Timeline
The following is a timeline of organizational changes in Major League Soccer (MLS), a professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that began play in 1996 with 10 teams and by 2025 will have 30 teams. This article includes expansions, contractions, renamings of clubs and conference realignment.
The league operated its first inaugural season in 1996 with 10 teams and two conferences.
| Eastern | Western |
|---|---|
| Columbus Crew | Colorado Rapids |
| D.C. United | Dallas Burn |
| New England Revolution | Kansas City Wiz |
| NY/NJ MetroStars | Los Angeles Galaxy |
| Tampa Bay Mutiny | San Jose Clash |
Kansas City Wiz would be renamed to the Kansas City Wizards in the following season.
| Eastern | Western |
|---|---|
| Columbus Crew | Colorado Rapids |
| D.C. United | Dallas Burn |
| New England Revolution | Kansas City Wizards |
| NY/NJ MetroStars | Los Angeles Galaxy |
| Tampa Bay Mutiny | San Jose Clash |
The league expanded for the first time in 1998 with Miami Fusion and Chicago Fire. New York/New Jersey MetroStars would be renamed to MetroStars by the same season.
| Team's first season in MLS * |
In 2000, the league realigned to three divisions, with a new division: the Central Division. The Eastern and Western Conferences were renamed to the Eastern and Western Divisions respectively. San Jose Clash would also rebrand to the San Jose Earthquakes.
| Team would fold after the 2001 season † |
Prior to the 2002 MLS season, Miami Fusion of the Eastern Division and Tampa Bay Mutiny of the Central Division folded. The league returned to the two-conference format for the season with a similar alignment to the 1997 season, only with Chicago Fire moving to the Eastern Conference.
| Team moved from the Central Division ‡ |
Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake were both added to the Western Conference for the 2005 expansion; The Kansas City Wizards were subsequently moved to the Eastern Conference to even the conferences out.
| Team's first season in MLS * |
| Team switched conferences ‡ |
| Team folded after the 2005 season † |
The San Jose Earthquakes would relocate to Houston to become the Houston Dynamo.
| Team relocated to Houston |
Toronto FC was added to the Eastern Conference during 2007 expansion, adding a team in Canada for the first time.
| Team's first season in MLS * |
The San Jose Earthquakes returned to the Western Conference for the 2008 season after a 2-year hiatus.
| Team returned to MLS |
Seattle Sounders FC was added to the Western Conference for the 2009 season, succeeding USL First Division team of the same name.
| Team's first season in MLS * |
Philadelphia Union was added to the Eastern Conference for the 2010 season.
| Team's first season in MLS * |
The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC were both added to the Western Conference with both teams being successors of USL teams. Houston Dynamo subsequently switched to the Eastern Conference to make both conferences even. Kansas City Wizards rebranded to Sporting Kansas City prior to this season.
| Team's first season in MLS * |
| Team switched conferences ‡ |
Montreal Impact was added to the Eastern Conference for the 2012 season, succeeding a USL First Division team of the same name.
| Team's first season in MLS * |
| Team folded after the 2014 season † |
New York City FC and Orlando City SC were both added to the Eastern Conference, the latter of which was a successor of a USL Pro team of the same name; subsequently Sporting Kansas City was relocated back to the Western Conference after 9 seasons to make both conferences even. Chivas USA would fold prior to the 2015 season.
| Team's first season in MLS * |
| Team switched conferences ‡ |
Atlanta United FC and Minnesota United FC were added to the Eastern and Western Conferences respectively; the latter of which was the successor to the NASL team of the same name.
| Team's first season in MLS * |
Los Angeles FC was added to the Western Conference for the 2018 season.
| Team's first season in MLS * |
FC Cincinnati was added to the Eastern Conference after spending 3 years in the USL.
| Team's first season in MLS * |
Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC were both added to the Eastern and Western Conferences for the 2020 season; due to scheduling difficulties due to Nashville SC not participating in the MLS is Back Tournament, the club moved to the Eastern Conference after the event. Chicago Fire SC rebranded to Chicago Fire FC. [1]
| Team's first season in MLS * |
| Team's first season in MLS, then switched conferences midseason *‡ |
Austin FC was added to the Western Conference for the 2021 season. Montreal Impact rebranded to Club de Foot Montréal. [2]
| Team's first season in MLS * |
Charlotte FC was added to the Eastern Conference for the 2022 season; Nashville SC subsequently relocated to the Western Conference to even the conferences.
| Team's first season in MLS * |
| Team switched conferences ‡ |
St. Louis City SC was added to the Western Conference for the 2023 season; Nashville SC relocated to the Eastern Conference for a second time.
| Team's first season in MLS * |
| Team switched conferences ‡ |
San Diego FC was added to the Western Conference for the 2025 season. [3]
| Team's first season in MLS * |
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.
The 2005 Major League Soccer season was the 10th season of Major League Soccer. It was also the 93rd season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States, and the 27th with a national first-division league.
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.
The 2005 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ran from June through September, 2005, open to all soccer teams in the United States.
The 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season of Major League Soccer. It was also the 95th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States, and the 29th with a national first-division league.
The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season of Major League Soccer. It was also the 96th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer in the United States, and the 30th with a national first-division league.
The 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was the 95th edition of the USSF's annual national soccer championship, running from June through early September.
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.
Shaun Francis is a Jamaican footballer who last played for Louisville City FC in the USL Championship.
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.
The 2015 Major League Soccer season featured 20 total clubs. The regular season was held from March 6 through to October 25, whereas the MLS Cup Playoffs began on October 28 and ended with MLS Cup 2015 on December 6. The defending MLS Cup champions were the LA Galaxy, while Seattle Sounders FC were the defending Supporters' Shield winners.
The 2015 FC Dallas season was the club's 20th season in existence in Major League Soccer, the top tier of the American soccer pyramid. Including the Dallas Tornado soccer franchise of the original NASL, this is the 35th season of professional soccer in Dallas. The season saw the team finish first in the Western Conference in the regular season for the second time.
The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in USL Championship soccer.
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in USL Championship soccer.
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.
The 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs was the 25th edition of the MLS Cup Playoffs, the post-season championship of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top soccer league in the United States and Canada. The tournament culminated the 2020 MLS regular season. The playoffs began on November 20 and concluded with MLS Cup 2020 on December 12.
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 2022 Nashville SC season was the club's third season as a member of Major League Soccer. The club returned to the Western Conference following the addition of Charlotte FC to the Eastern Conference.
| Eastern Conference | |
|---|---|
| Western Conference | |
| Former teams |
|
| Personnel | |
| Competition | |
| Associated competitions | |
| Other | |
