Your team-by-team bandwagon guide to MLS fandom | OneFootball

By J. Sam Jones

Perhaps you, dear reader, have watched a 2026 FIFA World Cup match over the last few weeks and, despite knowing nothing about the teams involved, have become intensely attached to the fortunes of whichever team you decided to adopt on a whim.

If you’re interested in more of that feeling of joy/agony, MLS has 30 teams to choose from.

Choosing one from 30 can be a bit overwhelming. We want to get you kick-started. The simple choice is, of course, your most local team. But maybe you need more than that. Or maybe you want a primer before committing.

In short: Here's a very brief assessment of what you might latch onto for each MLS team as you prepare to dive headfirst into fandom.

Atlanta United

This is a team for anyone fascinated by large, passionate fanbases desperately chasing past glory while their team throws as much money as possible at the problem to fix it. It will probably (?) actually work someday soon. When it does, being around for the tougher days will make the payoff that much sweeter.

Austin FC

Austin are in a moment of transition. They recently parted ways with their sporting director and head coach before tabbing serial MLS winner Jim Curtin as their head coach-in-waiting.

It’ll take a moment to get things heading in the right direction. But when they go in the right direction in Austin, the vibes are good, the food is good, the fans are loud and Matthew McConaughey is there.

Charlotte FC

Do you enjoy turning your back to the pitch and jumping up and down with your friends? What about letting a giant sentient soccer ball be the primary decision-maker in your system of government? What about just being surrounded by a lot of people and wearing Carolina blue?

Meeting just one of those criteria is enough here. And you get the added bonus of knowing that your team is willing to spend big to win… even if winning big hasn’t quite happened consistently in their short history.

Chicago Fire FC

If you like seeing someone realize their potential, the Fire are for you. They’re a sleeping giant beginning to wake up from a nap. After years of underwhelming performance relative to their location and finances, they’ve been steadily improving over the last season and a half.

On top of that, they’re set to open their own stadium in the Chicago city limits in 2028, and they’ve just signed one of the best strikers of the past decade, Robert Lewandowski. The bandwagon is finally moving again, and it’s going to fill up quickly.

FC Cincinnati

You’d be joining a fanbase that’s one of the league’s best. They had to suffer to get there, too. They showed up so consistently for their lower-division team that MLS had no choice but to award the city a spot in the league. They then spent their first three MLS seasons watching some bad results.

Cincy fans have been rewarded for that. The team has been one of the league’s best for roughly five seasons now. Oh, and they have Evander. Evander is involved with virtually every goal they score. Evander rules.

Colorado Rapids

Rapids fandom isn’t for anyone with a New York Yankees, Alabama football, Kansas City Chiefs or Real Madrid snapback.

It’s about really savoring the successful moments that you earn. And really, really hating Rocky Mountain rivals Real Salt Lake. Like, just really not liking those guys. When the highs come, they hit a little harder. 

Oh, also, Colorado have recently been playing some of the more aesthetically pleasing soccer in the league.

Columbus Crew

Columbus have taken a step back this season after winning a couple of titles this decade. Don’t expect them to be down for too long, though. And when they’ve been up the last few years, they make a concerted effort to play attractive, expansive soccer. 

Anyway, if you’re picking the Crew, you’re picking a fanbase that fought tooth and nail to keep their team in Columbus, won, and then watched their team play title-caliber ball basically ever since.

FC Dallas

Dallas, led by Croatian striker and World Cup goalscorer Petar Musa, typically find ways to punch above their weight thanks to one of the most productive academies in MLS. The fanbase is growing, and their stadium is getting a facelift. They’re an MLS original, and they used to have a fire-breathing lightning horse for a logo.

But let’s focus on what’s truly important for this sales pitch: Sam Sarver.

D.C. United

The original MLS dynasty. They had some great moments at the start of it all. And… well, they’ve been trying to get back there ever since.

Like the other teams that have fading memories of success, the payoff will hit hard when things come good again.

Houston Dynamo FC

Some people really like orange. Maybe that’s you. Some people enjoy it when a team has a notable advantage by simply being used to the weather in the city they play in. Maybe that’s you.

