‘Energy, Diversity’: MLS Awards 30th Franchise To San Diego, To Begin in 2025
Thursday, May 18, 2023 at 10:50PM By Barry Janoff
May 18, 2023: Major League Soccer said today it has awarded its 30th franchise to San Diego to a club owned by Mohamed Mansour.
The club, currently known as San Diego FC, will begin play in the 2025 season in Snapdragon Stadium, the 35,000-seat venue on the campus of San Diego State University that opened in 2022 and is home to the NWSL's San Diego Wave FC.
Among the investor group is Manny Machado, six-time MLB All-Star and San Diego Padres infielder.
The expansion fee for the MLS franchise is in the "$500 million neighborhood,” according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.
“We are thrilled to welcome San Diego to Major League Soccer as our 30th team,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said today during an unveiling ceremony and media conference in San Diego.
“For many years we have believed San Diego would be a terrific MLS market due to its youthful energy, great diversity, and the fact that soccer is an essential part of everyday life for so many people.”
MLS expanded to 29 franchises when St. Louis City debuted this season.
Las Vegas was, and still is, regarded as a future MLS expansion destination.
MLS said Mansour, an entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist, has “deep, global ties in the soccer world and the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation. The Sycuan Tribe becomes the first Native American tribe to have an ownership stake in professional soccer in the United States.”
Mansour is the founder and chairman of the London-based investment management firm Man Capital, which owns Right to Dream, a global soccer community of world-class academies, clubs and partners.
"Mohamed Mansour and the Sycuan Tribe have an incredible vision for building a club that will inspire and unite soccer fans throughout the city and region,” said Garber.
“We never lost our focus, we never lost hope in San Diego being a great MLS team and market. And here we are with a great ownership group, great facility and a business staff that's really going to work hard to build a terrific team in this market.”
“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with the Sycuan Tribe to bring Major League Soccer to such a deserving community and legion of San Diego soccer fans. This is a real opportunity to create a powerful and lasting legacy for the city and region,” said Mansour during the event.
“We look forward to introducing Right to Dream’s unique developmental approach and unparalleled soccer expertise to San Diego and MLS by delivering tangible benefits to the community as we look to open doors and identify and nurture talent from across the county and beyond.”
"Mohamed Mansour and the Sycuan Tribe have an incredible vision for building a club that will inspire and unite soccer fans throughout the city and region."
“I am grateful for the opportunity to join the San Diego MLS ownership group. I continue to plant roots in this amazing community that means so much to me and build upon my connection with the incredible fans,” said Machado.
Veteran sports executive Tom Penn will serve as the club’s CEO.
“San Diego is a community with a rich sporting history and long considered the heart of soccer development in North America,” said club CEO Tom Penn. “With the addition of MLS, we will inspire lasting change through the sport in San Diego and unite soccer fans throughout the region.
"We will deliver sustained excellence on the field, unprecedented investment in player development and create a shared, joyous experience for fans at Snapdragon Stadium, one of the premier soccer venues in professional soccer.”
The city is also home to the San Diego Loyal SC of the USL Championship, with Soccer Hall of Famer Landon Donovan as evp-soccer operations
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