The Major League Soccer (MLS) has revolutionized soccer in the United States and Canada. The round-leather game is now considered one of the six major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.
Moreover, MLS is now one of the most significant top-level soccer leagues, with 29 soccer clubs – 26 from the USA and three from Canada.
The MLS entered its 26th season as the 2023 edition of the tournament kicked off earlier this year.
In this post, TOP SOCCER BLOG brings you the top 10 best football clubs in the MLS.
1. LA Galaxy
Many of the best MLS players of all time have played for the LA Galaxy, including David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane, Luis Hernández, Giovani dos Santos, Ashley Cole, Javier Hernández, and American Landon Donovan — who is the all-time leading scorer for the club.
It’s no surprise seeing the Los Angeles Galaxy at the top of this list. The California-based club have won more MLS Cups than any other team in the league, with a record 5 titles, in addition to 4 Supporters’ Shields successes.
Winning the MLS Cup in 2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, and 2014 has positioned LA Galaxy as the most successful US soccer franchise in the league’s history.
Their trophy-lifting moments extend as they are also two-time US Open Cup champions and CONCACAF Champions League winners from the year 2000.
However, LA Galaxy isn’t the best MLS club simply because of their trophy-winning achievements but also for setting the pace in terms of revolutionizing the league.
Galaxy changed the landscape of North American soccer forever when they signed David Beckham from Real Madrid in 2007.
The introduction of Designated Players saw the removal of salary caps, thus allowing big-named stars from around the world to join the league and assist in its expansion.
2. DC United
Domestically, DC United has won 4 MLS Cups (league championships), 4 Supporters Shields (league regular season), 3 US Open Cups (domestic cups), and 6 Eastern Conference championships.
In international competitions, the club has one CONCACAF Champions League title and one Copa Interamericana, being the only American team to win the latter.
In terms of trophies won, DC United is the joint-most successful overall club in American soccer (tied with the New York Cosmos and LA Galaxy).
3. Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders have been among the MLS’ most successful teams, winning the US Open Cup 4 times, the Supporters’ Shield in 2014, and the MLS Cup in 2016 and 2019.
Since its MLS inception until 2022, the team qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs — the longest record in league history — and competed in the CONCACAF Champions League 7 times, becoming the first MLS team to win the modern version of the competition in 2022.
Furthermore, the Sounders were the first MLS team to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup.
The team set a new MLS record for average attendance in each of its first five seasons.
The Sounders are ranked as one of the most valuable franchises in North America.
Its players have included former US international Clint Dempsey, top goal scorer Fredy Montero, as well as long-time captain Osvaldo Alonso, and current captain Nicolás Lodeiro.
The Sounders also operate a players’ academy and the lower-division Tacoma Defiance, which have produced homegrown players, including forward Jordan Morris and defender DeAndre Yedlin.
4. Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City began playing in 1996 as a charter team in the league, then known as the Kansas City Wiz. It later changed its name to Kansas City Wizards in 1997.
The team rebranded again to Sporting Kansas City in November 2010, coinciding with its move to its new home stadium, Children’s Mercy Park.
Kansas City has won the MLS Cup twice (2000 2013), the Supporters’ Shield once (2000), and the US Open Cup four times (2004, 2012, 2015, and 2017).
5. San Jose Earthquakes
Originally known as the San Jose Clash, the franchise began playing in 1996 as one of the charter members of the league. They are one of the top soccer clubs in California.
The Earthquakes took part in the first game in MLS history by defeating DC. United 1-0.
They have won two MLS Cup titles (2001, 2003) and two Supporters’ Shields (2005, 2012). In 2002, the team played in its first CONCACAF Champions Cup, making it to the quarterfinals.
In 2005, the then-owner of the Earthquakes, Anschutz Entertainment Group, announced plans for the team to relocate to Houston due to failing efforts to secure a soccer-specific stadium in San Jose.
The organization in Houston would be considered an expansion team by the league, eventually becoming the Houston Dynamo, which began play in 2006.
The Earthquakes returned after a two-year hiatus, resuming play in 2008.
Since 2015, the Earthquakes have played their home games at PayPal Park (named Avaya Stadium from 2015 to 2019 and Earthquakes Stadium in 2020).
