The Major League Soccer (MLS) is a United States and Canada-based professional football league, founded in 1996. The league's regular season starts in February and runs through October and the team with the best record after 34 games are awarded the Supporters' Shield. It awards the best team in the post-season MLS Cup play-offs with the MLS Cup trophy, which is competed for in the MLS Cup final.
As of May 2025, a total of 29 MLS seasons have happened. D.C. United became the first team to win the MLS Cup in 1996 after beating Los Angeles Galaxy 3-2 in the final. Los Angeles Galaxy are the most successful outfit with six MLS Cups, winning the trophy in 2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2024. The Los Angeles-based team have played in the most MLS Cup finals (10).
MLS Cup Winners
| Club | MLS Cup Titles |
|---|---|
| LA Galaxy | 6 |
| D.C. United | 4 |
| Columbus Crew | 3 |
| Houston Dynamo FC | 2 |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 2 |
| Sporting Kansas City | 2 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | 2 |
| Chicago Fire FC | 1 |
| Portland Timbers | 1 |
| Toronto FC | 1 |
| Colorado Rapids | 1 |
| Real Salt Lake | 1 |
| Los Angeles FC | 1 |
| Atlanta United FC | 1 |
| New York City FC | 1 |
MLS Cup Winners All Years
| Year | Winner | Score | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | D.C. United | 3–2 | Los Angeles Galaxy |
| 1997 | D.C. United | 2–1 | Colorado Rapids |
| 1998 | Chicago Fire | 2–0 | D.C. United |
| 1999 | D.C. United | 2–0 | Los Angeles Galaxy |
| 2000 | Kansas City Wizards | 1–0 | Chicago Fire |
| 2001 | San Jose Earthquakes | 2–1 | Los Angeles Galaxy |
| 2002 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 1–0 | New England Revolution |
| 2003 | San Jose Earthquakes | 4–2 | Chicago Fire |
| 2004 | D.C. United | 3–2 | Kansas City Wizards |
| 2005 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 1–0 | New England Revolution |
| 2006 | Houston Dynamo | 1–1 (4–3 p) | New England Revolution |
| 2007 | Houston Dynamo | 2–1 | New England Revolution |
| 2008 | Columbus Crew | 3–1 | New York Red Bulls |
| 2009 | Real Salt Lake | 1–1 (5–4 p) | LA Galaxy |
| 2010 | Colorado Rapids | 2–1 † | FC Dallas |
| 2011 | LA Galaxy | 1–0 | Houston Dynamo |
| 2012 | LA Galaxy | 3–1 | Houston Dynamo |
| 2013 | Sporting Kansas City | 1–1 (7–6 p) | Real Salt Lake |
| 2014 | LA Galaxy | 2–1 † | New England Revolution |
| 2015 | Portland Timbers | 2–1 | Columbus Crew SC |
| 2016 | Seattle Sounders FC | 0–0 (5–4 p) | Toronto FC |
| 2017 | Toronto FC | 2–0 | Seattle Sounders FC |
| 2018 | Atlanta United FC | 2–0 | Portland Timbers |
| 2019 | Seattle Sounders FC | 3–1 | Toronto FC |
| 2020 | Columbus Crew SC | 3–0 | Seattle Sounders FC |
| 2021 | New York City FC | 1–1 (4–2 p) | Portland Timbers |
| 2022 | Los Angeles FC | 3–3 (3–0 p) | Philadelphia Union |
| 2023 | Columbus Crew | 2–1 | Los Angeles FC |
| 2024 | LA Galaxy | 2–1 | New York Red Bulls |
Note: (x-x p) is the result of the penalty shootout after the end of extra-time.
FAQs on MLS Cup
A. A total of 15 clubs have won the MLS Cup, as of May 2025.
A. Landon Donovan is the player with most MLS Cups with six to his name, as of May 2025.
A. A total of 18 teams compete in the MLS Cup play-offs.
