Soccer has had an established history at both the professional and amateur levels in Greater St. Louis for more than a century.[4] In 2007, St. Louis was considered a possible destination for Real Salt Lake after the club founder announced he would sell the club if a new stadium was not built. From 2008 to 2009, St. Louis lawyer Jeff Cooper led a group of would-be owners who attempted to bring an MLS expansion team to Greater St. Louis, only to have the bids turned down in favor of other cities.[5] Despite approved plans to build the $600million Collinsville Soccer Complex, MLS was unimpressed with the bid's financial backing and suggested Cooper expand his group of investors.[6][7] Cooper instead launched a second division men's club and a Women's Professional Soccer franchise. AC St. Louis played only one season in Division 2 before folding in 2011; the Saint Louis Athletica folded midway through its second season in 2010.[8]
In late 2014, the city announced plans for a new stadium to host both American football and soccer.[9] MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in January 2015, "St. Louis has got a lot of activity going on with a stadium that they’re trying to get done for the NFL'sRams. There's a big soccer community out there and we'd love to see a soccer stadium downtown like they're thinking about a football stadium."[10] In May 2015, Garber visited St. Louis to talk about a possible new multi-purpose stadium that could host soccer games. Garber cautioned that any possible expansion to St. Louis would occur after 2020.[11] On January 12, 2016, the Rams moved to Los Angeles after playing in St. Louis for 21 seasons. The Rams' move initially accelerated the talks of an MLS expansion team.[12]
In 2017, MLS began to consider adding a team in St. Louis, beginning in 2020.[13] The proposed ownership group sought public funds to help build a $200million soccer-specific stadium next to Union Station in downtown St. Louis. On January 26, 2017, a funding plan was approved by the city's Aldermanic Ways and Means Committee, and later by the entire Board of Aldermen, that would have directed $60million in city tax revenue to the new stadium. Voters rejected the plan in an April 4, 2017, referendum, leaving the city's MLS future in doubt.[14][15]
2018–2019: Expansion bid
In September 2018, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on a meeting between officials with the Missouri Department of Economic Development and MLS representatives regarding a stadium proposal; St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson later confirmed that a new group was trying to bring a team to St. Louis.[16] St. Louis's MLS bid was effectively re-launched on October 9 of that year, with Carolyn Kindle and other heirs to the Enterprise Rent-A-Car fortune as the primary investors. The stadium location remained the same as in the original 2016 location, near Union Station.[17] This bid did not seek public funding through taxes or from the city, so the public did not get to vote on the stadium.[18] On November 28, 2018, the Board of Aldermen's Housing, Urban Development, and Zoning Committee voted 8–0 to approve the stadium plan.[19]
On April 18, 2019, the MLS announced plans to expand to 30 teams, up from the previous plan of 28. The league, currently at 27 teams, advised the Commissioner's office to advance the discussions with the Sacramento Republic and St. Louis bids. Both bids were asked to make presentations to the MLS Expansion Committee to "address each bid's final stadium plan, corporate commitments, the composition of the respective ownership groups, detailed economics on funding, strategic plans for fan development, commitments on player development and details on community programs."[20][21]
On April 20, 2019, two days after MLS announced it would advance discussions with the Sacramento and St. Louis bids, the St. Louis group released renderings and more information about their proposed stadium. The 22,423-seat stadium's design was produced by a collaboration between HOK and Snow Kreilich Architects. The group also promised that every seat would be within 120 feet of the field and that a canopy would cover the stadium.[22]
On August 20, 2019, MLS announced it had approved St. Louis as the league's 28th franchise, with play expected to begin in the 2022 season.[23] The ownership group consists of Enterprise Holdings Foundation president Carolyn Kindle Betz and female members of the Taylor family, and is the first female majority-owned team in MLS.[24] In the announcement, Don Garber said, "St. Louis is a city with a rich soccer tradition, and it is a market we have considered since the league's inception. Our league becomes stronger today with the addition of the city's deeply dedicated soccer fans, and the committed and innovative local ownership group led by Carolyn Kindle Betz, the Taylor family, and Jim Kavanaugh."[25]
On October 19, 2019, the ownership group released new plans for the planned soccer-specific stadium. The area was extended to encompass a 31-acre (13ha) plan and would likely exceed the original $200million cost estimate. The ownership group agreed to purchase and own the land along with the stadium and will not seek tax revenue or public financing.[26]