Houston are very orange and very good at their very hot and humid home.

Sporting Kansas City

For a long time there, Sporting KC were one of the league’s most consistently effective teams. Nowadays, they’re really just trying to work on themselves. It’s been a little bit since Sporting Park has really been a cauldron of noise, but, like a few other teams, their fans are just waiting for the chance.

They might get it in the relatively near future if they can start to utilize their significant amount of roster flexibility. It’s taken a while to get new players in after they parted ways with longtime manager Peter Vermes last year. This is the team for anyone trying to better themselves after a tough breakup. 

Side note: If you like chess, striker Dejan Joveljić is very likely the best chess player of any professional athlete in the world. Seriously, the whole world.

LA Galaxy

Ok. Admittedly, it’s a bit weird right now. The LA Galaxy are likely not as good as they should be because their best player has had back-to-back major knee injuries.

However, they have more championships than anybody (six) and last won MLS Cup presented by Audi in 2024. On a global scale, they are the league’s most famous team (well, at least they were until Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami).

They’re also the team of people you may have recently seen on TV during World Cup broadcasts, like David Beckham and Landon Donovan.

Los Angeles Football Club

Their star players – South Korean attacker Son Heung-Min and winger Denis Bouanga – are worth tuning in for regardless of whether you choose LAFC.

Elsewhere, they always have plenty of talent, maybe the rowdiest supporters’ sections in the league, Will Ferrell, a falcon that flies around before games, and a general vibe that makes them feel bigger than most clubs in the league.

LAFC carry themselves like a winner. They usually are one.

Inter Miami CF

You’ve heard of Lionel Messi. He plays here. He is very much the best player in the league. 

If that’s not enough, Inter Miami are the reigning MLS Cup champs and set a single-season points record a couple of years ago. They also have the most widespread fanbase of any team in the league because of the whole Messi deal. 

Be warned. That’s a double-edged sword. The bandwagon is packed. Fans of literally any other MLS team aren’t going to be fans of you. But who knows, maybe you’re built for that.

Minnesota United FC

Did you enjoy watching England sing "Wonderwall" after their World Cup wins? No? That’s ok; it’s England.

Besides, Minnesota did it first. And Minnesota is a more pleasant place. 

In addition to an Oasis singalong, Minnesota United have an excellent fanbase, colors and stadium. Plus, a terrifying bird mascot. Every now and then, they have an excellent and terrifying team to match.

CF Montréal

You love the grind. The struggle. Watching young players get plenty of minutes. New coaches. And maybe poutine and fountains, too.

Nashville SC

They’re leading the standings and have three elite Designated Players, which, ok, Designated Players are… ok, there’s a salary cap and… um (we'll get to that another time).

They have three elite attacking players, a cool guitar riff thing at kickoff, country music, a great stadium, and more.

There’s a lot to like about jumping on the Nashville bandwagon. The club is at a high point right now, and they may still have room before they hit their ceiling.

New England Revolution

The Revs are actually playing pretty well this year, as has usually been the case for the original MLS club.

Still, we can’t quite put them in the category of all-time great original MLS dynasties, like the LA Galaxy (six MLS Cups) and D.C. United (four MLS Cups).

That’s not where the team that’s lost the most MLS Cups belongs. They’re 0-for-5 here. If you pick the Revs, you’re joining a long, long journey to the top.

New York City Football Club

This year hasn’t quite gone to plan, but NYCFC have been as consistent a winner as anyone in the Eastern Conference over the last decade.

Still, things feel like they’re about to reach another level for this club when they move into their own stadium next year. Having a home in Queens will be a major milestone. Might as well join in time for them to make the jump.

Red Bull New York

Do you like Rage Against the Machine? Of course you do. 

Red Bull New York play “Bulls On Parade” after goals. It rules. They score relatively often, too. What’s impressive about that right now is that they’re doing it with a bunch of teenagers in the starting lineup.

