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 2024 now has 29 teams. A 30th team, San Diego FC, will play by 2025. This article includes expansions, contractions, renamings of clubs and conference realignment.
Colors = id:line value:pink id:Full value:rgb(0.85,0.85,0.95) legend:League_member id:Former value:rgb(1,0.9,0.9) legend:Former_member id:Future value:rgb(0.7,0.9,0.9) legend:Future_member id:Other value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9) legend:Other_leagues
PlotData=
width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s bar:1 color:Full from:1996 till:end text:Colorado Rapids (1996–present)
bar:2 color:Full from:1996 till:end text:Columbus Crew (1996–present)
bar:3 color:Full from:1996 till:end text:D.C. United (1996–present)
bar:4 color:Full from:1996 till:2005 text:Dallas Burn (1996–2004) bar:4 color:Full from:2005 till:end text:FC Dallas (2005–present)
bar:5 color:Full from:1996 till:2011 text:Kansas City Wiz / Wizards (1996–2010) bar:5 color:Full from:2011 till:end text:Sporting Kansas City (2011–present)
bar:6 color:Full from:1996 till:end text:Los Angeles Galaxy (1996–present)
bar:7 color:Full from:1996 till:end text:New England Revolution (1996–present)
bar:8 color:Full from:1996 till:2006 text:New York/New Jersey MetroStars; MetroStars (1996–2005) bar:8 color:Full from:2006 till:end text:New York Red Bulls (2006–present)
bar:9 color:Full from:1996 till:2000 text:San Jose Clash (1996–1999) bar:9 color:Full from:2000 till:2006 text:San Jose Earthquakes (2000–2005) bar:9 color:Full from:2008 till:end text:San Jose Earthquakes (2008–present)
bar:10 color:Former from:1996 till:2002 text:Tampa Bay Mutiny (1996–2001)
bar:11 color:Full from:1998 till:end text:Chicago Fire (1998–present)
bar:12 color:Former from:1998 till:2002 text:Miami Fusion (1998–2001)
bar:13 color:Former from:2005 till:2015 text:Chivas USA (2005–2014)
bar:14 color:Full from:2005 till:end text:Real Salt Lake (2005–present)
bar:15 color:Full from:2006 till:end text:Houston Dynamo (2006–present)
bar:16 color:Full from:2007 till:end text:Toronto FC (2007–present)
bar:17 color:Other from:1996 till:2009 text:A / USISL / USL bar:17 color:Full from:2009 till:end text:Seattle Sounders FC (2009–present)
bar:18 color:Full from:2010 till:end text:Philadelphia Union (2010–present)
bar:19 color:Other from:1996 till:2011 text:A / USISL / USL / D-2 bar:19 color:Full from:2011 till:end text:Vancouver Whitecaps FC (2011–present)
bar:20 color:Other from:2001 till:2005 text:A-League (2001-04) bar:20 color:Other from:2005 till:2010 text:USL-1 (2005-09) bar:20 color:Other from:2009 till:2011 text:D-2 (2010) bar:20 color:Full from:2011 till:end text:Portland Timbers (2011–present)
bar:21 color:Other from:1996 till:1999 text:APSL (1993-94) A-L (1995-98;) bar:21 color:Other from:2000 till:2012 text:A-L (2000-04) bar:21 color:Other from:2005 till:2009 text:USL-1 (2005-09) bar:21 color:Other from:2009 till:2011 text:D-2/ NASL (2010-11) bar:21 color:Full from:2012 till:2021 text:Montreal Impact (2012–2020) bar:21 color:Full from:2021 till:end text:CF Montréal (2021–present)
bar:22 color:Other from:2011 till:2015 text:USL (2011–14) bar:22 color:Full from:2015 till:end text:Orlando City SC (2015–present)
bar:23 color:Full from:2015 till:end text:New York City FC (2015–present)
bar:24 color:Other from:2010 till:2012 text:D-2 (2010) bar:24 color:Other from:2012 till:2017 text:NASL (2011-16) bar:24 color:Full from:2017 till:end text:Minnesota United FC (2017–present)
bar:25 color:Full from:2017 till:end text:Atlanta United FC (2017–present)
bar:26 color:Full from:2018 till:end text:Los Angeles FC (2018–present)
bar:27 color:Other from:2016 till:2019 text:USL (2016–18) bar:27 color:Full from:2019 till:end text:FC Cincinnati (2019–present)
bar:28 color:Full from:2020 till:end text:Inter Miami CF (2020–present)
bar:29 color:Other from:2018 till:2020 text: USL / USLC bar:29 color:Full from:2020 till:end text:Nashville SC (2020–present)
bar:30 color:Full from:2021 till:end text:Austin FC (2021–present)
bar:31 color:Full from:2022 till:end text:Charlotte FC (2022–present)
bar:32 color:Full from:2023 till:end align:right anchor:till text:St. Louis City SC (2023–present)
bar:33 color:Future from:2025 till:end align:right anchor:till text:San Diego FC (2025)
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:4 start:1996TextData = fontsize:L textcolor:black pos:(0,30) tabs:(400-center) text:
The league operated its first inaugural season in 1996 with 10 teams and two conferences.
