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The most successful MLS teams

The MLS or Major League Soccer is the top tier men’s professional soccer league in the United States and Canada.  The soccer has always played 5th to the traditional and established US sports – Football, basketball, baseball and ice-hockey.  But the new kid on the block is catching up fast!  Over the past 15 years the MLS has grown massively in size, game attendance and viewership.

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League Format

The regular MLB season starts in late February or early March and goes through mid-October, with each team playing 34 games.  Then fourteen teams compete in the postseason MLS Cup Playoffs through October and November, culminating in the penultimate the MLS Cup.   MLS teams also play in domestic competitions against teams from other divisions in the U.S. Open Cup and in the Canadian Championship.

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The Teams

The league comprises 28 teams—25 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada and there are plans expand the league to 29 teams by 2023.   Similar to the other American leagues, the teams are geographically divided into the Eastern and Western Conferences

The history of Major League Soccer

The most successful teams

We have based this on the number of MLS Cup Final wins and final appearances.

Colorado Rapids

The Colorado based team are owned by one of the richest team owners in the world – Stan Kroenke.  The Rapids have been in two MLS Cup Finals winning one of them in 2010.

San Jose Earthquakes

The Californian team haven’t had much luck in recent years, their last wins were in  2001 and 2003, they haven’t been in a cup final since.

Toronto FC

The Canadian team are one of three in the MLS and are seven-time winners of the Canadian Championship and were runners-up of the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League.  They made the MLS Cup in 2016 and 2019 and have won it once in 2017.

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Chicago Fire

The franchise is named after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, they started in the MLS as one of the first expansion teams in 1998, they have made the finals three times winning it in 1998.

Sporting Kansas City

Sporting KC  won the U.S. Open Cup in 2004, 2012, 2015 and 2017.  They have made the MLS final three times and won the cup in 2000 and 2013.

Seattle Founder FC 

The founders were established on November 13, 2007, and began play in 2009 as an MLS expansion team, they have been by far the most successful team since 2015.  The team has qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs in each of its eleven seasons!  They made the cup final on 2016, 2017, 2019, winning in 16 and 19.

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Houston Dynamo

The Texas team won winning the 2006 and 2007 MLS Cups in their first two seasons, they also made the finals in 2011 and 12.

New England Revolution

The Revolution is owned by Robert Kraft, who also owns the New England Patriots.  The have made the MLS cup final prolific five times in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2014 but still haven’t won it.

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Seattle Founder FC 

The founders were established on November 13, 2007, and began play in 2009 as an MLS expansion team, they have been by far the most successful team since 2015.  The team has qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs in each of its eleven seasons!  They made the cup final on 2016, 2017, 2019, winning in 16 and 19.

DC United

The club had massive success in the early years of MLS, winning eight of its thirteen titles between 1996 and 1998.  The have won it twice since, in 1999 and 2005.

1. LA Galaxy

There’s always one stand out team in every league, in the NFL its the Patriots, in the MBA it’s the LA Lakers, in the Champions League it’s and in the MLS it’s the LA Galaxy.  They are way above the rest of the league in MLS cup final success with nine appearances and five wins in 2002, 2005, 2001, 2012 and 2014.

The team are also responsible for massively raising the profile of Major League Soccer in 2007 by signing football super star David Beckham from Real Madrid 2007, the club also fielded other high-profile international players including Zlatan Ibrahimović, Robbie Keane, Luis Hernández, Jorge Campos, Steven Gerrard and Ashley Cole.

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MLS winners over the last 10 years

2022 The MLS Cup Final was contested by two of first-time finalists – Los Angeles Football club and Philadelphia Union at the Banc of California Stadium.  LAFC won after a 3-3 draw let to a penalty shootout, with LA winning 3-0.

  • 2022 Los Angeles FC
  • 2021 New York City FC
  • 2020  Columbus Crew
  • 2019  Seattle Sounders
  • 2018  Atlanta United FC
  • 2017  Toronto FC
  • 2016  Seattle Sounders
  • 2015  Portland Timbers
  • 2014  Los Angeles Galaxy
  • 2013  Sporting Kansas City
  • 2012 LosAngeles Galaxy

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