On December 17, 2019, the state of Missouri informed the ownership group that the $30million previously promised by the state will no longer be provided.[27] However, on March 18, 2020, the Missouri Development Finance Board unanimously approved a package of incentives worth $5.7million in tax credits to help with construction of the $458million stadium and surrounding area.[28]
On March 25, 2020, the ownership group released a statement regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Site preparation for the stadium will continue as planned. Site preparation includes clearing all land where the stadium will sit and demolishing the old on and off ramps located on the site.[29]
On August 17, 2020, former Fortuna Düsseldorf managing director of sports Lutz Pfannenstiel was introduced as sporting director of St. Louis City SC and began building the club from the ground up.[30]
On January 5, 2022, former South African International and New York Red Bulls assistant coach Bradley Carnell was named as the team's first head coach.[31]
On February 25, 2023, St. Louis City SC played in their first match in Major League Soccer, winning by a score of 3–2, against Austin FC at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas.[32]
On March 4, 2023, St. Louis City SC played their first home game in Major League Soccer, winning by a score of 3–1 against Charlotte FC in front of a sold-out crowd at CityPark in St. Louis, Missouri.[33]
On March 18, 2023, St. Louis City SC became the first MLS team to win their first four games as an expansion team after beating the San Jose Earthquakes 3–0. This was the first clean sheet in St. Louis City SC history.[34]
On March 25, 2023, St. Louis City SC became the first team to win their first five games after beating Real Salt Lake 4–0 away. They also set a new record as the 3rd team to have 15 points in its first five games, joining the Los Angeles Galaxy in 1996 and Sporting Kansas City in 2012.[35]
On April 1, 2023, St. Louis City SC lost their first game in their history against Minnesota United FC with the score 0–1 in CityPark.
On April 16, 2023, St. Louis City SC defeated FC Cincinnati by a score of 5–1.[36] Cincinnati had the most points in MLS at the time with a record of 5–0–2 .With this win, St. Louis City SC became the most successful MLS Expansion team in their first eight games with 18 points.[37]
On September 30, 2023, St. Louis City SC broke the record for most wins by an MLS expansion club, defeating Sporting Kansas City 4-1 and reaching 17 wins.[38]
On October 1, 2023, St. Louis City SC won the Western Conference in their first year as a franchise and would also qualify for the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
On November 5, 2023, St. Louis was eliminated from the MLS Cup Playoffs after being swept by Sporting Kansas City in the first round best-of-three series. Sporting won the first game 4-1 in St. Louis and the home leg 2-1 in Kansas City.
St. Louis City would begin their 2024 campaign, going undefeated through five games. Although, the team would only have one win in this time frame, a 2-0 win against New York City FC on March 2.
On July 1, 2024, the club let go of head coach Bradley Carnell, citing the club's poor performance through the first half of the 2024 season. John Hackworth, the club's Technical Director, was named as the interim head coach.[39]
Colors, badge, and sponsorship
The crest features the iconic Gateway Arch, and the two curved lines symbolize the confluence of North America's two longest rivers, the Mississippi River and the Missouri River, which is located just a few miles north of Downtown St. Louis. Officially, the team's colors are city red, river blue, energy yellow, arch steel gray, and white.[1][40] The shade of red can easily been mistaken as a shade of magenta or pink, or bright maroon depending on the lighting.
On March 31, 2021, Purina, a pet food maker founded and based in St. Louis, became the club's first jersey sponsor and founding partner.[41] On July 14, 2021, Together Credit Union, a local credit union, became the club's second founding partner and the official banking partner.[42]
Stadium
Energizer Park
The team plays in Energizer Park in downtown St. Louis that is the anchor of a 31-acre (13ha) development area that includes team offices, training facilities, and commercial districts.[43][44] The stadium is intended to field 17 to 23 soccer games a year and serve as a venue for concerts, high school sports, and more.[45] The design of the stadium is intended to connect the surrounding area and the downtown area together while blending with the neighborhood.[46]
Ownership and management
The St. Louis City SC ownership group consists of Enterprise Holdings Foundation president Carolyn Kindle and female members of the Taylor family (Enterprise Holdings), and is the first female majority-owned team in MLS. The group also includes CEO of World Wide Technology, Jim Kavanaugh and members of the Kavanaugh family.[47]
Many new independent supporters' groups were organized in anticipation of the MLS squad's arrival, supporting City 2 throughout their 2022 campaign.[48] These groups include Saint Louis CITY Punks,[49][50] sporting denim vests and Punk rock vibes, as well as the No Nap City Ultras,[51] a supporters' group of parents and their young children, and STL Santos, a supporters’ group for Spanish speakers. 2022 also saw the arrival of a new drum corps and supporters' group, the Fleur de Noise,[52][53] who will take up the role of drumming and leading chants for the supporters.
