MLS SPOTLIGHT ON APRIL 2021 - CIES
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SPOTLIGHT ON MLS APRIL 2021
Governance structures at national association level
CIES SPORTS INTELLIGENCE
The CIES Sports Intelligence is a research and the tools to understand which are the most sui-
analysis team of CIES, created to respond to an table. Our benchmarking and indexing expertise
increasing demand from sport organizations for will facilitate this process as we combine quali-
independent and informed advice. Today, due to tative and quantitative data to conduct tailored
improvements in technology and communications multi-dimensional comparisons.
as well as the growing financial interests at stake,
sports bodies are under ever greater scrutiny both Our clients include some of the most impor-
from inside sport and the outside world. As such, tant sports organizations at global level. We
they are required to be more responsible than have already helped international federations
ever in carrying out their activities and in facing to evaluate and monitor the implementation of
the challenges they are presented with. Within new regulatory frameworks at national level, to
this context, information and data become essen- benchmark domestic competitions and sporting
tial. CIES Sports Intelligence aims to deliver subs- issues in hundreds of countries or understand the
tantial value for stakeholders in the industry, by governance models adopted across different re-
supplying them with factual information that helps gions in the world. Our fact-based and descriptive
them benchmark their organizations, support their approach allow us to analyse and interpret a wide
decision-making processes as well as orient their range of different subjects, including economic,
strategies. legal, governance and development aspects. With
services that focus on spreading new insights and
Building on more than 20 years of experience knowledge, CIES Sports Intelligence’s objective
and a solid global network at CIES, the new is to support stakeholders in the promotion of a
Sports Intelligence division will aim to help sports better governance and management of sport and
organizations understand how to react and adapt a more stable sporting environment based on
to the continuous changes and innovation within informed decision-making.
the industry, as well as seize the opportunities and
mitigate the risks deriving from this ever-evolving
landscape. In such complex scenario it is crucial
for stakeholders to know their options and have
SPORTS
INTELLIGENCE
23
OUR AREAS OF EXPERTISE OUR SERVICES
GOVERNANCE SURVEYS &
QUESTIONNAIRES
REGULATORY SECONDARY
RESEARCH
COMPETITIONS DATABASE CREATION
& MANAGEMENT
ECONOMICS & DATA ANALYSIS
FINANCIALS & MINING
FACILITIES & REPORTING
INFRASTRUCTURE & EDITING
3Governance structures at national association level
METHODOLOGY
The 'Spotlight on MLS' report provides a comprehen- sis, club-trained players are considered as those having
sive analysis on the evolution and current status of Major spent at least two consecutive years in the club’s acade-
League Soccer as the North American top-tier division my before eventually joining the club’s first team.
gets ready to kick-off its 26th season. The study com-
bines off-the-pitch and on-the-pitch data and statis- All values for the section on player salaries are sourced
tics to deliver a detailed snapshot of the MLS, both at from the official reports published by the MLS Player
league and individual club level. The report is structured Association (MLSPA) and refer to a player’s Annualized
across six main areas of analysis: Average Guaranteed Compensation. As stated by the
MLSPA, ‘the Annualized Average Guarantee Compen-
- The league’s expansion since 1996; sation (Guaranteed comp) includes a player's base sa-
- The league’s club ownership landscape; lary and all signing and guaranteed bonuses annualized
- MLS stadia and average attendances; over the term of the player's contract, including option
- Player recruitment strategies of MLS clubs; years. The Guaranteed Comp figure also includes any
- Player salaries in the MLS; marketing bonus and any agent's fees, both annualized
- MLS playing statistics. over the term of the contract. The Average Annual Gua-
ranteed Compensation figure does not include Perfor-
The report is based on desk research and, with the ex- mance Bonuses because there is no guarantee that the
ception of a series of playing statistics provided by the player will hit those bonuses’.
CIES Football Observatory, it exclusively relied on publi-
cly available information. The main source of data was The playing statistics included in the report are the result
represented by official league and club websites, online of CIES Sports Intelligence calculations based on values
articles and existing literature. Articles from Forbes.com from the CIES Football Observatory and integrated with
were used to collect data on the valuation of clubs or the additional data from FBref. Domestic players are consi-
estimated net worth of club owners. Data has been last dered as those born either in the USA or Canada. Player
updated on the 12th of April 2021. ages were calculated as the time between a player’s bir-
thdate and June 30th of the year in which each season
For the sections on stadium attendances, figures were took place.
sourced from the data publicly available on OverLap-
ping Run and cross-checked with the MLS Fact and The information included in this report has not been ve-
Record book. Figures and information on player recruit- rified with primary sources or survey to the associations.
ment strategies are the result of CIES analysis based on As such, the authors do not guarantee the full accuracy
data from Transfermarkt. For the purposes of the analy- or completeness of the data included in this study.
