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Which Teams Have the Most MLS Cup Titles?

Victor Decolongon / Stringer

By: Matt Reed

Published Oct 25, 2022

Major League Soccer is on the brink of naming its 27th league champion with MLS Cup right around the corner.

The MLS season will conclude right before the kick-off of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, so there's a lot at stake.

Over the years, original teams like the LA Galaxy and DC United have had insane league prowess for years.

Meanwhile, more recently, clubs introduced to the MLS landscape like the Seattle Sounders, have built sustained success.

Today, ONE37pm takes a closer look at which teams have the MLS Cup titles in league history.

History of MLS

Major League Soccer was founded in 1993 and first launched its first season three years later with 1o clubs across the league.

The league now consists of 28 teams across the United States and Canada and aims at expanding into over 30 markets by the time the 2026 World Cup reaches North America.

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Every year, MLS has a Supporters' Shield champion - which goes to the team with the most points during the regular season.

That's in addition to the league champion being named at the conclusion of the season when MLS Cup is held in November.

How Are MLS Conferences Broken Up?

Eastern Conference

Atlanta United

Charlotte FC

Chicago Fire

FC Cincinnati

Columbus Crew

DC United

Inter Miami

CF Montreal

New England Revolution

New York City FC

New York Red Bulls

Orlando City SC

Philadelphia Union

Toronto FC

Western Conference

Austin FC

Colorado Rapids

FC Dallas

Houston Dynamo

Sporting KC

LA Galaxy

Los Angeles FC

Minnesota United

Nashville SC

Portland Timbers

Real Salt Lake

San Jose Earthquakes

Seattle Sounders

Vancouver Whitecaps

Most MLS Cups

LA Galaxy (5)

Victor Decolongon/Getty Images

The Galaxy have been around since MLS started in the 1990s, and their success has been unmatched.

Over the years, the Los Angeles-based club has been able to bring in elite stars like David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and more.

The Galaxy are also one of the highest-valued clubs in the world, which has increased its brand awareness globally.

DC United (4)

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DC United had the earliest success in MLS history after winning four of the first nine MLS Cup titles.

Jaime Moreno and Alecko Eskandarian are some of the club's biggest stars from the early years.

More recently, Wayne Rooney has become both a player and a manager after playing in the Premier League for years.

Houston Dynamo (2)

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The Dynamo moved from San Jose when they were founded and had immediate success in Texas.

The club won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007 and has since reached a few more finals.

Seattle Sounders (2)

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The Sounders are one of the best-run clubs in MLS since their inception in 2007.

Manager Brian Schmetzer has continually put the Sounders in positions to win, equating to MLS Cup wins in 2016 and 2017.

Sporting KC (2)

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Sporting KC is one of the original MLS clubs that has since changed names after playing under the Wizards moniker.

Peter Vermes has been the club manager for years and remains the longest-tenured coach in the league.

Columbus Crew SC (2)

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The Columbus Crew battled to keep the club in Ohio during the 'Save the Crew' movement, and it's worked out great for the team.

The Eastern Conference side has two MLS Cups to its name, and over the years, the Black and Yellow have seen huge success with stars.

Brian McBride and Gyasi Zardes are some of the club's strikers that have racked up goals with the Crew.

San Jose Earthquakes (2)

om Hauck/MLS

The Earthquakes built a legacy early on with Landon Donovan, Brian Ching, and Chris Wondolowski.

San Jose has been around since 1996 when the league was founded, and has since developed a huge rivalry with the Galaxy.

MLS Cup Champions By Year

1996 - DC United

1997 - DC United

1998 - Chicago Fire

1999 - DC United

2000 - Kansas City Wizards (Sporting KC)

2001 - San Jose Earthquakes

2002 - LA Galaxy

2003 - San Jose Earthquakes

2004 - DC United

2005 - LA Galaxy

2006 - Houston Dynamo

2007 - Houston Dynamo

2008 - Columbus Crew

2009 - Real Salt Lake

2010 - Colorado Rapids

2011 - LA Galaxy

2012 - LA Galaxy

2013 - Sporting KC

2014 - LA Galaxy

2015 - Portland Timbers

2016 - Seattle Sounders

2017 - Toronto FC

2018 - Atlanta United

2019 - Seattle Sounders

2020 - Columbus Crew

2021 - New York City FC

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