NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 24: One of the Adidas game balls with the logo to MLS and signature by Don Garber Commissioner of Major League Soccer on the pitch for the home opener match against between New York City FC and FC Cincinnati at Yankee Stadium on April 24, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Ira L. Black – Corbis/Getty Images)
Major League Soccer will officially kick off in San Diego on Thursday.
A press event to announce a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in San Diego will be held at 10am, May19th at Snapdragon Stadium.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber will be attendance as will Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour and Cody Martinez, Sycuan Tribe Chairman.
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Mohamed is expected to be the majority owner of the San Diego franchise with the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation part of the ownership group.
The San Diego franchise will be the 30th in MLS, and will begin play in the 2025 MLS season. The team will play home matches at Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley.
Mansour will reportedly pay an estimated $500 million expansion franchise fee, which would be the most ever paid for an MLS team. The previous high was $325 million paid for Charlotte FC in 2019.
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This will be the 4th MLS team in California, joining the Los Angeles Galaxy, Los Angeles FC and San Jose Earthquakes, giving the state more MLS teams than any other in the United States.
