MLS Teams Tier List: Every Club Ranked
Thirty clubs, one league, wildly different levels of success, chaos and fan energy. We ranked every MLS team based on trophies, history, fan culture, rivalries and that harder-to-define thing: whether a club actually feels like it matters.
This list leans on what fans and pundits argue about constantly on forums, podcasts and comment sections, with our own judgment applied where the arguments never settle. Disagree with where your club landed? That's half the fun of a tier list. Build your own and see how it compares.
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SS Tier: The Standard Bearers
LA Galaxy
Five MLS Cups and counting, a trophy case bigger than most, and a roster history that includes Beckham, Donovan and Keane. The Galaxy are the league's original glamour club and still carry themselves that way.
About LA Galaxy
One of the ten founding members of MLS, based in Carson, California. Known for star signings like David Beckham and Landon Donovan.
- Founded
- 1996
- MLS Cups
- 5
Seattle Sounders FC
Lumen Field sells out for MLS games, which still sounds made up if you're from most other sports markets. Add a Supporters' Shield pedigree, a Concacaf Champions League title, and some of the most intense supporter culture in American soccer.
About Seattle Sounders FC
Joined MLS in 2009 and quickly became one of the league's top attendance draws. Plays at Lumen Field in downtown Seattle.
- Joined MLS
- 2009
- MLS Cups
- 1
Atlanta United FC
Won MLS Cup in their second season and broke attendance records doing it, regularly packing 40,000-plus into Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Few expansion stories in any sport have hit this hard this fast.
About Atlanta United FC
Expansion club that joined in 2017 and immediately became an attendance and success story. Plays at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
- Joined MLS
- 2017
- MLS Cups
- 1
Columbus Crew
The league's first team, multiple MLS Cups, and a 2023 Cup win plus Champions Cup silverware that reminded everyone Columbus does things the right way. Lower.com Field is loud, the fans are proud, and the front office actually builds a real roster.
About Columbus Crew
A founding MLS club from 1996, based in Columbus, Ohio. Known for strong front office management and recent Champions Cup success.
- Founded
- 1996
- MLS Cups
- 3
Los Angeles FC
LAFC backs up the hype with hardware, a supporters shield and an MLS Cup to show for their build. Deep rosters, strong coaching, and a fan base that fills the Banc every week put them right with the league's elite. They belong in the same breath as Columbus and Atlanta, not chasing them.
AA Tier: Consistently Excellent
Sporting Kansas City
Children's Mercy Park is one of the best soccer-specific stadiums in the country, and the 2013 MLS Cup run showed what disciplined, well-coached Sporting teams can do. They've cooled off some, but the foundation is strong.
About Sporting Kansas City
Founded in 1996 as the Kansas City Wiz/Wizards, rebranded as Sporting KC in 2011. Plays at Children's Mercy Park.
- Founded
- 1996
- MLS Cups
- 2
Toronto FC
The 2017 treble season (Shield, MLS Cup, Voyageurs Cup) is one of the best single years any club has had in league history. Recent seasons have been bumpy, but BMO Field crowds still show up with real edge.
Portland Timbers
The Timbers Army is the gold standard for supporter culture in this league, scarves and all. Two MLS Cups and a stadium that feels like a cauldron every single matchday.
New York Red Bulls
Never won MLS Cup, which still annoys their own fans, but multiple Supporters' Shields and the Hudson River Derby with NYCFC make them one of the league's most relevant franchises regardless.
Real Salt Lake
A 2009 MLS Cup win that nobody saw coming, and years of smart, unglamorous roster-building that punched above the budget. Rio Tinto Stadium crowds are underrated nationally.
Inter Miami CF
Lionel Messi changed this club's trajectory overnight, from expansion also-ran to the most-watched team in league history. The football still has to catch up to the hype in the biggest moments, but there's no ignoring the impact.
BB Tier: Solid and Respected
Philadelphia Union
A Supporters' Shield in 2020 and a reputation for developing young talent that actually gets sold for real money. Subaru Park is a genuinely tough road trip for visiting teams.
FC Cincinnati
Went from expansion punching bag to Supporters' Shield winners in a few years, which says a lot about the front office turnaround. TQL Stadium's atmosphere has been loud since day one.
Minnesota United FC
Allianz Field gets properly cold and properly loud in equal measure. The Loons have been steady playoff regulars without ever quite breaking through for a trophy.
Orlando City SC
A fervent fanbase that's stuck with the club through plenty of lean years, finally rewarded with real playoff relevance. The Kaká era still gets talked about more than the results from that time deserved, but the passion was never fake.
