There are 29 teams in Major League Soccer in 2023 following MLS expansion of St. Louis City SC joining the league. San Diego is also scheduled to become the 30th team in 2025.
Next MLS Expansion Teams
From 12 teams in 2005 to 30 teams in 2025, MLS expansion has helped to create one of the best soccer leagues in the world. What are the next MLS expansion teams to join the league?
10. San Antonio
Is Texas big enough for a fourth team? Austin ultimately joined Dallas and Houston as teams from the Lone Star state but San Antonio still remains a strong candidate to host the next MLS team. The city has a large and passionate soccer fan base and San Antonio FC attracts large USL Championship crowds.
San Antonio FC plays out of Toyota Field which could be expanded to more than 18,000 seats. A team wouldn’t have a shortage of nearby rivals and the city’s growing population would give the team an ever-growing audience.
9. Birmingham
Legion FC represents the city of Birmingham in the USL Championship and they defeated Charlotte FC in the 2023 US Open Cup to reach the quarterfinals. They faced Inter Miami infront of a record Birmingham crowd of 18,418 at Protective Stadium in a narrow 1-0 loss.
Birmingham is one of only a few large metro areas in the United States without a major league sports team so an MLS team could potentially thrive in the city.
8. Detroit
Serious talks to bring an MLS expansion team to Detroit began in 2011 and they currently have Detroit City FC playing in the USL Championship. A 2020 bid was overlooked because of the ownership groups reluctance to build a soccer-specific stadium with plans to use Ford Field instead.
Detroit is a big city with many immigrants of Eastern European and Middle Eastern backgrounds who love their soccer. Such a passionate and diverse fan base in a major sports market is something potential cashed up owners will be interested in.
7. Indianapolis
Indy Eleven is one of the most well supported USL Championship teams and is why an MLS expansion team in Indianapolis is a possibility. Indianapolis has an enthusiastic soccer community and would no doubt create strong rivalries with fans from Cincinnati and Columbus.
The “Eleven Park” precinct which will include a 20,000-seat stadium and include office and residential spaces will certainly keep the door open for MLS expansion into downtown Indianapolis.
The Indy Eleven just announced plans for a $1 billion stadium downtown.
It’ll break ground in May and complete in 2025. Eleven Park will include a hotel, restaurants, retail spaces, and the 20,000 seat stadium. pic.twitter.com/Muy2Vx9Bji
— Barstool Indy (@barstoolindy) February 18, 2023
6. Sacramento
In 2019 Sacramento was awarded an MLS expansion team with Sacramento Republic FC set to join the league in 2022.
Their first season was then pushed out to 2023, until majority owner Ron Burkle pulled the pin on the deal altogether because of financial impacts caused by COVID.
Sacramento Republic FC still remains in the USL Championship and still has one of the best attendances in the league.
With a larger television market than eight current Major League Soccer cities, it still makes sense that Sacramento could be awarded with an MLS expansion team but there’s no doubt that momentum has been lost.
Major breaking news:
The MLS Sacramento expansion franchise is dropping out.
“Earlier today, Ron Burkle informed the League that based on issues with the project related to COVID-19, he has decided to not move forward with the acquisition of an MLS expansion team in Sacramento” pic.twitter.com/8AsoZfrRub
— Jonathan Tannenwald (@thegoalkeeper) February 27, 2021
5. Louisville
Louisville is one of the favoured cities to get one of the next MLS expansion teams. One of the favorites an NBA expansion team as well, there isn’t a major league sports team in Louisville at the moment. That would put a team in a league of its own.
The Lynn Family Stadium is a soccer specific arena and home to Louisville City FC who has the best USL Championship attendances. The 11,700-seat stadium can also be expanded to over 15,000.
Louisville City FC have been competing since 2014 and have a well established support with average attendances among the best in the USL Championship. All that’s needed for Louisville is an expansion bid bankrolled by someone who has deep pockets.
4. Phoenix
USL Championship team Phoenix Rising holds the North American record winning streak – a 20-game streak which helped to set Phoenix up to win the 2019 regular season USL Championship title.
