Ahead of what is poised to be a landmark 30th MLS season, GOAL offers the definitive ranking of every club in league history
The 2025 MLS season begins this week, marking the 30th year of the top-flight soccer league in the U.S. Over its three decades of existence, it has grown exponentially. The initial 10 teams multiplied rapidly and – although there have been some relocations and foldings over the years – the league is now comfortably at 30 teams, with expansion-side San Diego FC set to begin play this weekend.
As it turns 30, MLS could have a landmark season. In Lionel Messi, they have an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner – and arguably the best to ever kick a ball. Also on MLS rosters are France's all-time leading scorer in Olivier Giroud and a scattering of other European legends. But this is no longer a league of foreign imports.
Yes, there will always be room for the big names from afar, but MLS has now become a self-sustaining league. Talent can be developed and sold off – or, even better, purchased, worked on, and then moved for profit. There is a clear business model here. And in recent years, winning sides have been rewarded for following it. Homegrown talent is now instrumental.
The timing couldn’t be better. The league has consistently grown along with the rise of soccer in North America, helping to propel it. From developing dedicated fan bases and winning silverware to establishing elite youth academies, signing era-defining players, investing in the transfer market, and crafting memorable marketing campaigns, MLS teams have forged unique identities across the U.S. and Canada.
Which makes this the ideal time to take a look at every club in the league. Ever. Some, such as LA Galaxy, have checked all of the boxes. Newcomers such as LAFC and Atlanta United are getting there – and paving the way for what a modern franchise should look like. However, there are also clubs that have underwhelmed when it comes to investing in various parts of their franchises.
Factoring in on-field success, transfer business, branding, global appeal, and youth development, among other intangibles, GOAL US offers the definitive ranking of every club in MLS history.
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IMGAN32St. Louis CITY SC (2023 to present)
Club debut: 2023
Achievements: 2023 Western Conference regular season title
GOAT: Roman Burki
GOAL's Assessment: CITY are MLS' most recent expansion franchise, only just finishing their second season of existence at the end of 2024. Their inaugural campaign in 2023 was spectacular; they claimed the MLS Western Conference title in the regular season and opened a historic soccer-specific stadium in the heart of St. Louis, a city that has long claimed to be the soccer capital of the United States. However, their second season as a franchise in 2024 was nothing short of a disaster.
They dismissed head coach Bradley Carnell, a 2023 MLS Coach of the Year candidate, just months into the season – much to the shock of the entire league, after a poor start to the season. Things struggled to improve as the season went on, and they finished 24th in the race for the Supporters' Shield, missing the postseason. Some smart signings along the way, like former Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Burki and midfielder Eduard Lowen have seen them show ambition in moments, but their sophomore slump as a franchise was too much to overcome, resulting in their position at the bottom of the ranking.
AdvertisementIMGAN31Austin FC (2021 to present)
Club debut: 2021
Achievements: N/A
GOAT: Sebastian Driussi
GOAL's Assessment: Austin FC have established one of the brightest up-and-coming soccer fanbases in all of North America since their expansion to MLS in 2021. Q2 Stadium has become a hotbed for supporters in while becoming a ground that the U.S. national teams even play their matches at. However, their performances on the pitch themselves have left a lot to be desired.
In 2022, their best season to date, they finished second in the Western Conference and made their way to the Conference finals in the postseason. To date, though, that is their only playoff appearance across four seasons as a franchise. This is a franchise that struggled to compete with the league's best.
AFP30Chivas USA (2005 to 2014)
Club debut: 2005
Achievements: N/A
GOAT: Brad Guzan
GOAL's Assessment: Chivas USA was the ultimate rollercoaster of an MLS team. They existed from 2005 to 2014, experiencing a high point in their sophomore season. Under former USMNT manager Bob Bradley, who won MLS Coach of the Year that year, and rookie standout Jonathan Bornstein, the league’s Gatorade Rookie of the Year, the club thrived. But by 2007, after Bradley was hired by U.S. Soccer, they were already on their fourth head coach. Still, Chivas managed relative success through 2009.
Then came the collapse. From 2010 to 2014, they failed to make the postseason as the club unraveled. In February 2014, MLS purchased the team from owner Jorge Vergara, vowing to rebrand and keep it in Los Angeles ahead of the 2015 season. Those plans fell apart, and the team ceased operations later that year. The collapse was fueled by drastic turnover in the front office, discrimination lawsuits against Vergara, and a staggering 11 head coaches in nine seasons, including two interims.
Despite the chaos, Chivas USA boasted a roster of notable players over the years, including Sacha Kljestan, Brad Guzan, Bornstein, Juan Agudelo, Alejandro Moreno, and Erick “Cubo” Torres. A true whirlwind of a team – cheers for the memories, Chivas.
Getty Images Sport29Charlotte FC (2022 to present)
Club debut: 2022
Achievements: N/A
GOAT: Kristijan Kahlina
GOAL's Assessment: Charlotte has emerged from an expansion side to be one of MLS' most exciting up-and-coming franchises heading into 2025. Their first two seasons were lackluster, with poor transfer business overshadowed by leaky performances from their defense, and woeful scoring from their attack. However, after the appointment of former Aston Villa manager Dean Smith ahead of the 2024 season, their fortunes changed.
With brilliant marketing campaigns, they have garnered an incredible fanbase in the Southeastern portions of the U.S., with a lovely crest and color scheme similar to that of the NFL's Carolina Panthers in South Carolina, as well. What might be the most important, though, is they've created MLS' best mascot in Sir Minty the soccer ball. He has become a merchandise icon for the club and a trademark member of the game day experience. Charlotte are on the rise, and in 10 years, it would not be surprising to see them in the top half of this conversation.