| Western | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colorado Rapids | ||
| Dallas Burn | ||
| Kansas City Wiz | ||
| Los Angeles Galaxy | ||
| San Jose Clash |
Kansas City Wiz would be renamed to the Kansas City Wizards in the following season.
| Western | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colorado Rapids | ||
| Dallas Burn | ||
| Kansas City Wizards | ||
| Los Angeles Galaxy | ||
| 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 * |
| Western | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Fire * | ||
| Colorado Rapids | ||
| Miami Fusion * | Dallas Burn | |
| Kansas City Wizards | ||
| Los Angeles Galaxy | ||
| San Jose Clash |
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 † |
| Western | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Rapids | |||
| Kansas City Wizards | |||
| Miami Fusion † | Los Angeles Galaxy | ||
| Tampa Bay Mutiny † | San Jose Earthquakes |
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 ‡ |
| Western | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Fire ‡ | Colorado Rapids | |
| Columbus Crew ‡ | Dallas Burn ‡ | |
| Kansas City Wizards | ||
| Los Angeles Galaxy | ||
| San Jose Earthquakes |
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 † |
| Western | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chivas USA * | ||
| Colorado Rapids | ||
| FC Dallas | ||
| Kansas City Wizards ‡ | Los Angeles Galaxy | |
| Real Salt Lake * | ||
| San Jose Earthquakes † |
The San Jose Earthquakes would relocate to Houston to become the Houston Dynamo.
| Team relocated to Houston |
| Western | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chivas USA | ||
| Colorado Rapids | ||
| FC Dallas | ||
| Houston Dynamo * | ||
| Los Angeles Galaxy | ||
| Real Salt Lake |
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 * |
| Western | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chivas USA | ||
| Colorado Rapids | ||
| FC Dallas | ||
| Houston Dynamo | ||
| Los Angeles Galaxy | ||
| Real Salt Lake | ||
| Toronto FC * |
The San Jose Earthquakes returned to the Western Conference for the 2008 season after a 2-year hiatus.
| Team returned to MLS |
| Western | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chivas USA | ||
| Colorado Rapids | ||
| FC Dallas | ||
| Houston Dynamo | ||
| Los Angeles Galaxy | ||
| Real Salt Lake | ||
| San Jose Earthquakes ^ |
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 * |
| Western | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chivas USA | ||
| Colorado Rapids | ||
| FC Dallas | ||
| Houston Dynamo | ||
| LA Galaxy | ||
| Real Salt Lake | ||
| San Jose Earthquakes | ||
| Seattle Sounders FC * |
Philadelphia Union was added to the Eastern Conference for the 2010 season.
| Team's first season in MLS * |
| Western | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chivas USA | ||
| Colorado Rapids | ||
| FC Dallas | ||
| Houston Dynamo | ||
| LA Galaxy | ||
| Real Salt Lake | ||
| Philadelphia Union * | San Jose Earthquakes | |
| Seattle Sounders FC |
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 ‡ |
| Western | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chivas USA | ||
| Colorado Rapids | ||
| FC Dallas | ||
| LA Galaxy | ||
| Houston Dynamo ‡ | Portland Timbers * | |
| Real Salt Lake | ||
| San Jose Earthquakes | ||
| Seattle Sounders FC | ||
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC * |
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 † |
| Western | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chivas USA † | ||
| Colorado Rapids | ||
| FC Dallas | ||
| LA Galaxy | ||
| Montreal Impact * | Portland Timbers | |
| Real Salt Lake | ||
| San Jose Earthquakes | ||
| Seattle Sounders FC | ||
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC | ||
| Toronto FC |
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 * |
| Portland Timbers | ||||
| Real Salt Lake | ||||
| San Jose Earthquakes | ||||
| Seattle Sounders FC | ||||
| FC Cincinnati * | Sporting Kansas City | |||
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
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 *‡ |
| Nashville SC *‡ | Portland Timbers | ||
| Real Salt Lake | |||
| San Jose Earthquakes | |||
| Seattle Sounders FC | |||
| Sporting Kansas City | |||
| Inter Miami CF * | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | ||
| Toronto FC |
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 * |
| Austin FC * | Portland Timbers | ||
| Real Salt Lake | |||
| San Jose Earthquakes | |||
| Seattle Sounders FC | |||
| Sporting Kansas City | |||
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC | |||
| Minnesota United FC |
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 ‡ |
| Nashville SC ‡ | ||||
| Portland Timbers | ||||
| Charlotte FC * | Real Salt Lake | |||
| San Jose Earthquakes | ||||
| Seattle Sounders FC | ||||
| Sporting Kansas City | ||||
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
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 ‡ |
| Nashville SC ‡ | Portland Timbers | ||
| Real Salt Lake | |||
| San Jose Earthquakes | |||
| Seattle Sounders FC | |||
| Sporting Kansas City | |||
| St. Louis City SC * | |||
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC | |||
| Inter Miami CF |
San Diego FC will be added to the Western Conference for the 2025 season.[3]
| Team will play its first season in 2025 * |