CLUB ABBREVIATIONS
ATL ATLANTA UNITED FC MIA INTER MIAMI CF PHI PHILADELPHIA UNION
AUS AUSTIN FC LAF LOS ANGELES FC POR PORTLAND TIMBERS
CHA CHARLOTTE FC LAG LOS ANGELES GALAXY RSL REAL SALT LAKE
CHI CHICAGO FIRE FC MIN MINNESOTA UNITED FC SAC SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC
CIN FC CINCINNATI MON CF MONTREAL SJO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
COL COLORADO RAPIDS NAS NASHVILLE SC SEA SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
CLB COLUMBUS CREW SC NER NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION SKC SPORTING KANSAS CITY
DAL FC DALLAS NYC NEW YORK CITY FC STL ST. LOUIS CITY SC
DCU DC UNITED NYR NEW YORK RED BULLS TOR TORONTO FC
HOU HOUSTON DYNAMO FC ORL ORLANDO CITY SC VAN VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
45
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE EXPANSION OF MLS 6
MLS'S OWNERSHIP LANDSCAPE 8
MLS STADIA AND ATTENDANCES 10
PLAYER RECRUITMENT IN MLS 12
MLS AND PLAYER SALARIES 14
MLS PLAYING STATISTICS 16
ATLANTA UNITED FC 18
CHICAGO FIRE FC 20
FC CINCINNATI 22
COLORADO RAPIDS 24
COLUMBUS CREW SC 26
FC DALLAS 28
DC UNITED 30
HOUSTON DYNAMO FC 32
INTER MIAMI CF 34
LOS ANGELES FC 36
LOS ANGELES GALAXY 38
MINNESOTA UNITED FC 40
CF MONTRÉAL 42
NASHVILLE SC 44
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION 46
NEW YORK CITY FC 48
NEW YORK RED BULLS 50
ORLANDO CITY SC 52
PHILADELPHIA UNION 54
PORTLAND TIMBERS 56
REAL SALT LAKE 58
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES 60
SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC 62
SPORTING KANSAS CITY 64
TORONTO FC 66
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC 68
AUSTIN FC 70
CHARLOTTE FC 70
SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC FC 71
ST.LOUIS CITY SC 71
AUTHORS: FERNANDO ROITMAN
FRANCESCO MARINI
CONTRIBUTORS: KEVIN TALLEC MARSTON
ALBERTO BISONI
Enquires to be sent to sports.intelligence@cies.ch
5Governance structures at national association level
THE EXPANSION OF MLS
A direct legacy of the 1994 FIFA World partnership with the homonym Mexican Nashville SC) and an additional four
Cup in the USA, Major League Soccer team. The league’s 10-year anniversary teams expected to take the field by
began as a modest but ambitious enter- saw the first, and so far only, club relo- 2023 (Austin FC, Charlotte SC, St. Louis
prise. Alan Rothenberg, then chairman cation in its history, when the San Jose SC and - although the expansion team is
of the World Cup organizing committee, Earthquakes franchise was moved to currently on indefinite hold - Sacramento
announced the creation of the new top- Houston. Republic). This will bring the total num-
flight division on December 17, 1993. Six ber of MLS to thirty - equaling the likes
months later, the first seven cities were As MLS courted new markets, its se- of the National Basketball Association
selected, followed by an additional three cond decade was uncontestably one of (NBA) and the Major League Baseball
in June 1995. The ten charter clubs com- growth. With the exception of the demise (MLB) - in what MLS has admitted to
peting in MLS’s debut in 1996 were the of the Chivas USA less than ten years af- being a possible goal of 32 teams in the
Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, DC ter its foundation, the league flourished, near future.
United, Dallas Burn, Los Angeles Galaxy, reaching a total of twenty teams in 2016
New England Revolution, New York/ with the addition of three Canadian sides MLS’s growth is visible not only in the in-
New Jersey MetroStars, San Jose Clash, - Toronto FC, Montreal Impact (now CF creasing number of clubs, but also in the
Kansas City Wizards and the Tampa Bay Montréal) and the Vancouver Whitecaps significantly rising fees required to join
Mutiny. - the return of the San Jose Earthquakes, the league. The USD 325 million-fee re-
the birth of the North-Western powe- portedly agreed by Charlotte FC is more
The league, which first expanded in 1998 rhouses Seattle Sounders and Portland than threefold the amount paid by Real
with the addition of new teams in Chica- Timbers, and the expansion on the East Salt Lake fifteen years earlier. In the last
go and Miami, would see little but signi- Coast with new franchises in Philadel- five years, MLS collected a total of USD
ficant changes in size throughout its first phia, New York and Orlando. 1.15 billion in expansion fees with an
decade. Reduced to ten clubs between average of USD 187 million per team.
2002 and 2004 after investors decided Currently in its third decade, MLS has In a comparable round of expansions
to fold the two Florida-based franchises, reached new heights with the debut of between 2004 and 2010, the league to-
it would eventually return to a 12-team six new clubs in just five years (Atlanta taled USD 232 million (factoring inflation)
structure with the inclusion of the Real United, Minnesota United, FC Cincin- from seven teams, at an average of USD
Salt Lake and the Chivas USA - result of a nati, Inter Miami, Los Angeles FC and 33 million per club.
projection
Evolution in the number MLS clubs (1996-2023)
30
27 28
26
23 24
22
19 19 19 20 20
18
15 16
13 14
12 12 12 12 12 12
10 10 10 10 10
96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
The analyses included in this report consider Sacramento Republic FC as MLS's 30th team
Evolution of MLS entry/expansion fees 325
200
Entry/expansion fee (USD million)
150
100
70
30 35 40
10 20
5
1-10 12-13 14 15-16 17-18 19 20-21 23 24-27 28-29 30
Progressive number of club joining the league
The chart only takes into account the 'linear' evolution of MLS entry fees. As such, it does not consider those cases that may be considered as exceptional in
this regard (e.g. Inter Miami's USD 25 million fee due to a previous agreement between David Beckham and the league)
67
MLS's 30 clubs (as of April 2021)
VAN
SEA
POR
MON
NER
TOR
MIN
SAC
NYC NYR
CHI
RSL PHI
CLB
CIN DCU
COL
SJO SKC STL
NAS
LAF LAG CHA
ATL
DAL
AUS
HOU
ORL
MIA
WESTERN CONFERENCE EASTERN CONFERENCE FUTURE CLUBS
AUS - AUSTIN FC ATL - ATLANTA UNITED FC CHA - CHARLOTTE FC
COL - COLORADO RAPIDS CHI - CHICAGO FIRE FC SAC - SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC FC
DAL - FC DALLAS CIN - FC CINCINNATI STL - ST.LOUIS CITY SC
HOU - HOUSTON DYNAMO FC CLB - COLUMBUS CREW SC
LAF - LOS ANGELES FC DCU - DC UNITED
LAG - LOS ANGELES GALAXY MIA - INTER MIAMI CF
MIN - MINNESOTA UNITED FC MON - CF MONTREAL
POR - PORTLAND TIMBERS NAS - NASHVILLE SC
RSL - REAL SALT LAKE NEW - NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
SJO - SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES NYC - NEW YORK CITY FC
SEA - SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC NYR - NEW YORK RED BULLS
SKC - SPORTING KANSAS CITY ORL - ORLANDO CITY SC
VAN -VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC PHI - PHILADELPHIA UNION
TOR - TORONTO FC
7Governance structures at national association level
MLS'S OWNERSHIP LANDSCAPE
The ownership landscape of the majority of MLS owners are from Today is vastly different from the si-
MLS has drastically changed since North America, there are a few ins- tuation of the NASL forty years ago
the league began in 1996. In its ear- tances – notably in the case of the whose development was stifled, in
ly years, the league had to rely on a two New York franchises – where the part, by the explicit ban on cross-
small group of investors who shared league has been able to attract im- sport investment in place in the NFL
the ambition of seeing soccer break portant international investors. at the time. With more than half of
through a sports market dominated clubs having a direct link to at least
by the other four major professio- Quite a few teams have maintained another sports property across US
nal leagues in the country - NFL, the same investor-operator since major professional leagues, MLS in-
MLB, NBA and NHL. Certain inves- their debut in the league, with the vestors are diversely invested across
tors committed to operate multiple New England Revolution being the the sporting industry domestically.
