Which MLS team is worth the most?
There are 28 teams readying themselves for the start of the 2022 MLS regular season, that gets underway at the end of February, but which is most valuable?
As excitement builds ahead of the new Major League Soccer campaign, many people are making their predictions as to who is most likely to get close to winning the title and related prizes. There are 28 teams going into the 2022 season and, as is the case the world over, when it comes to success, often money talks.
In related MLS news:
Most valuable MLS teams
So, which are the most valuable MLS teams? For this, we turn to the numbers released last year, compiled by Sportico, and coming out on top was Los Angeles FC, worth a cool $860 million.
Despite all that funding behind them, of course, LAFC were a huge disappointment to many last year. And for this reason have added seven new players to the roster ahead of this season, with a focus on getting the best out of star striker Carlos Vela. Time will tell if it pays off.
Behind LAFC comes Atlanta United ($845 million) and LA Galaxy ($835 million). From there it’s a fair drop off to Seattle Sounders on $705 million and New York City on $655 million. The lowest of the teams on the available list from last year is the Colorado Rapids, coming in at $370 million. Check out the full list.
MLS team valuations:
Rank |
Team |
Valuation |
Source: Sportico
It’s worth noting that the current MLS TV deal pays out around $60 million per year, which works out at more than $2 million per team. That deal, which is up for renegotiation after this season, also included US Soccer, but it appears that any new one will be separate, likely meaning a fall in revenue. An additional financial boost in the wings is what could come from the 2026 World Cup.
2022 MLS regular season: what you need to know
The 2022 Major League Soccer regular season is about to get underway - with one new addition this year. Charlotte FC will be making their debut in the Eastern Conference as the expansion franchise, taking the total number of teams involved this season to 28. Plans are afoot to expand MLS again next year with Sacramento Republic FC and St. Louis City SC set to join to take the league to a maximum of 30 teams. Nashville meanwhile, who spent the last two seasons in the Eastern Conference, will move to the Western Conference.
When does the 2022 MLS regular season start?
The season kicks off on Saturday 26 February 2022 - much earlier than usual to accommodate players who will be with their national teams at the World Cup finals in Qatar, starting the end of November. The 2022 Super Draft took place in January - newcomers Charlotte took the No.1 pick, midfielder Ben Bender.
There will be 34 weeks of action with each team playing 17 games at home and 17 games on the road. All teams will face each of their respective conference opponents twice (home and away) and play eight non-conference opponents once. A maximum of five matchdays will be played mid-week with the rest of games played at weekends.
The 2022 MLS regular season ends on Sunday 9 October. There is a difference this year in that eight teams from each conference will enter the play-offs which will start immediately after the regular season. No dates have been confirmed for the play-offs but we can assume that the Round 1 games will be played on the weekend of 15/16 October.
The 2022 MLS Cup Final will take place on Saturday 5 November - just 16 days before the World Cup finals commence in Qatar.
Where will be the 2022 MLS All-Star Game be played?
Finally, during the summer, about two thirds of the way through the campaign, the 2022 MLS All-Star Game will be played. It has been scheduled for Wednesday 10 August and will be played at Allianz Field, Minnesota. It will bring to a close a week of events taking place in Minneapolis and Saint Paul including the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge. It will be the first time that Minnesota has hosted the All-Star Game.