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In the relatively new American soccer league, Major League Soccer (MLS), only a few teams have come out victorious and captured the most sought-after domestic league trophy. If you know how European soccer leagues work, then know the MLS is very different when it comes to claiming the title.
Teams may be dominant throughout the regular season, even go completely undefeated and finish first place in their conference, but it doesn’t mean they’ll take home the MLS Cup, a trophy awarded to the best team to come out on top in the playoffs. That’s why in this article, we outline three of the best best MLS teams with the most championships to date, the years they won the Cup and how many times they won it!
Kicking off the list of the best best MLS teams with the most championships is the current MLS cup holders Columbus Crew. While the Crew might not have always been the best team, they certainly have the accolades to show for it. Winning their first MLS Cup in 2008 was the start, as they’d come out on top of the Eastern Conference before blowing away all other competition in the playoffs.
Not only would the Columbus Crew go on to win the MLS Cup two more times in 2020 than in 2023, but they’d also secure three Supporters’ Shield trophies in 2004, 2008 and 2009, sealing the deal with one U.S. Open Cup win in 2002.
In their most recent run to the final in 2023, the Crew would face a strong LA FC team and come out victorious 2-1. With a history of winning such as this, it’s clear why Columbus Crew belongs on this list of best MLS teams with the most championships, barely edging out Houston Dynamo FC and Seattle Sounders FC, honorable mentions with two MLS Cup wins each.
Although they haven’t seen a championship run since 2004, D.C. United is a longtime feared team to play against, with four total MLS Cup wins. D.C. would win their Eastern Conference regular season 3 years in a row from 1997-1999, then back-to-back again in 2006 and 2007 before winning their most recent regular season in 2014. They’d make the playoffs for four straight years from 1996-1999 and again in 2004, where they’d win every one of their MLS Cup championships except for the one loss in the 1998 final vs. Chicago Fire.
If you thought four MLS Cup wins was already a lot, remember United earned the Supporters Shield trophy four times in 1997, 1999, 2996 and 2007 and the U.S. Open trophy thrice in 1996, 2008, and 2013, truly solidifying their status among the best American pro soccer teams. To this day, D.C. United hasn’t graced the finals since 2004 but with four major MLS Cup trophies out of five appearances, it’s no surprise they make the list of best MLS teams with the most championships.
The most dominant team in the history of the MLS, with five cup wins, more than any other team in MLS history, is the LA Galaxy. Not only would this team win five overall MLS Cups, but they’d appear in nine of the finals, the highest number of appearances out of all teams in the MLS. The Galaxy has a track record of winning, and surprisingly, their last win was back in 2014.
As one of the most successful and profitable teams within the MLS, the LA Galaxy would have the privilege of securing five MLS Cups in 2002, 2005, 2011, 2012 and 2014, with Supporters Shield trophies coming in during the 1998, 2002, 2010 and 2011 seasons. They’d only win the U.S. Open Cup twice, in 2001 and 2005, but would come out on top of the Western Conference during the regular season eight separate times.
They are one of three MLS teams (Seattle Sounders in 2022 and D.C. United in 1998) to win the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2000, so there’s no debate that LA Galaxy is one of the best best MLS teams with the most championships in the league’s history.
Liam has been a major sports fan and soccer player for over a decade, with a particular focus on major top-level soccer leagues, including the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and MLS. He has written numerous promotional articles for various top sportsbooks and continues to publish historical and factual sports articles covering the NFL, MLS, NHL, MLB, EPL and more.