teams. The ten original charter clubs sole founding club to have never Moreover, like across the global soc-
belonged to six ownership groups, changed owner. Whilst a significant cer world, they increasingly seek out
with three teams owned jointly by number of new investors are joining cross-industry synergies. Nearly half
the MLS itself. Around 2001, the the league as a direct consequence of MLS clubs have at least one in-
league was down to just three core of the league’s expansion, there has vestor in common with an European
investors – Philip Anschutz, Lamar been a limited number of club takeo- club and 10% with a South American
Hunt and Robert Kraft. At one point, vers in recent years. Currently two one. As such, MLS appears to be
the Anschutz Entertainment Group MLS teams - Real Salt Lake and Sa- well-placed for all sorts of horizontal
(AEG) temporarily owned six teams cramento Republic - are looking to integration. Interestingly, there are
at the same time. attract new majority investors. Ove- instances where investors in different
rall, long-term investments seem to MLS clubs joined forces for a similar
Fast forward to 2021 and the situa- be a common trend across the MLS, ventures overseas. The takeover of
tion could not be more different. as twelve clubs have had the same English side Swansea City in - led
The current MLS ownership group investor-operator for ten or more by DC United’s Jason Levien and
includes a vast and diverse set of in- years. Steve Kaplan – also included inves-
dividuals and partnerships including tors currently involved in Orlando
some of the country’s most success- What stands out in the current City, Houston Dynamo and Seattle
ful businessmen and entrepreneurs ownership profile is the cross-sport Sounders.
as well as sports and Hollywood stars and international links that MLS
amongst others. Whilst in the vast owners bring to the league portfolio.
Number and percentage of MLS clubs having a direct link at ownership level with another major professional sports
club/franchise
47%
27% 23%
20%
14 13% 13%
8 10%
7 6
4 4 3
CL N
UB AN
UB
ER PEA
E
E
E
E
E
CH L
A
CH L
B
L
IS
IS
IS
IS
IS
AN WS
CL IC
AN H
AN NF
AN L
AN B
CH
CH
CH
FR M
R
FR N
CC RO
FR N
FR N
ER E
CC AM
SO EU
FR
SO TH
U
SO
89
Timeline of current MLS clubs (1996-2024)
96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24
COLORADO RAPIDS
COLUMBUS CREW
DC UNITED
FC DALLAS
SPORTING KANSAS CITY
LOS ANGELES GALAXY
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
NEW YORK RED BULLS
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
CHICAGO FIRE FC
REAL SALT LAKE
HOUSTON DYNAMO FC
TORONTO FC
SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
PHILADELPHIA UNION
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
PORTLAND TIMBERS
CF MONTREAL
ORLANDO CITY SC
NEW YORK CITY FC
MINNESOTA UNITED
ATLANTA UNITED FC
LOS ANGELES FC
FC CINCINNATI
INTER MIAMI CF
NASHVILLE SC
AUSTIN FC
CHARLOTTE FC
ST.LOUIS CITY SC
SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC FC
Ranking of MLS clubs by current ownership continuity
Dark blue bars refer to the longevity, calculated from the year in which the club was officially awarded an MLS slot. When there is no 'dark blue' section, longe-
vity and current ownership continuity coincide. In other words, the club has never been subject to a majority takeover.
27 26 26 27 26 27 27 27
24
16 17 17
14
26
23
18 18
15 15 14 13 12 12 11 10 8 8 7 7 6 6 6
4 3 3 3 2
2 2 2 2
NER LAG COL DAL NYR SKC SJO PHI VAN POR MON TOR ORL NYC ATL LAF MIN HOU SEA NAS CIN DCU MIA CLB STL CHI AUS CHA RSL SAC
9Governance structures at national association level
MLS STADIA AND ATTENDANCES
The evolution of stadia across the Major League Soccer. Charlotte FC of city downtowns. Out of the nine
MLS is one of the most tangible evi- is the first expansion team since New league venues located within two
dences of the increasing attention York City FC joined MLS in 2015 not miles from the city center, four are
towards soccer by investors and fans to include the construction of a new soccer-specific stadiums that ope-
in North America. In the league’s stadium in their bid. ned – or will open – after 2017.
