major League Soccer season to mark the league's return to action after being suspended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 26 Major League Soccer teams, 24 participated in the tournament; FC Dallas and Nashville SC withdrew after several of their players tested positive for COVID-19 just before their first matches. The tournament was held behind closed doors from July 8 to August 11, 2020, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. The tournament featured a group stage, which was counted toward the 2020 MLS regular season standings, followed by knockout rounds. The tournament champion, Portland Timbers, qualified for the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League, and the 2020 season resumed upon completion of the tournament.
The 2021 Major League Soccer season was the 26th season of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. The 2021 season included the addition of Austin FC as an expansion club, which took the league to 27 teams.
Irakoze Donasiyano is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Oakland Roots in the USL Championship. Born in Tanzania, he plays for the Burundi national team.
The 2022 Major League Soccer season was the 27th season of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. The league had 28 clubs following the addition of Charlotte FC as an expansion team.
The 2023 FC Cincinnati season was the club's fifth season in MLS, and the eighth season overall for the team including their first three years in the lower-division USL Championship. The club entered 2023 on a high note, having notched their first playoff appearance and first playoff win in 2022 after languishing at the bottom of the standings for their first three seasons in MLS. On September 30, FC Cincinnati clinched the Supporters' Shield, the award given to the team that finishes with the most points in the regular season.
The 2023 Major League Soccer season was the 28th season of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada, and the 45th season overall of a national first-division league in the United States. The league expanded to 29 clubs following the addition of St. Louis City SC to the Western Conference, with Nashville SC moving back to the Eastern Conference.
Ghana
USA
Cameroon
Senegal
Sudan
Somalia
Venezuela
Tanzania
Panama
Canada
Costa Rica
Ivory Coast
Colombia
Germany
Uruguay
Mexico