The club has a huge opportunity to become one of the next MLS expansion franchises as its bankrolled by Chinese billionaire Alex Zheng, as well as former Chelsea legend Didier Drogba.
Phoenix Rising have had bumper home crowds which has increased from average attendances of 2,300 during their inaugural season in 2014, to almost 7,000 in 2021.
Since then they’ve outgrown their old stadium and have since moved to the purpose-built 10,000-seat Phoenix Rising Soccer Stadium in 2023, a sign that a team in the Arizona capital could be one of the next MLS expansion teams.
.@NBCSports says Phoenix has ‘better than a 50-50 chance’ of becoming the 30th MLS franchise, if the league expands.https://t.co/kR8oEOhTvs
— Joey Artigue (@Joey_Artigue) April 19, 2019
3. Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is the largest US market without a Major League Soccer team. A franchise in Tampa would be a great rival to Inter Miami and Orlando City SC.
Historically the city has strong soccer links with the Tampa Bay Rowdies one of the strongest teams in the North American Soccer League throughout the 70s and 80s.
After folding in 1993, the Rowdies returned as a phoenix club in 2010. The club have been members of the USL Championship since 2017 and play out of the 7,500 capacity Al Lang Stadium.
Rowdies owner Bill Edwards even has the city’s support to expand Al Lang Stadium to 18,000 seats if they were to be awarded with an MLS expansion team.
It’s time for a real MLS franchise in Tampa Bay. Our time is long overdue. #MLS2StPete #COYR pic.twitter.com/91hxncO89H
— Ralph’s Mob (@RalphsMob) March 6, 2017
2. Las Vegas
An MLS expansion team in Las Vegas would join the Golden Knights, Raiders and Aces in Las Vegas. It’s not a matter of if, but when a team will expand into the city.
Las Vegas won’t have any issues with funding like Sacramento did. The Vegas bid for an MLS expansion team has been bankrolled by owners of the Golden Knights, the Milwaukee Bucks and Premier League team Aston Villa.
As well as being the favorite city for the next MLS expansion team they’re also the favorite for the next NBA expansion team.
The Las Vegas Lights are a very well supported team in the USL Championship with one of the better average attendances. Allegiant Stadium also hosted the 2021 Gold Cup final with the USMNT beating Mexico 1-0 in the final.
🆕🇺🇸🦁 Las Vegas closing in on getting new #MLS franchise, says Commissioner Don Garber. Confirms Aston Villa owners involved in bid. Get ready for the “Las Vegas Villains” perhaps? | #AVFC https://t.co/OPjG9WVPxS
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 7, 2021
1. San Diego
San Diego was awarded an MLS expansion team on May 18, 2023 and will become the 30th team in the league in 2025. It made sense as the city is America’s eighth largest, and has a huge sporting community with more people playing soccer per capita than any other city in the country..
Eight of Major League Soccer’s top 10 attendance leaders in 2022 were in markets that were missing at least one team from the MLB, NBA, NFL, NBA.
With a similar profile to Cincinnati, Austin and Nashville who themselves have expanded into the league, a San Diego MLS expansion team would only be competing against Major League Baseball’s Padres.
San Diego State University’s 35,000-capacity Snapdragon Stadium will be an ideal location to host the team and they should have no troubles attracting media coverage, fans and sponsors.
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Las Vegas is a shoe-in for the 30th franchise. It looking more and more like MLS will expand to 32, but it will have to wait till the 2026 World Cup. The odds on favorites appear to be San Diego and Phoenix. Expansion past 32 seems to be slim and none.
Franchising is so self-limiting. No-one wants to entertain the possibility of lower divisions with promotion & relegation based on results and a consequential change in cash flow. I remember when Manchester United were relegated and came back healthier than before. Relegation isn’t the end of the world for the game, only for the money.
Franchising is the problem. It’s leaping in to the EPL model of concentration of funds.
Leaving the UK for Arizona 30 years ago, I have heard plenty of negative comments about Arizona sports. But we’ve had success at lower levels such as the Arizona Rattlers and Phoenix Mercury. I think the place and the nature of football in the US, Phoenix Rising would fit great.
I will remain a Derby County fan for the rest of my life. But I would LOVE to have a season ticket for Phoenix Rising in MLS.