early years the vast majority of clubs
shared their home venue with colle- New stadia opened on almost every Although league-wide average at-
ge sports teams or professional season from 2006 to 2012 (9 in to- tendances showed a contraction for
American football teams. In either tal), often more than one in the same the last two seasons played in front
case, this meant they were playing in year. A new and more significant of fans after more than a decade of
facilities designed for other purpo- phase of stadium building kicked off continuous growth, there are reason
ses and not adequate to soccer and from 2017 and is ongoing. Currently, for optimism. Events such as the
the crowds the game was able to ge- there are a total of five stadia under inauguration of the new Columbus
nerate. The Columbus Crew was the construction, with three of them – in Crew stadium, the Chicago Fire’s re-
first MLS club to build a soccer-spe- Columbus, Austin and Cincinnati – location to Soldier Field, as well as a
cific stadium in 1998, followed by expected to open doors in 2021. All new venue in Austin – a city that has
those inaugurated by the LA Galaxy of the MLS venues built after 2010 no other major professional sports
in 2003 and FC Dallas in 2005. are soccer-specific and with a capa- team – will likely be contributing
city below 30,000, the only excep- factors to an increase in MLS atten-
Since then, the construction of soc- tion being the 71,000-seat Merce- dances once all fans will be allowed
cer-specific stadiums has been inex- des-Benz stadium – a venue that back in the stands.
tricably linked with MLS’s expansion Atlanta United shares with the NFL’s
phase, becoming a fundamental part Atlanta Falcons. As MLS aims to be-
of the league’s growth strategy and come more urban and accessible to
essentially a requirement for any fans, the majority of new stadiums
new investor interested in joining are being built in close proximity
MLS stadia: distance from downtown
MIA NER
SKC MIN LAF NYR
NYC
COL MON
NAS SJO
LAG PHI
DCU TOR
ATL CHI CIN
AUS POR
CLB HOU ORL
DAL RSL
SEA STL VAN11
Timeline of new stadia construction by total capacity (2005-2023)
ATL
SOCCER-SPECIFIC
NON SOCCER-SPECIFIC
75k
NYC
50k
NAS
CHI
ORL
CIN
NYR
HOU
LAF
STL
TOR
AUS
DCU
DAL
CLB
MIN
RSL
SKC
PHI
SJO
COL
MIA
MON
25k
05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23
The stadiums of Toronto FC and CF Montréal have been considerably expanded since they first opened in 2007 and 2008 respectively. Inter Miami's stadium is an interim
venue that will serve as the club's home until completion of the proposed new Freedom Park stadium.
Ranking of MLS clubs by average attendance - season 2019
52.5
40.2
27.3
25.2
25.0
23.2
22.8
22.2
21.1
19.7
19.5
18.8
18.6
18.1
17.8
17.7
17.1
16.7
16.2
15.7
14.9
14.8
14.3
12.3
ATL SEA CIN POR TOR LAG ORL LAF NYC MIN VAN SJO SKC RSL NYR DCU PHI NER MON HOU CLB DAL COL CHI
Evolution of MLS average attendances (values in thousands, 2005-2019)
2016 2017 2018
2015 2019
21.7 22.1 21.9
21.6 21.3
2012 2014
2013
2011 19.1
18.8 18.6
2007 2008 2010 17.9
2009
2005 2006 16.8 16.5 16.7
16.0
15.1 15.5
# OF
12 12 13 14 15 16 18 19 19 19 20 20 22 23 24
TEAMS
CUMULATIVE
2.9 3.0 3.3 3.5 3.6 4.0 5.5 6.1 6.0 6.2 7.3 7.4 8.3 8.5 8.7
ATTENDANCE (mil)
11Governance structures at national association level
PLAYER RECRUITMENT IN MLS
Player recruitment is a key pillar in de- context of the global transfer market. were recruited from South America
termining the success of a soccer club, This new concept – supported also by and at a much younger average age
and ultimately a league. For years, MLS Commissioner Don Garber when he – 23.4 years. In comparison, only 41
was broadly associated with a strategy stated that MLS should aim to become players joined from a club belonging
of signing soccer stars at the end of a ‘selling league’ – would likely lead to the CONCACAF region, at 26.3
their careers, in order to raise its inter- clubs to strengthen their academies years of age on average. At individual
national profile and appeal. Whilst si- and scouting activities – with obvious country level, Argentinian clubs are
gnings such as that of David Beckham beneficial consequences in terms of those that transferred the most players
for the LA Galaxy in 2007 undoubtedly the overall development of the do- directly to MLS, ahead of Mexican, En-
represented a turning point for the mestic soccer ecosystem – but also to glish and Spanish teams.
league’s popularity, they also contri- potentially add transfer fees as a com-
buted to a less positive reputation ponent of their business model. The growing attention on young ta-
amongst external observers about the lents from South America – typically a
effective level of the league. In terms of actual numbers, nearly key element of the recruitment strate-
half of the players that participated in gies of European clubs – has already
Today, MLS appears to be on a diffe- the 2020 MLS season were recruited proved successful for some MLS clubs
rent path, more focused on youth de- from abroad, whereas 14% were club- from a financial perspective. In 2019,
velopment and the signing of young trained, intended as those who spent Atlanta United received a record USD
promising talents. Such new approach at least two consecutive years in the 27-million transfer fee as a result of
may indeed have many positives, as it club’s academy before eventually Miguel Almirón’s move to Newcastle
may contribute to a more sustainable joining the first team. Around 60% United (ENG). The player had joined
increase of the competitive level of the of ‘international’ players joined Major only two years earlier from Lanús (ARG)
league, its ability to generate more in- League Soccer coming from an Euro- in exchange for a fee of around USD
terest at international level, and esta- pean club. On average, they did so at 7.5 million.
