Los Angeles FC Overview
Los Angeles Football Club, commonly known as LAFC, is a professional soccer club based in Los Angeles, California, that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. The club was established on October 30, 2014, and began competitive play in the 2018 MLS season as an expansion franchise. Home matches are contested at BMO Stadium, a 22,000-seat soccer-specific venue located in Exposition Park. The team’s identity is anchored in its black, gold, red, and gray colors, an Art Deco-inspired crest, and a passionate supporters’ union called The 3252, named for the 3,252 safe-standing seats in the north end of the stadium.
Since its founding, Los Angeles FC has built a trophy case that includes two Supporters’ Shield titles in 2019 and 2022, an MLS Cup championship in 2022, and a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title in 2024. The club is also a runner-up in the 2020 and 2023 editions of the CONCACAF Champions League and was the runner-up in the 2023 MLS Cup. The managing ownership group is led by Brandon Beck, Larry Berg, and Bennett Rosenthal, while Peter Guber serves as Executive Chairman and Larry Freedman and John Thorrington lead the front office as Co-Presidents. A wide roster of celebrity and business part-owners has also helped raise the club’s national profile.
Founding and Organizational Origins
Los Angeles FC was founded on October 30, 2014, after Major League Soccer awarded Los Angeles a new expansion team following the complete dissolution of Chivas USA. The initial ownership group was led by principal owner Henry Nguyen, who guided the franchise through its earliest planning stages and helped choose the name Los Angeles Football Club, which had previously served as a working title for the organization. On May 17, 2015, the club selected the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena site in Exposition Park as the future home of a 22,000-seat MLS stadium, an investment estimated at $250 million. The Los Angeles City Council approved the stadium plan on May 6, 2016, clearing the way for construction to begin.
The club’s identity was further defined on January 7, 2016, when colors, crest, and visual identity were unveiled at Union Station. The black and gold primary palette, with red and gray accents, was chosen with direct input from supporters, along with elements of the club badge. A groundbreaking ceremony for the new stadium was held on August 23, 2016, the same day the franchise announced a 15-year, $100 million naming rights agreement with Banc of California. On the personnel side, Bob Bradley was named head coach in July 2017, joining general director John Thorrington as the club began building its first competitive squad.
Growth Into MLS Competition
Los Angeles FC entered MLS in 2018 with an ambitious plan to combine experienced international signings with younger homegrown talent. Mexican forward Carlos Vela was signed as the club’s first Designated Player on August 11, 2017, while Diego Rossi, Walker Zimmerman, Tristan Blackmon, and Portuguese draft pick João Moutinho were added to a young core. On March 4, 2018, LAFC played its first competitive match, defeating Seattle Sounders FC 1–0 at CenturyLink Field, with Diego Rossi scoring the club’s first goal. The home opener, played on April 29, 2018, also ended in a 1–0 victory over Seattle, with Laurent Ciman scoring in stoppage time in front of a capacity crowd of 22,000.
The early program was structured around the LAFC Academy, which was founded on February 1, 2016, and launched with a fully funded U-12 team in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. The club’s training infrastructure was anchored by the LAFC Performance Center on the California State University, Los Angeles campus, a partnership that began in 2017. On the commercial side, the franchise quickly secured recognizable brand partners. YouTube TV was announced as the club’s first shirt sponsor on January 31, 2018, while Target became the first sleeve sponsor in October 2019. This combination of academy, stadium, front office, and commercial foundation allowed the club to move from expansion team to contender within just a few seasons.
Los Angeles FC Competitive Journey
Los Angeles FC has progressed from a 2018 expansion side to one of the most decorated teams in Major League Soccer in just a handful of seasons. The franchise has won an MLS Cup, two Supporters’ Shields, and a U.S. Open Cup, while also reaching a CONCACAF Champions League final twice and earning a berth at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Early Seasons and Development (2018)
Los Angeles FC’s 2018 inaugural season set a high bar for any MLS expansion team. The club earned 57 points in the regular season, surpassing the 56-point total set by the 1998 Chicago Fire, which had also been coached by Bob Bradley. The team finished second all-time in goals scored by an expansion team in a single season, with 68, just behind the 70 scored by Atlanta United FC in 2017. LAFC’s seven road wins tied the league record for an expansion club in the post-shootout era, and the team’s strong start was anchored by winning 4 of 6 matches on its opening road trip, the first time any MLS team earned 12 points from a six-game opening road run.
On October 6, 2018, Los Angeles FC clinched its first playoff spot with a 3–0 win over the Colorado Rapids, finishing third in the Western Conference. The postseason run ended in the first round, however, as the club fell 3–2 at home to sixth-seeded Real Salt Lake. The 2018 season also produced the first edition of El Tráfico, the cross-town rivalry with LA Galaxy, which LAFC lost 4–3 on March 31, 2018. Despite the early playoff exit, the foundation for future success had been laid.