Supporters are currently in the process of determining a proper name for the collective supporters' section, that encompaces all groups and supporters.
The oldest active soccer supporters' group in the St. Louis area is the St. Louligans, though they are far from the only supporters' group in St Louis. Their name references football hooliganism, the disruptive and disorderly behavior of soccer fans, though this type of phenomenon is not generally found among soccer fans in North America. The St. Louligans were founded in 2010 when several local soccer fan groups joined forces at AC St. Louis home games. They have provided strong support for a number of St. Louis area soccer teams, including AC St. Louis, Saint Louis Athletica, St. Louis Lions, and Illinois Piasa.[54]
St. Louligans was the official supporters group for Saint Louis FC, a USL Championship side founded in 2014. Saint Louis FC worked closely with the St. Louligans to encourage their support. Notable contributions of the group include awarding a new fan each week with a ticket, and coordinating with the Coopers, supporters for Louisville City FC, to create the Kings' Cup rivalry competition between the two teams.[55][56] Saint Louis FC folded in 2020.
The new stadium contains a supporters' section with space for more than 3,000 standing spectators, three capo stands, a 257-foot (78m) long integrated tifo rigging system, a drum riser for drum corps during matches, and a dedicated supporters bar.[57]
Rivalries
Chicago Fire FC
The Chicago Fire have emerged as a regional rival for St. Louis City SC, mirroring the 160-year sporting and cultural dislike between the two Midwestern cities, most evident in the Cardinals-Cubs rivalry in Major League Baseball. For their first encounters in 2023, the two teams met twice in the space of a week, and Chicago won both matches despite their visitors sending large numbers of traveling supporters. On May 11th, 2024, St. Louis beat Chicago for the first time by a score of 3-1 at home in the first meeting between the two sides in the 2024 season.[58][59]
St. Louis City has also developed an early rivalry with Sporting Kansas City.[60][61][62] Prior to the first meeting, a St. Louis fan podcast, the Soccer Capitol Podcast, became the center of attention and heightening tensions between supporters. A series of emails from Sporting Kansas City’s front office arrived in the inbox of the podcast’s Gmail account. The club believed the Soccer Capitol Podcast was infringing on the trademark “The Soccer Capital of America,” which was registered to Kansas Training Partners LLC, an affiliate company of Sporting Kansas City.[citation needed] St. Louis City SC won the first match between the two clubs on May 20 at CityPark.[63] On September 30, 2023, St. Louis fans unfurled a huge banner reading ‘You’re not in Kansas anymore.’[citation needed] The two teams played in their first postseason matchup in the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs,[64] with Sporting Kansas City (the #8 seed) upsetting the #1 seeded St. Louis in a best-of-three series.[65]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
On December 6, 2021, the club announced it would be fielding a reserve team in the new MLS Next Pro league, in the third tier of US Soccer.[75]St. Louis City 2 began play in the 2022 season, despite the MLS side not beginning play until 2023.
Academy
In August 2020, the club announced the founding of the St. Louis City SC Academy, joining MLS Next in the 2020-21 season.[76]
On August 26, 2022, the UPSL announced that St. Louis City SC has joined the league, and will compete in the KY / TN Conference - Premier Division.[77]
In the 2023 fall season, the Academy was the runner-up in the UPSL National Finals, falling 2-1 to Chiriaco FC.
In the 2024 spring season, the Academy became the UPSL Gateway Premier champions and secured a spot in the National Round of 32.[78]
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. The administrative offices are located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and the team clubhouse and practice facilities are located in Kansas City, Kansas. The team has played its home matches at Children's Mercy Park since 2011.