Some of the most exciting prospects in U.S. Soccer are playing for this side right now. If you’re invested at all in the USMNT getting past the World Cup Round of 16 in 2030 and beyond, you should probably care about this year’s Red Bulls.

Orlando City

The Lions finally got things together this decade after a few years of futility. Things have cratered out again this year, though, and they recently parted ways with their longtime head coach.

Still, if you like colorful language, colorful kits and the general vibe of central Florida, being an Orlando fan could be for you. Plus, they're about to begin their Antoine Griezmann era.

Philadelphia Union

The Union have won more than just about anyone this decade… until this season. They’re currently last overall and looking for a new head coach. We’re just a few months removed from Philly finishing with the most points in the 2025 regular season. It’s been weird. 

Still, there’s always a chance they'll get back on track. They did just have a few years of unprecedented success. If they do, it will be thanks to their academy. It might be the best in the league.

They’ve consistently produced high-level talent and are responsible for Cavan Sullivan, one of America’s most hyped prospects ever. He’s still with the team before he reportedly joins Manchester City.

Portland Timbers

For most folks coming in blind to MLS, I’m willing to bet the Timbers bandwagon looks awfully appealing.

Providence Park is gorgeous, Timbers Army is maybe the best supporters’ collective of the bunch, their kits are typically fantastic, and they’re right in the middle of being so good that you’ll be called plastic and so bad that your existence will only be suffering. 

They’re currently looking for a new head coach, so now seems like as good a time as any to jump in.

Real Salt Lake

Staying with the theme of the USMNT getting past the World Cup Round of 16 in 2030 and beyond (see Red Bull New York blurb), Zavier Gozo and Diego Luna may play a role in the quest for the quarterfinals.

They’re both a blast to watch. And RSL are a team that routinely plays above their station. They’ve missed the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs just twice since the end of 2015. Like the Red Bulls, they have a catchy anthem. Unlike the Red Bulls, that anthem is jaunty and pleasant.

San Diego FC

The league’s newest team got off to an impossibly hot start before coming back down to Earth over the last few months. Still, there are plenty of reasons to think they’ll be a regular contender in this league. You can be part of the beginning stages of their story, maybe visit San Diego and then probably never leave San Diego ever again. 

They also have one of the league’s absolute best players, Anders Dreyer, and are committed to playing aesthetically pleasing ball.

San Jose Earthquakes

The Quakes are managed by Bruce Arena, a guy who’s basically been around for the entirety of MLS unless he was too busy coaching the US men’s national team. At 74 (!), he’s somehow turned one of the league’s most overlooked teams into one of its best this season. 

Historically, the Quakes had some great early MLS sides. But they haven’t reached those highs in a long, long time. The way they’ve started this year has felt truly special because of that. Especially considering that they’ve done it primarily with overlooked and undervalued American players.

Arena is a miracle worker, and the Quakes fans deserve some happiness after a few hard years.

Seattle Sounders FC

The Sounders are MLS’s best bet. They get the job done, do it their way and do it consistently. If you need more wins than losses in your life, you might need the Sounders. You’re guaranteed at least one trophy. On a related note, their fanbase is huge. 

If you need something more sentimental than that, their head coach, Brian Schmetzer, has been with the organization for almost his entire adult life.

St. Louis CITY SC

St. Louis are another recent expansion side that got off to a hot start before things went south. They’ve been in the wilderness since year one, but Energizer Park still gets loud. Also, there's fried ravioli and you can bring your dog to the games.

Toronto FC

For a few years, Toronto FC were the best team in the league. 

They have been… not that this decade. The good news, though, is they’re going to spend a bunch to get back to the top. They’re trending in the right direction, and you can get in on this now before they become a force again.

Toronto are essentially for anyone who enjoys the trope of someone suffering from newfound success until their downfall actually makes them a better person in the end.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

The Whitecaps are a freaking wagon, man. They’re not just one of the best teams in MLS this year; they statistically profile as one of the best teams in MLS ever. That’s despite operating with a lower budget than other elite teams.

They came up just short of winning MLS Cup last year and have gone deep into other recent competitions as well. They’ve only gotten better since adding German legend Thomas Müller.