San Jose Earthquakes hold a fierce rivalry with the LA Galaxy, with their derby matches known as the “California Clásico.”
6. Houston Dynamo
Established on December 15, 2005, Houston Dynamo was founded after their former owners relocated the San Jose Earthquakes players and staff to Houston following the 2005 season.
For their first six seasons in Houston, the Dynamo were based at Robertson Stadium on the campus of the University of Houston. During the 2012 season, the club moved to Shell Energy Stadium, a soccer-specific stadium in East Downtown Houston.
The Houston Dynamo have been MLS Cup champions twice, winning during their first two seasons in 2006 and 2007.
The club has also won the US Open Cup once, in 2018. They have been MLS Cup runners-up twice, in 2011 and 2012, and Supporters’ Shield runners-up once in 2008.
Most of the highest-paid soccer players in the MLS play for Houston Dynamo.
The Dynamo have also reached the final of the now-defunct North American SuperLiga, finishing as runners-up following a defeat against the New England Revolution.
7. Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew SC began playing in 1996 as one of the 10 charter clubs of the Major League Soccer.
Their stadium is Lower.com Field, which opened in 2021. From 1999 to 2021, the Crew played home games at Historic Crew Stadium (formerly Mapfre Stadium and Columbus Crew Stadium), the first soccer-specific stadium built for an MLS team, with a seating capacity of 19,968 as of the 2015 season.
From 1996 to 1998, the Crew played its home games at Ohio Stadium on the campus of Ohio State University.
In 2014, the team set club attendance records for both the most cumulative attendance and most sellouts.
The Crew has won 6 major trophies: the MLS Cup in 2008 and 2020; the Supporters’ Shield in 2004, 2008, and 2009; and the 2002 US Open Cup.
Columbus Crew has qualified for the CONCACAF Champions Cup (or its predecessor, the CONCACAF Champions League) four times, reaching the quarter-finals on the first three occasions.
In 2021, the club won their first continental trophy by winning the Campeones Cup.
8. Toronto FC
Toronto FC joined MLS in 2007 as an expansion team and was the first Canadian-based franchise in the league.
In 2017, the club won the domestic treble with the MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield, and Canadian Championship, making them the first and only MLS club to ever do so.
They are 8-time winners of the Canadian Championship and were runners-up of the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League and the MLS Cup in 2016 and 2019.
In 2023, it was reported that Toronto FC had an estimated value of US$690 million, which makes them the sixth most valuable club behind Los Angeles FC, LA Galaxy, Atlanta United FC, New York City FC, and DC United, and they have the highest player payroll in Major League Soccer.
9. Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers was founded in 2009 when the city of Portland was awarded an expansion berth to Major League Soccer.
In 2013, the club finished the regular season in first place in the Western Conference, clinching both their first-ever playoff appearance and a CONCACAF Champions League berth.
In 2015, the franchise won the Western Conference Finals in the playoffs and their first major trophy, the MLS Cup, becoming the first team in Cascadia to do so.
In 2017, the club again finished the regular season in first place in the Western Conference.
The following year, the Timbers again made the playoffs, advancing in three rounds, defeating archrival Seattle in the semifinals along the way, and made the MLS Cup, where they lost 2-0 to Atlanta United FC.
In 2020, they won the one-off MLS is Back Tournament, defeating Orlando City SC in the final, and once again qualified for the Champions League.
A year later, the side won the Western Conference and once again were runners-up in the MLS Cup, falling to New York City FC 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 score at extra time.
Portland Timbers have long-standing rivalries with nearby clubs Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, with whom they compete for the Cascadia Cup.
10. Atlanta United
Founded in 2014, Atlanta United began playing as an MLS expansion team in 2017 as the 22nd team in the league.
It is the first MLS franchise to be based in Atlanta, and the club plays home games at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which they share with the city’s National Football League (NFL) franchise, the Atlanta Falcons.
Gerardo Martino was appointed as the club’s first head coach and guided Atlanta to their first playoff appearance in the team’s debut season before securing the team’s first trophy in just their second season by winning MLS Cup 2018.
Atlanta has set several league records for the highest single-match and average attendance. Many of the best MLS players currently play for Atlanta United.
