The MLS Cup is the pinnacle of soccer in America. It’s the trophy that makes your club the champions for a season, and it has been that way since Major League Soccer began.
The league and playoff structure may have changed over time, but the MLS Cup has been the number one trophy all teams aspire to win since the start. Some teams have won it multiple times, some have never even got close, but all soccer fans recognise its importance.
These days, with the league consisting of more teams and the standard of players improving league-wide, the MLS Cup has never been more difficult to win. It starts with qualifying for the playoffs via the regular season, but after that, anything can happen. In fact, there have been four occasions when a team ranked 8th in the Supporters’ Shield standings has gone on to win the MLS Cup.
Here is a list of every MLS Cup winner so far, including some information about the final they won:
| Season | Winners | Score | Runners-up | Date and Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | D.C. United | 3–2 | Los Angeles Galaxy | October 20th, Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts |
| 1997 | D.C. United | 2–1 | Colorado Rapids | October 26th, RFK Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C. |
| 1998 | Chicago Fire | 2–0 | D.C. United | October 25th, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California |
| 1999 | D.C. United | 2–0 | Los Angeles Galaxy | November 21st, Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts |
| 2000 | Kansas City Wizards | 1–0 | Chicago Fire | October 15th, RFK Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C. |
| 2001 | San Jose Earthquakes | 2–1 | Los Angeles Galaxy | October 21st, Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio |
| 2002 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 1–0 | New England Revolution | October 20th, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts |
| 2003 | San Jose Earthquakes | 4–2 | Chicago Fire | November 23rd, Home Depot Center, Carson, California |
| 2004 | D.C. United | 3–2 | Kansas City Wizards | November 14th, Home Depot Center, Carson, California |
| 2005 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 1–0 | New England Revolution | November 13th, Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas |
| 2006 | Houston Dynamo | 1–1 (4–3 p) | New England Revolution | November 12th, Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, Texas |
| 2007 | Houston Dynamo | 2–1 | New England Revolution | November 18th, RFK Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C. |
| 2008 | Columbus Crew | 3–1 | New York Red Bulls | November 23rd, Home Depot Center, Carson, California |
| 2009 | Real Salt Lake | 1–1 (5–4 p) | LA Galaxy | November 22nd, Qwest Field, Seattle, Washington |
| 2010 | Colorado Rapids | 2–1 | FC Dallas | November 21st, BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario |
| 2011 | LA Galaxy | 1–0 | Houston Dynamo | November 20th, Home Depot Center, Carson, California |
| 2012 | LA Galaxy | 3–1 | Houston Dynamo | December 1st, Home Depot Center, Carson, California |
| 2013 | Sporting Kansas City | 1–1 (7–6 p) | Real Salt Lake | December 7th, Sporting Park, Kansas City, Kansas |
| 2014 | LA Galaxy | 2–1 | New England Revolution | December 7th, StubHub Center, Carson, California |
| 2015 | Portland Timbers | 2–1 | Columbus Crew SC | December 6th, Mapfre Stadium, Columbus, Ohio |
| 2016 | Seattle Sounders FC | 0–0 (5–4 p) | Toronto FC | December 10th, BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario |
| 2017 | Toronto FC | 2–0 | Seattle Sounders FC | December 9th, BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario |
| 2018 | Atlanta United FC | 2–0 | Portland Timbers | December 8th, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia |
| 2019 | Seattle Sounders FC | 3–1 | Toronto FC | November 10th, CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington |
| 2020 | Columbus Crew SC | 3–0 | Seattle Sounders FC | December 12th, Mapfre Stadium, Columbus, Ohio |
| 2021 | New York City FC | 1–1 (4–2 p) | Portland Timbers | December 11th, Providence Park, Portland, Oregon |
| 2022 | Los Angeles FC | 3–3 (3–0 p) | Philadelphia Union | November 5th, Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles, California |
| 2023 | Columbus Crew | 2–1 | Los Angeles FC | December 9th, Lower.com Field, Columbus, Ohio |
| 2024 | LA Galaxy | 2–1 | New York Red Bulls | December 7th, Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California |
| 2025 | Inter Miami | 3–1 | Vancouver Whitecaps | December 6th, Chase Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida |