List of Major League Soccer seasons
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Major League Soccer (MLS) is the top-flight professional men's soccer league in the United States and Canada. As of 2025, the league has 30 teams—27 in the United States and 3 in Canada—that are divided into the Eastern and Western conferences. The league schedule runs from spring to fall within a single calendar year unlike European leagues, which use a fall-to-spring schedule. Beginning in 2027, MLS will use a fall-to-spring schedule. The champion is determined by the MLS Cup and its playoffs, a postseason knockout tournament for the top teams in the regular season similar to those for other North American sports leagues. A separate trophy, the Supporters' Shield, is awarded by a fan-run organization to the team with the best record in the regular season. MLS has an average attendance of over 23,000 spectators at regular season matches and reached over 11 million total in 2024—among the highest for soccer leagues globally.
The United States was awarded the right to host the 1994 World Cup after it agreed to a FIFA mandate to create a new professional soccer league; the last league of its kind had been the North American Soccer League, which ceased operations in 1985. MLS was established in 1993 and debuted with 10 teams in the 1996 season, primarily played at large American football venues. The league added its first expansion teams in 1998 and the first soccer-specific stadium opened the following year in Columbus, Ohio.
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