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 30 teams. MLS is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.
The Eastern Conference is one of Major League Soccer's two conferences, along with the Western Conference. The division of the conferences broadly follows the path of the Mississippi River from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, with clubs east of the river in the Eastern Conference.
The Western Conference is one of Major League Soccer's two conferences, along with the Eastern Conference. The division of the conferences broadly follows the path of the Mississippi River from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, with clubs on, or west of the river in the Western Conference.
Minnesota United Football Club, often shortened to MNUFC, is an American professional soccer club based in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. The club began play in 2017 as the league's 22nd club, and replaced the North American Soccer League (NASL) franchise of the same name.
Major League Soccer is the top level of professional soccer in the United States. It began play in 1996 with 10 teams and has expanded several times since 1998. From 2005 to 2025, the league expanded rapidly and has added an average of one new team per season. The league will reach 30 teams in the 2025 season with the debut of San Diego FC.
Orlando City Soccer Club was an American professional soccer team based in Orlando, Florida, United States, that was the precursor to Orlando City SC. The team played in USL Pro, the third tier of the American soccer pyramid from 2010 to 2014, until discontinuing in favor of Orlando's entry to Major League Soccer (MLS), as an expansion franchise in 2015, by the same ownership group.
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began play in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) as a Division II league since 2017, placing it under Major League Soccer in the hierarchy. The USL is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
Orlando City Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in Orlando, Florida. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Orlando City began play in 2015 as the 21st franchise in MLS, succeeding the USL Pro team of the same name. In doing so they became the first MLS team in Florida since the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny both folded following the 2001 season. The team plays in downtown Orlando at Inter&Co Stadium, which it owns and operates.
Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami, better known as Inter Miami CF or simply Inter Miami, is an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Inter Miami plays their home matches at Chase Stadium, with plans to move to Miami Freedom Park in 2026.
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.
The expansion of the National Women's Soccer League began with the league's sophomore season in 2014, when the league expanded to a ninth team in Houston, and is an ongoing process that currently has seen five expansions, three direct or indirect relocations, and one contraction. The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) was established as the top level of professional women's soccer in the United States in 2013 in the wake of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association and Women's Professional Soccer.
Soccer in St. Louis, which dates from 1882, includes pro, college, select and prep soccer teams in St. Louis, Missouri, collectively forming one of the nation's richest municipal soccer heritages.
Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) is an American professional soccer club based in Los Angeles. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. It was established on October 30, 2014, and began play during the 2018 season as an expansion team. The team plays its home matches at BMO Stadium, a soccer-specific stadium located in Exposition Park.
The Hudson River Derby, sometimes earlier called the New York derby, is the name given to the local derby between the two Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs based in the New York metropolitan area, New York Red Bulls and New York City FC. First played in 2015, the rivalry between the two started almost as soon as New York City was awarded an expansion club in 2013. The derby is primarily contested for bragging rights of the current MLS regular season; although the two clubs occasionally meet in playoffs or other competitions, only regular-season results are counted towards the season trophy.
Energizer Park, previously CityPark, is a 22,423-seat soccer-specific stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It is the home of St. Louis City SC, the city's Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise. The stadium is next to Union Station in the city's Downtown West neighborhood, and was completed in November 2022, ahead of the 2023 MLS season. The stadium is also the home of St. Louis City 2 of MLS Next Pro.
Nashville Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in Nashville, Tennessee. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team began playing in MLS 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.
Football Club Cincinnati is an American professional soccer club based in Cincinnati. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team was first announced on August 12, 2015 as a United Soccer League (USL) franchise which played from 2016 to 2018. On May 29, 2018, the club's ownership was awarded an MLS franchise, and the team began MLS play on March 2, 2019. The club's ownership group is led by Carl Lindner III with Jeff Berding serving as co-CEO. Currently, the role of general manager is held by Chris Albright.
Charlotte FC is an American professional soccer club based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team is owned by David Tepper, who was awarded the expansion franchise on December 17, 2019. It began play in the 2022 MLS season as the league's 28th franchise. Charlotte FC plays at Bank of America Stadium, which it shares with the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League, a team also owned by Tepper; the stadium capacity is reduced to 38,000 for most matches.
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.
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