Major League Soccer (MLS) is the US men’s professional soccer league, founded in 1993 as part of the United States’ successful bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup. It currently encompasses 24 teams in the U.S. and 3 in Canada with plans to expand to 30 teams by the 2023 season.
The MLS regular season typically starts in late February or early March and runs through mid-October, with each team playing 34 games. The team with the best record is awarded the Supporters’ Shield. Fourteen teams compete in the postseason MLS Cup Playoffs in late October and November, culminating in the league’s championship game, the MLS Cup.