United States and Canada 2024 MLS Fixtures, Live Results, Standings, Tables, Players and Club Stats

Major League Soccer (MLS) was founded in 1993 as part of the US successful bid for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The first season was in 1996 with ten (10) teams. As of the MLS 2023 season, MLS has expanded to twenty-nine (29) teams, with twenty-seven (26) teams in the USA and three (3) teams in Canada.

Together with the Canadian Football League, MLS is considered one of the “Big Six” major professional sports leagues in North America. The MLS regular season typically begins in late February or early March and ends in October, with playoffs to follow.

MLS teams are divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each conference consists of 15 teams. The teams play a total of 34 regular season matches, 17 at home and 17 away. The top seven teams from each conference advance to the playoffs, which consist of a single-elimination tournament culminating in the MLS Cup final.Major League Soccer (MLS) was founded in 1993 as part of the US successful bid for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The first season was in 1996 with ten (10) teams. As of the 2023 season, MLS has expanded to twenty-nine (29) teams, with twenty-seven (26) teams in the USA and three (3) teams in Canada.

Together with the Canadian Football League, MLS is considered one of the “Big Six” major professional sports leagues in North America. The MLS regular season typically begins in late February or early March and ends in October, with playoffs to follow.

MLS teams are divided into two conferences, the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference. Each conference consists of 15 teams. The teams play a total of 34 regular season matches, 17 at home and 17 away. The top seven teams from each conference advance to the playoffs, which consist of a single-elimination tournament culminating in the MLS Cup final.

Prior to MLS, the first North American Soccer League (NASL) was the men’s top-level major professional football league in the United States and Canada  from 1968 to 1984. It was the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the US. In that period of time, high level soccer was brought to North America by world class superstar players including Pele, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, George Best, Gordon Banks, Geoff Hurst, Eusiebo, Giorgio Chinaglia, Teofilo (Nene) Cubillas and Bobby Moore. The league final was called the Soccer Bowl from 1975 to 1983 and the Soccer Bowl Series in its final year, 1984. NASL rapidly declined in the 1980s losing many franchises. Efforts to revive NASL failed and on March 28, 1985, NASL suspended operations. Ref: NASL Golden Era

The MLS Supporters Shield is awarded to the team with the highest number of points from the combined Eastern and Western Conferences. Los Angeles Galaxy won the most MLS Suppoters Shield up to MLS season 2021.  

In the previous NASL (1968-1984), the winner was determined by playoffs between the top two teams from each Eastern and Western conference. The New York Cosmos won the most NASL playoff competitions.

The MLS Cup is a Yearly Champion competition between the winner of the East Conference and Winner of the West Conference. New York City won the 2021 MLS Cup Winner. Los Angeles Galaxy won the most MLS Cups with five wins.

The MLS Top Scorer in season 2021 was Valentin Castellanos. The player with the most goals in a single MLS season was Carlos Vela in 2019 with 34 goals. See here all of MLS Top Scorers.