San Diego was named MLS’s expansion team on Thursday, becoming the league’s 30th team.
Commissioner Don Garber formally announced the decision Thursday as the United States’ top soccer league continues its rapid growth.
The new expansion club will play MLS at the 35,000-seat Snapdragon Stadium in 2025
The San Diego MLS club will be owned by Egyptian billionaire entrepreneur Mohamed Mansour and the Kumeyaay Nation’s Sycuan Band.
The San Diego Union-Tribune previously reported that the franchise fee could reach $500 million.
San Diego was tasked Thursday with MLS’s expansion team, whose ownership group led by Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour (second right) will take charge of the club
MLS commissioner Don Garber (pictured) officially announced the decision on Thursday
Garber confirmed the news on Twitter, releasing a statement that read, “I’m delighted to welcome our newest owners here to beautiful San Diego as the 30th MLS club.”
“Thank you Mohamed Mansour and the Sycuan Tribe for your belief in this league and for helping us finally bring an MLS club to this great city!” to watch in 2025.”
The ownership group also includes six-time major league baseball all-star Manny Machado, who already has strong athletic ties to the San Diego area and currently plays for the Padres.
Other founding partners include Brad Termini, co-founder of Zephyr Partners, Tom Vernon, founder of Right to Dream and Dan Dickinson, board member of Right to Dream. In the meantime, highly respected sporting executive Tom Penn will serve as the club’s CEO.
“We are excited to welcome San Diego as our 30th team to Major League Soccer,” said Commissioner Garber.
“For many years we have believed that San Diego would be a great MLS market because of its youthful energy, its great diversity and the fact that football is such an integral part of everyday life for so many people.” Mohamed Mansour and the Sycuan Stamm have an incredible vision for building a club that will inspire and unite football fans across the city and region.”
Mansour is the founder and chairman of the London-based investment management firm Man Capital, of which Right to Dream is a part.
Right To Dream is a community of world-class football academies, clubs and partners committed to identifying and developing talent and has produced players who have played at the highest level for club and country in MLS, the Champions League and FIFA World Cup plus seven alumni who represented their countries at the 2022 World Cup.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be working with the Sycuan Tribe to bring Major League Soccer to such a deserving community and a legion of San Diego soccer fans.” to leave the region,” Mr Mansour said.
“We look forward to bringing Right to Dream’s unique development approach and unparalleled football expertise to San Diego and the MLS by providing tangible benefits to the community as we seek to open doors and attract talent from across the county and beyond identify and encourage it.” that has already proven to be a focal point for the region’s passionate football fans.”
Also part of the ownership group is six-time Major League Baseball All-Star Manny Machado
Through the partnership, the Sycuan tribe is the first Native American tribe to have an ownership interest in professional football in the United States.
Sycuan is one of 12 Kumeyaay tribes in San Diego County and has established partnerships with other businesses in the area, including the Padres, the San Diego Symphony and Children’s Hospital.
Machado, who joined the Padres in 2019 on a then-record-breaking contract, said, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to join the San Diego MLS ownership group.” I continue to root and build in this amazing community that means so much to me on my connection to the incredible fans.
“I am also encouraged by the club’s commitment and experience it brings through Right to Dream to the personal, academic and athletic development of young athletes and I look forward to supporting the growth of football in San Diego.”
The club will play at Snapdragon Stadium, which has already proven to be a popular football venue since it opened in 2022.
Last September, San Diego Wave FC set an attendance record for a single game in the National Women’s Soccer League with a capacity crowd of more than 32,000 at Snapdragon Stadium.
The new club will play in MLS from 2025 at the 35,000-seat Snapdragon Stadium
The stadium, located on the campus of San Diego State University and featuring a natural grass playing surface, hosted a LIGA MX friendly between Club Tijuana and Club América in March.
Major international football events taking place at the venue this year include Mexico vs. Cameroon on June 10 and the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup semi-final match on July 12.
Football fans can already pledge their allegiance to the MLS rookies by reserving a spot on the club’s website for $18 on the San Diego season 1 season ticket list.
All proceeds will be donated to the San Diego Foundation to support charitable organizations investing in youth football development throughout San Diego.
San Diego already has a local professional team, San Diego Loyal, which plays in de facto the second division men’s division of US professional football.
However, the USL Championship Club is reportedly not involved in the new MLS project.
Led by EVP of Soccer Operations, former USMNT star Landon Donovan, the team released a statement from chairman and owner Andrew Vassiliadis earlier this month, which said: “We’re not going anywhere.”