blish MLS as an important player in the 26.7 years of age. A total of 84 players
MLS players by type of recruitment
(the analysis includes every player with at least one cap during the 2020 MLS season)
CLUB- RECRUITED FROM RECRUITED FROM
TRAINED NORTH AMERICA ABROAD
14% (97 PLAYERS) 40% (270 PLAYERS) 46% (315 PLAYERS)
1213
Average age of players at the time of recruitment, by location of players' prior club
(the analysis includes all players with at least one cap in the 2020 MLS season. Club-trained players are not taken into account in this analysis)
UEFA 26.7
USA/CANADA 25.7
OTHER CONCACAF 26.3 AFC 27.4
CAF 22.7
CONMEBOL 23.4
Ranking of soccer regions by number of players transferred directly to the MLS
(the analysis includes all players with at least one cap in the 2020 MLS season. Players recruited from the US or Canada have not been taken into account)
180
OTHER
96
BIG-5
84
84 41 7 3
UEFA CONMEBOL CONCACAF CAF AFC
Ranking of countries by number of players transferred directly to the MLS
(the analysis includes all players with at least one cap in the 2020 MLS season. Players recruited in the US or Canada are not taken into account in this analysis)
30
27
23
18
17
14
13 13 13 13
10 9 9 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
ARG MEX ENG ESP GER COL BRA FRA ITA NED POR VEN CRC SCO SWE DEN BEL URU CHI ECU
13Governance structures at national association level
MLS AND PLAYER SALARIES
The analysis of player salaries, based USD 860 thousand, result of more than Henry, the two clubs appear to have
on the numbers published every year a threefold growth. now chosen a different approach, one
by the MLS Players’ Association (MLS- that led them to be ranked respectively
PA), offers interesting insights into the In 2019, overall team salary budgets 16th and 21st in terms of salaries in
financial evolution of the league over varied in a ratio of 3:1 with two Cana- 2019. Only in four occasions across the
the years. In general terms, the ave- dian clubs – Toronto FC and Vancouver last ten years, a club amongst the top
rage total wage bill of an MLS club Whitecaps – representing the two ends three biggest spenders on salaries en-
– USD 12 million in 2019 – has nearly of the spectrum. When removing the ded up winning the league. The Seatt-
tripled over the last ten years and near- top three from this specific list, howe- le Sounders - MLS Champions in 2019
ly doubled when only the last six sea- ver, the ratio between the biggest and - ranked on that season.
sons are considered. the lowest spenders is only 1.5:1. Two
clubs clearly stand out when looking The evolution of MLS salaries is directly
The salary distribution reveals a consi- at their total wage bill over the years. linked with the Collective Bargaining
derable gap between the highest ear- Toronto FC has topped the ranking in Agreement (CBA) periodically nego-
ners and the vast majority of players. each of the last six seasons for which tiated between the league and the
In 2019, almost two thirds of the data is available, managing to achieve MLSPA. As covid-19 forced the two
players that competed in MLS made its first MLS Cup in 2017. The LA Ga- parties to revise the terms of the deal
less than USD 300 thousand per year, laxy have been in the top three across previously reached for the 2020-2024
whilst 58 pocketed more than USD 1 the whole 2010-2019 decade with the period, a new agreement covering
million – nine of which earned at least only exception of one season. epresen- all seasons up to 2027 was sealed in
USD 3 million. Even in this regard, the ting one of the biggest markets in the February 2021. From a salary budget
MLS evolved considerably since 2007, league, the two New York franchises perspective - whilst no cuts were intro-
the first year of data published by the have also been amongst the biggest duced - the increase originally meant
MLSPA. At the time, 90% of players spenders at different points in time. to come into effect in 2021 has been
made less than USD 187 thousand per Once featuring star players such as now postponed to 2023.
year; the same threshold is today set at Frank Lampard, David Villa and Thierry
MLS players by salary range - season 2019
LESS THAN USD BETWEEN USD 300K MORE THAN ONE
300K AND USD 1 MILLION MILLION USD
63% (451 PLAYERS) 29% (205 PLAYERS) 8% (58 PLAYERS)
LAG LAG LAG LAG
1415
Ranking of MLS clubs by total wage bill (season 2019, values in USD million)
24.3
19.6
17.1
13.8
13.7
13.1
13.0
12.6
12.6
12.1
11.1
10.6
10.6
10.6
10.6
10.4
10.2
9.9
9.6
8.8
8.7
8.7
8.6
8.2
TOR LAG CHI LAF SEA MON ATL ORL POR SKC RSL CLB NER SJO MIN NYC DCU PHI CIN DAL NYR HOU COL VAN
Evolution of the average total wage bill of an MLS club (2007-2019 values in USD million)
2019
2018 12.0
11.1
2016 2017
2015
9.0 9.1
8.3
2014
2012 2013 6.4
2010 2011
5.2 5.0
2007 2008 2009 4.4 4.7
3.2 3.4 3.4
# OF
13 14 15 16 18 19 19 19 20 20 22 23 24
TEAMS
CUMUL.
42.1 47.0 51.7 70.9 85.0 99.0 94.8 121.4 167.0 179.9 200.3 255.9 288.4
SALARIES
Ranking of the top 3 MLS clubs with the highest wage bill (2010-2019)
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
1ST
NYR LAG NYR NYR TOR TOR TOR TOR TOR TOR
2ND
LAG NYR LAG SEA LAG LAG NYC NYC LAG LAG
3RD
CHI TOR TOR LAG SEA NYC LAG CHI CHI CHI
MLS Cup winner
15Governance structures at national association level
MLS PLAYING STATISTICS
The analysis of playing statistics England Revolution and Nashville domestic ones – from 27.1 years to
offers additional point of views to SC. In terms of age ranges, the 26.4. This may represent an indica-
understand the trends across Major most notable trend sees a signifi- tor of the increasing investments of
League Soccer from a more spor- cantly increasing share of minutes MLS in youth development and club
ting perspective. In terms of na- granted to young domestic players. academies. At individual club level,
tionality of players, more than half At league-wide level, playing time is with an average age of 28.4 years,
of the total minutes played across nearly equally distributed between the most experienced squads in
the 2020 MLS regular season have players below 28 years old (56% of 2020 were fielded by Sporting Kan-
been granted to foreign ones. More total minutes on aggregate) and sas City, Seattle Sounders, Portland
specifically, this value appears to those above this age (44%). Timbers and Toronto FC. Los Ange-
have stabilized at around 58% in re- les FC and New York Red Bulls were
cent years, a value 23% higher than Data on the global average age instead the youngest. In the case of
that registered for the 2015 season. across the league confirms that the franchise owned by the Austrian
With an impressive 80% of minutes the MLS has been recently getting energy drink company, the average
played by non-domestic players, ‘younger’. Between 2019 and 2020 squad age of 25.4 years appears to
Houston Dynamo leads the ranking this value experienced the most reaffirm an approach towards youth
at individual club level, ahead of Los significant decrease in the last six development similar to that adop-
Angeles FC and New York City FC. years, going from 27.6 years to 27.2. ted across the other Red Bull-owned
On the other end of the spectrum More specifically, this is the result of soccer teams in the world.