Breakthrough in MLS (2019–2022)
Los Angeles FC’s 2019 season marked the club’s first major trophy, winning the Supporters’ Shield with a record-breaking 72 points, the highest single-season total in MLS history at that time. Carlos Vela captured the MLS Golden Boot with a then-league-record 34 goals and was named league MVP. In the playoffs, LAFC defeated LA Galaxy 5–3 in the Western Conference Semifinal for its first postseason win over the cross-town rival before being eliminated at home by Seattle Sounders FC 3–1 in the Western Conference Final. The 2020 season was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but LAFC still qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League, advancing all the way to the final before losing to Tigres UANL 2–1. The 2021 campaign was more difficult, as the team missed the playoffs and parted ways with head coach Bob Bradley on November 18, 2021, replacing him with Steve Cherundolo on January 3, 2022.
Under Cherundolo, the 2022 season produced Los Angeles FC’s most celebrated campaign. The club earned 67 points and won its second Supporters’ Shield, then advanced past LA Galaxy 3–2 in the conference semifinals and Austin FC 3–0 in the conference final to reach the MLS Cup. In the championship match against the Philadelphia Union, the game ended 3–3 through extra time, with Gareth Bale scoring the latest equalizer in MLS Cup Playoffs history in the 128th minute. Substitute goalkeeper John McCarthy made two penalty saves in a 3–0 shootout win, earning MLS Cup MVP honors and delivering the club its first league title.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2023–Present)
The post-championship era began with another deep continental run, as Los Angeles FC reached the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League final for the second time in four years before falling to Club León 3–1 on aggregate. The team also finished as runners-up in the 2023 MLS Cup to Columbus Crew, while playing 53 competitive matches and traveling more than 63,000 miles, a record workload for an MLS side in a single year. Following the 2023 season, the club completed a comprehensive roster overhaul ahead of 2024, bringing in Olivier Giroud, Hugo Lloris, Eduard Atuesta, Lewis O’Brien, David Martinez, Kei Kamara, and Maxime Chanot, while parting ways with longtime stars Carlos Vela, Giorgio Chiellini, Kellyn Acosta, and others.
The 2024 season delivered a Western Conference regular-season title and a first U.S. Open Cup trophy. After navigating the Round of 32, Round of 16, quarterfinal, and semifinal rounds, including a 1–0 win over rival Seattle Sounders FC, LAFC defeated Sporting Kansas City 3–1 in extra time in the Open Cup Final, with goals from Olivier Giroud, Omar Campos, and Kei Kamara. The club added the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup to its trophy case, becoming the fourth Los Angeles-area team to win the tournament. In 2025, the club signed Korean star Son Heung-min from Tottenham Hotspur for an MLS-record $26.5 million transfer fee and qualified for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup by defeating Club América in a play-in match. Head coach Steve Cherundolo announced on April 18, 2025, that he would step down at the end of the season for personal reasons, opening a new chapter in the club’s technical leadership.
Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
Los Angeles FC’s competitive identity has consistently emphasized high-tempo attacking play, technical midfielders, and a willingness to invest in global stars. Under Bob Bradley and later Steve Cherundolo, the team developed a possession-oriented style supported by a high press, with the club’s stadium, training center, and analytics resources aligned to recruit and develop elite attacking players such as Carlos Vela, Denis Bouanga, and Son Heung-min. The franchise’s location in the Los Angeles market and its connection to deep-pocketed ownership have also given the club a structural advantage in player acquisition compared with most MLS peers.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
Los Angeles FC’s most iconic milestone is the 2022 MLS Cup victory over the Philadelphia Union, capped by Gareth Bale’s 128th-minute equalizer and John McCarthy’s penalty shootout heroics. Other defining moments include the 2019 Supporters’ Shield won with a record 72 points, the 2020 CONCACAF Champions League final appearance, the 2024 U.S. Open Cup Final victory over Sporting Kansas City, and the August 6, 2025, signing of Son Heung-min for an MLS-record $26.5 million. The club also reached the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup through a play-in win over Club América, underscoring its growing international profile.
Los Angeles FC Achievements and Results
In less than a decade of competition, Los Angeles FC has compiled one of the most decorated résumés in Major League Soccer. The club has captured two Supporters’ Shields, one MLS Cup, and one Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, while also reaching two CONCACAF Champions League finals, one MLS Cup final, and one Leagues Cup final.
MLS Achievements
Los Angeles FC’s most prominent league accomplishment is its 2022 MLS Cup title, won on penalties over the Philadelphia Union following a 3–3 draw. The club has also won the Supporters’ Shield twice, first in 2019 with a record 72 points and again in 2022 with 67 points. The franchise has qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs in every season since its 2018 expansion year except 2021, including Western Conference regular-season titles in 2022 and 2024.
Conference Achievements
Within the Western Conference, Los Angeles FC won the regular-season conference title in both 2022 and 2024, and advanced to the Western Conference Final in 2019 and 2022. The 2022 playoff run included a 3–2 victory over the LA Galaxy in the conference semifinals and a 3–0 defeat of Austin FC in the conference final, both of which helped the club reach its first MLS Cup.
Series Achievements
Los Angeles FC’s two most prominent rivalries are with the LA Galaxy, known as El Tráfico, and with the Seattle Sounders FC, which grew out of the 2018 season-opening meeting and 2019 Western Conference Final. The club has also built competitive rivalries with Austin FC, the Columbus Crew, and the Philadelphia Union through deep playoff and tournament matchups, including finals in 2022, 2023, and 2024.