MLS Expansion Teams And The Process Behind League Growth

Major League Soccer is the highest level of professional soccer in the United States and has become increasingly popular in recent years. The addition of high-profile stars, including Lionel Messi, has catapulted MLS into a global phenomenon. Since its inception in 1996, the league primarily started with 10 teams facing off for glory and has become the top tier club in the United States. Over the years, things have changed in the league and several new clubs have joined the league, hence expanding it several times. As of 2025, the league has 30 teams bringing in fresh competition, more job generation and better soccer atmosphere in the country.

What is MLS Expansion?

MLS Expansion refers to an addition of a new club in the MLS, which is granted entry through a formal application and approval process. These clubs sign new players from the USA and abroad to build a high profile lineup and team formation. The players are also added through an Expansion draft in which all the new clubs can purchase players from already existing MLS sides to build a more compact and competitive squad.

Expansion is seen as a huge advantage for MLS as it provides a larger national reach, hence increasing the television rights fees. Such expansion guarantees a return on investment as with all new facilities and services, all the new clubs help promote the growth of the league as compared to other soccer leagues. The financial benefits have been proved with stars like Lionel Messi and Olivier Giroud in the league competing at the highest level.

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How does MLS Expansion work?

The Expansion process has several criteria to pick new cities and add new teams to the league. These include a financially viable ownership, a well-constructed stadium plan, a local fanbase with passion and support, and a strong market for the sport financially and in terms of fanbase. With a formal application with all the points mentioned above, the application is reviewed by the committee with consultants providing their expertise financially and in terms of stadium design and population.

Once the application looks good to go, a formal presentation is held for the MLS Board of Governors by the applicant inviting bids for the club. Upon approval, the applicant has to pay a $500 million expansion fee to start his club’s journey in the esteemed league.

Teams that have joined MLS

Having 10 teams in its inaugural season in 1996, MLS has grown to 30 in 2025 and has paved the way for several high-profile sides over the years. The first two sides under the Expansion were Chicago Fire and Miami Fusion in 1998. It was followed by the addition of Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA in 2005 and Toronto FC in 2007, becoming the first Canadian side in the league. The Expansion phase has been in full effect since then, with several teams joining the American soccer league, with several high-profile players.

Year	Teams Joined
1998	Chicago Fire Miami Fusion
2005	Real Salt Lake Chivas USA
2007	Toronto FC
2008	San Jose Earthquakes
2009	Seattle Sounders
2010	Philadelphia Union
2011	Portland Timbers Vancouver Whitecaps
2012	Montreal Impact
2015	New York City FC Orlando City
2017	Atlanta United Minnesota United
2018	Los Angeles FC
2019	FC Cincinnati
2020	Inter Miami Nashville SC
2021	Austin FC
2022	Charlotte FC
2023	St. Louis City
2025	San Diego FC

Teams that are no longer part of MLS

While several teams have been beneficial with the expansion, numerous teams have failed to become successful after joining the MLS or even failed to join the league despite their efforts. These include Miami Fusion, Tampa Bay Mutiny, and Chivas USA. The MLS lost reportedly $250 Million in its first five years and reports began to spread that the league will be removing the two newly added teams, Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion, in 2002 due to lack of financial resources. The league got rid of Tampa Bay Mutiny because it was operated by the league instead of an individual owner.

The Future of MLS Expansion

MLS has undergone several transitions since its inception in 1996 and continues to add several new teams for better competition. As it continues to expand, the competition is getting lethal with a total of 30 clubs in the league so far. There are various potential markets for the expansion ahead and MLS is aiming to expand the competition structure to a total of 32 teams in upcoming years. It remains to be seen if they will be able to sustain the high profile competition and increasing financial budgets.

Challenges in Expansion

While the Expansion service is beneficial for the league and players, it offers various challenges and drawbacks in expanding the league. The expansion fees and rising player salaries are an area of concern while expanding the league. With an increasing number of teams, the league’s motive might also shift to increasing the number of teams from maintaining high competitive play. The only way to include new sides in the league is via paying high expansion fees, which makes the competition weak and only a matter of financial sources rather than merit-based promotions.

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