- with more than two-thirds of total a slight reduction in the average age
minutes played by players from the of foreign players and a much more
US or Canada - are instead the New significant decrease in the case of
League-wide average ages by players' origin
(calculations are based on the total minutes played throughout each season)
FOREIGN PLAYERS
TOTAL SQUAD
USA/CAN
28,6
28,2 28,1
28 27,9
27,7 27,6 27,7
27,6 27,6
27,4 27,3 27,4
27,3
27,1 27,1 27,2
26,4
15 16 17 18 19 20
15 16 17 18 19 20
Minutes (as % of the league-wide total) played by foreign players (2015-2020)
57,2 58,5 58
54
47,6 50,4
15 16 17 18 19 20
15 16 17 18 19 20
1617
Ranking of MLS clubs by % of minutes played by foreign players - Regular Season 2020
80.1
75.5
75.4
72.7
69.5
69.4
69.2
68.4
67.0
63.9
62.2
59.7
59.8
59.1
55.8
55.2
53.4
52.7
51.1
49.6
48.9
47.1
41.1
35.7
33.0
31.7
HOU LAF NYC MON CHI SEA CLB ORL POR DCU MIN PHI SJO CIN VAN MIA RSL ATL SKC COL NYR DAL LAG TOR NAS NER
Ranking of MLS clubs by average squad age - Regular Season 2020
(calculations based on the actual minutes played by each individual player)
28.4
28.4
28.4
28.4
28.1
28.0
27.9
27.8
27.7
27.6
27.5
27.3
27.3
27.3
27.1
27.1
27.0
27.0
26.6
26.5
26.2
26.2
26.1
25.9
25.4
25.2
SKC SEA POR TOR HOU MIN CIN CLB SJO LAG RSL DAL NAS MIA NYC NER CHI DCU ORL MON PHI COL ATL VAN NYR LAF
Minutes played (as % of the total for each category) by age range (2015-2020)
FOREIGN USA/CAN TOTAL SQUAD
8,8 10,2 11,3 9,3 8,3 9,8 11,9 11,1 11,9 10,7 11,3 11,6 10,2 10,6 11,6 9,9
14,6 13,3
41,8 39,8 33,7 32 27,8 28,9 29,6 27
32,5 39,5 35,6 37 35,3 31 35,4 34,4
37,6 42
44,3 36,9
45,7 46,6 43,6 37,1
40,4 45,1 41,9 40,8 44,8 38,9
38,3 37,8 38,2 40,5 37,8
34,6
21,3 25,3
9,4 10,1 11,6 11,6 11 10,6 12,9 11,7 16 16,3 11,3 10,9 13,6 13,6 15,2 16,8
15 16 17 18 19 20 15 16 17 18 19 20 15 16 17 18 19 20
U23 23-27 28-32 >33
17Governance structures at national association level
ATLANTA UNITED FC
MLS ADMISSION MLS DEBUT ENTRY FEE
2014 2017 USD 70m
CLUB
OWNERSHIP INFO & OWNERS' OTHER HONORS
INVESTMENTS IN SPORTS TEAMS
The club is owned by Arthur M. Blank, the co-founder of Home Depot - the world's
MLS CUP
largest home improvement retailer. He is also the owner and chairman of NFL's 2018
Atlanta Falcons and through the company StadCo operates the Mercedes-Benz
Stadium, the USD 1.6 billion venue inaugurated in 2017 and home to the two fran- US OPEN CUP
chises. Blank's investments in sports, which also includes the acquisition of a mino- 2019
rity stake in Aberdeen (SCO) in 2019, fall under the AMB Sports and Entertainment
umbrella - a company owned by the AMB Group. CONFERENCE
CHAMPIONS
2018
ABERDEEN (SCO)
ATLANTA FALCONS
STADIUM INFO & EVOLUTION OF AVERAGE ATTENDANCES
53 52.5
NAME MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM
48.2
LOCATION ATLANTA, GEORGIA
INAUGURATION 2017
CAPACITY 42'500*
SOCCER-SPECIFIC NO
05
0 06
0 07
0 08
0 09
0 10
0 11
0 12
0 13
0 14
0 15
0 16
0 17 18 19
* The stadium may be expanded to a capacity of over 70,000 people. In Au-
gust 2019, Atlanta United broke MLS's record for a single-match attendance Values in thousands
when it welcomed 72,548 fans for the regular season match against the LA
Galaxy.