Houston Dynamo FC
Back-to-back MLS Cups in 2006 and 2007 feel like a long time ago now, but that early run built real credibility. Shell Energy Stadium still has one of the better atmospheres in the league on a good night.
New York City FC
Won MLS Cup in 2021, which quieted some of the critics who said a club without its own stadium couldn't build real identity. Still an awkward Yankee Stadium tenant, but the football under David Villa's old teammates has mostly been good.
FC Dallas
The academy is one of the best in American soccer, churning out national team players on a regular basis. The senior team's trophy haul doesn't match that reputation, which is the frustrating part for Dallas fans.
Nashville SC
A fast, confident expansion arrival that made the playoffs in its first season and hasn't really stopped since. Geodis Park gave them a proper home and the crowds have matched the ambition.
CC Tier: Middle of the Pack
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
BC Place can be electric when the Whitecaps are rolling, and a Canadian Championship or two keeps the trophy case from being totally bare. Consistency across seasons has been the issue more than talent.
Charlotte FC
Set MLS attendance records right out of the gate at Bank of America Stadium, proving the market was real. The results on the field are still catching up to the crowd numbers.
San Diego FC
The newest club on this list, arriving with real financial backing and a promising start. Too early to know their ceiling, but the early buzz has been legitimate.
St. Louis City SC
One of the best expansion debuts the league has seen, topping the Western Conference in their first year. The challenge now is proving that wasn't a one-season fluke.
Chicago Fire FC
A founding-era club with a 1998 MLS Cup and Open Cup pedigree that feels increasingly distant. Soldier Field never quite felt like home, and the club's identity has drifted for years now.
Austin FC
Q2 Stadium sells out and the supporters' section is one of the most stylish in the league, verde scarves and all. The on-field product has been inconsistent, bouncing in and out of playoff contention.
DD Tier: Stuck in Neutral
Colorado Rapids
An MLS Cup back in 2010 is the high point, and it's been mostly quiet since. Dick's Sporting Goods Park doesn't generate the buzz some newer stadiums do.
San Jose Earthquakes
Two MLS Cups in the early days give the Quakes real history, but recent seasons have been a struggle near the bottom of the West. The fanbase deserves better than what they've gotten lately.
New England Revolution
Five MLS Cup final losses is a brutal, specific kind of heartbreak that Revs fans know all too well. Gillette Stadium rarely feels like a true soccer home, which hasn't helped matters.
D.C. United
Four MLS Cups in the league's early years make D.C. historically important, but that history is doing most of the heavy lifting these days. Audi Field is nice, the results lately haven't matched it.
CF Montréal
A club that's changed names and identities enough times to confuse even its own fans. Flashes of promise never seem to turn into sustained success.
How we ranked them
We weighed trophies (MLS Cups, Supporters' Shields, continental results), consistency over the years, stadium atmosphere and supporter culture, rivalries, and overall relevance to the league's identity. Expansion teams got credit for strong starts, not just potential. No single stat decided a spot, this is a blend of history and vibe, the same way fans actually argue about it.
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Rank these yourselfFAQ
What is the best MLS team of all time?
By trophies and overall impact, the LA Galaxy have the strongest case with five MLS Cups and decades of relevance, though Seattle Sounders and Atlanta United have strong arguments for the modern era.
Which MLS team has the best fans?
Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders are usually cited as having the most intense supporter culture, with the Timbers Army and the Emerald City Supporters leading the way.
Which MLS team has never won MLS Cup?
The New York Red Bulls are the most notable club without an MLS Cup title, despite winning multiple Supporters' Shields over the years.
What is the newest MLS team?
San Diego FC is the league's newest club, joining as an expansion team with significant financial backing and early fan interest.
Which MLS team has the most championships?
The LA Galaxy and D.C. United both have historically strong MLS Cup counts, with the Galaxy's five titles standing as one of the league's benchmarks.
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Image credits
- LA GalaxyLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Seattle Sounders FCLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Atlanta United FCLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Columbus CrewLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Sporting Kansas CityLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Toronto FCLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Portland TimbersLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- New York Red BullsLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Real Salt LakeLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Inter Miami CFLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Philadelphia UnionLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- FC CincinnatiLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Minnesota United FCLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Orlando City SCLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Houston Dynamo FCLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- New York City FCLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- FC DallasLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Nashville SCLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Vancouver Whitecaps FCLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Charlotte FCLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- San Diego FCLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- St. Louis City SCLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Chicago Fire FCLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Austin FCLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Colorado RapidsLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- San Jose EarthquakesLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- New England RevolutionLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- D.C. UnitedLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- CF MontréalLogo: Wikipedia · Source
- Los Angeles FCLogo: Wikipedia · Source