1819
PLAYER RECRUITMENT STRATEGY - 2020 SQUAD
Club-trained players Players recruited from North America Players recruited from abroad
Location of players' prior club (when not recruited from North America) and average age at the time of recruitment (by region of players' prior club)
UEFA 25.5
USA/CANADA 24.3
OTHER CONCACAF 28.4
Two players
One player
CONMEBOL 23.6
PLAYER SALARIES
13
11.6
8.9
17 18 19
PLAYER STATISTICS
Minutes (as % of the total) played by foreign players Average ages by players' origin
(2017-2020) (calculations based on the total minutes played)
31,4
30,6
29,4
65,8 27,5
60,5 27,4 27,3
56,4 27,1
52,7
TOTAL SQUAD
26,1
FOREIGN 25,7 25,6
25,2
USA/CAN 24,9
15 16 17 18 19 20 15 16 17 18 19 20
15 16 17 18 19 20
19Governance structures at national association level
CHICAGO FIRE FC
MLS ADMISSION MLS DEBUT ENTRY FEE
1997 1998 N/A
CLUB
OWNERSHIP INFO & OWNERS' OTHER HONORS
INVESTMENTS IN SPORTS TEAMS
MLS CUP
The club is owned by Chicago-based Joe Mansueto. He is the founder of Mor- 1998
ningstar, a financial services firm that manages or advises on more than USD 200
billion in assets. Mansueto first bought a 49% stake in the Chicago Fire in 2018, SUPPORTERS'
eventually purchasing the remaining 51% a year later. The club’s valuation reporte- SHIELD
dly increased from USD 240 million to USD 400 million in between the two transac- 2003
tions. One of Mansueto's first moves at the helm of the club was to move the team
back to the historic Soldier Field after 13 years at the SeatGeek stadium (originally US OPEN CUP
Toyota Park) in Bridgeview, Illinois. 1998, 2000, 2003,2006
CONFERENCE
___ CHAMPIONS
1998, 2003
STADIUM INFO & EVOLUTION OF AVERAGE ATTENDANCES
Move from Soldier
Field to SeatGeek
NAME SOLDIER FIELD Stadium
LOCATION CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
INAUGURATION 1924*
17.2 16.5 17 16.4 17.4
14.7 15.8 14.3 15.2 16.1 16 15.6 14.8
CAPACITY 61'500 14.1
12.3
SOCCER-SPECIFIC NO
05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
* From 2020 the club has returned to its original home venue, Soldier Field, Values in thousands
after 13 years at the SeatGeek Stadium (formerly Toyota Park). Soldier Field
underwent major renovations in 2002.
2021
PLAYER RECRUITMENT STRATEGY - 2020 SQUAD
Club-trained players Players recruited from North America Players recruited from abroad
Location of players' prior club (when not recruited from North America) and average age at the time of recruitment (by region of players' prior club)
UEFA 28.3
USA/CANADA 26.9
OTHER CONCACAF -
Two players
One player
CONMEBOL 22.1
PLAYER SALARIES
17.1
15.5
13
5.1 5.6 5.8
4.7 4.8 5 4.3
4.1 3.8
3
07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
PLAYER STATISTICS
Minutes (as % of the total) played by foreign players Average ages per players' origin
(2015-2020) (calculations based on the total minutes played)
29,8
29,3 29,2
28,5
28,1
27,9 27,9 27,8 27,7
68,2 69,5 27,3 27,4
27,1 27
59,4 60,7 58,6 26,7
26,5
47,8 26,2
TOTAL SQUAD 25,8
FOREIGN 25,2
USA/CAN
15 16 17 18 19 20 15 16 17 18 19 20
15 16 17 18 19 20
21Governance structures at national association level
FC CINCINNATI
MLS ADMISSION MLS DEBUT ENTRY FEE
2018 2019 USD 150m
CLUB
OWNERSHIP INFO & OWNERS' OTHER
HONORS
INVESTMENTS IN SPORTS TEAMS
The club’s majority owner is Carl Lindner III, one of Cincinnati's wealthiest men and ___
co-CEO of American Financial Group - a Fortune 500 company in the insurance
business. He is the oldest son of Carl Lindner Jr. - a former owner of MLB’s Cin-
cinnati Reds. Lindner is joined at the helm of the club by a diverse group of local
investors. In November 2019, Silicon Valley veteran Meg Whitman also invested in
a 20% stake in FC Cincinnati alongside her husband Griff Harsh. The former CEO
of Hewlett Packard and Ebay reportedly paid USD 100 million for the acquisition,
valuing the club at USD 500 million.
___
STADIUM INFO & EVOLUTION OF AVERAGE ATTENDANCES
NAME WEST END STADIUM*
LOCATION CINCINNATI, OHIO
27.3
INAUGURATION 2021
CAPACITY 26'000
SOCCER-SPECIFIC YES
05
0 06
0 07
0 08
0 09
0 10
0 11
0 12
0 13
0 14
0 15
0 16
0 17
0 18
0 19
* The stadium is expected to open doors on May 16th , 2021. The club is
temporarily playing its home games at the Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. Values in thousands
2223
PLAYER RECRUITMENT STRATEGY - 2020 SQUAD
Club-trained players Players recruited from North America Players recruited from abroad
Location of players' prior club (when not recruited from North America) and average age at the time of recruitment (by region of players' prior club)
UEFA 26.6
USA/CANADA 25.5
OTHER CONCACAF 22.9
Two players
One player
CONMEBOL 20.1
PLAYER SALARIES
9,6
19
PLAYER STATISTICS
Minutes (as % of the total) played by foreign players Average ages per players' origin
(2019-2020) (calculations based on the total minutes played)
29,9
28,9
27,9
27,6
59,4 59,1 25,7
TOTAL SQUAD 24,9
FOREIGN
USA/CAN
15 16 17 18 19 20
15 16 17 18 19 20
23Governance structures at national association level
COLORADO RAPIDS
MLS ADMISSION MLS DEBUT ENTRY FEE
1995 1996 USD 5m
CLUB
OWNERSHIP INFO & OWNERS' OTHER HONORS
INVESTMENTS IN SPORTS TEAMS
Stanley Kroenke is the club's owner since September 2003. Married to Walmart
MLS CUP
heiress Ann Walton Kroenke, he is the chairman and owner of The Kroenke Group,
2010
a private real estate investment and development company with properties located
in the United States and Canada. His estimated net worth is USD 8.2 billion. He
CONFERENCE
is also the owner of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) a company that today
CHAMPIONS
owns several franchises across US professional leagues as well as Arsenal FC in the
1997, 2010
English Premier League.
ARSENAL (ENG) DENVER NUGGETS
LOS ANGELES RAMS COLORADO AVALANCHE
STADIUM INFO & EVOLUTION OF AVERAGE ATTENDANCES
Move from Empower
Field to Dick's Sporting
Goods Park
NAME DICK'S SPORTING GOODS PARK
LOCATION COMMERCE CITY, COLORADO
INAUGURATION 2007
15,4 15,7 16,3 15,3 15,3
14,7 14,8 15,2 15,1 14,3
CAPACITY 18'061 13,6 13,7 13,3
12,1 12,3
SOCCER-SPECIFIC YES
05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Values in thousands
2425
PLAYER RECRUITMENT STRATEGY - 2020 SQUAD
Club-trained players Players recruited from North America Players recruited from abroad
Location of players' prior club (when not recruited from North America) and average age at the time of recruitment (by region of players' prior club)
UEFA 27.5
USA/CANADA 25.8
OTHER CONCACAF 31.0
Two players
One player
CONMEBOL 19.8
PLAYER SALARIES
9,7
8,7 8 8,6
5,1
3,2 3,4 3,5 3,5
2,3 2,5 2,4 2,7
07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
PLAYER STATISTICS
Minutes (as % of the total) played by foreign players Average ages per players' origin
(2015-2020) (calculations based on total minutes played)
28,9
28,2
27,9 28
27,8 27,7 27,8
27,6
27,4 27,3
27 26,9 26,9
26,8
26,4
64,5 26,2
56,2
46,6 49,6 25,4
46 44,5 TOTAL SQUAD
FOREIGN
USA/CAN
15 16 17 18 19 20 15 16 17 18 19 20
25Governance structures at national association level
COLUMBUS CREW SC
MLS ADMISSION MLS DEBUT ENTRY FEE
1994 1996 USD 5m
CLUB
OWNERSHIP INFO & OWNERS' OTHER HONORS
INVESTMENTS IN SPORTS TEAMS
Since December 2018 the club is controlled by a group including Dee and Jimmy
MLS CUP
Haslam - already owners of NFL's Cleveland Browns - and local businessman Pete
2008,2020
Edwards. The Haslam family owns 67% of USD 31 billion Pilot Flying J, a North
American chain of truck stops and convenience stores. Reportedly worth USD 150
SUPPORTERS'
million, the takeover allowed the new owners keep to the MLS franchise in Colum-
SHIELD
bus, following months of talks about a potential relocation to Austin, TX. The team
2004, 2008, 2009
is expected to inaugurate in July 2021 its new 20,000-seat USD 314 million stadium.
US OPEN CUP
2002
CLEVELAND BROWNS CONFERENCE
CHAMPIONS
2008, 2015, 2020
STADIUM INFO & EVOLUTION OF AVERAGE ATTENDANCES
NAME NEW CREW STADIUM*
LOCATION COLUMBUS, OHIO
INAUGURATION 2021
CAPACITY 20'000 17 17.1
15.2 14.6 14.4 14.6 16.1 15.9 15.4
14.4 14.9
12.9 13.3 12.2 12.4
SOCCER-SPECIFIC YES
* The stadium is expected to open doors on July 3rd , 2021. The club is tem- 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
porarily playing its home games at the MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus.
Values in thousands
2627
PLAYER RECRUITMENT STRATEGY - 2020 SQUAD
Club-trained players Players recruited from North America Players recruited from abroad
Location of players' prior club (when not recruited from North America) and average age at the time of recruitment (by region of players' prior club)
UEFA 28.6
USA/CANADA 26.7
OTHER CONCACAF 24.1
CAF 29.0
Two players
One player
CONMEBOL 20.9
PLAYER SALARIES
10.6
7.7
6.7
5.7 5.9
3.6 3.7 3.6 3.5
2.4 2.9 2.8
2.1
07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
PLAYER STATISTICS
Minutes (as % of the total) played by foreign players Average ages per players' origin
(2015-2020) (calculations based on the total minutes played)
28,5 28,6
28,1
27,9
27,8 27,9 27,9 27,8
27,6 27,5
27,4
27,1
26,9
26,7
26,6
69,2 26,5
61,6 60,7
56,1 57,9
52,2
TOTAL SQUAD 25,1
FOREIGN
USA/CAN
15 16 17 18 19 20 15 16 17 18 19 20
27Governance structures at national association level
FC DALLAS
MLS ADMISSION MLS DEBUT ENTRY FEE
1995 1996 USD 5m
CLUB
OWNERSHIP INFO & OWNERS' OTHER HONORS
INVESTMENTS IN SPORTS TEAMS
FC Dallas is owned by the Hunt family, one of the richest in the United States with
an estimated net worth of USD 15.5 billion. Lamar Hunt, son of oil tycoon H.L. SUPPORTERS'
Hunt, was a pivotal figure in American sports history and played a crucial role in the SHIELD
development of soccer in North America, being also one of the founding investors 2016
in the MLS. The US Open Cup - the oldest ongoing national soccer competition –
US OPEN CUP
is still today named after him. His sons Clark and Dan are currently chairman and
1997, 2016
president of FC Dallas respectively.
CONFERENCE
CHAMPIONS
CHICAGO BULLS 2010
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
STADIUM INFO & EVOLUTION OF AVERAGE ATTENDANCES
NAME TOYOTA STADIUM
LOCATION FRISCO, TEXAS
INAUGURATION 2005
16,8 16
15,1 15,4 15,5 14,8
CAPACITY 20'500
15
13 14,1 14,1 15,1
12,4 12,9
11,2 10,8
SOCCER-SPECIFIC YES
05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Values in thousands
2829
PLAYER RECRUITMENT STRATEGY - 2020 SQUAD
Club-trained players Players recruited from North America Players recruited from abroad
Location of players' prior club (when not recruited from North America) and average age at the time of recruitment (by region of players' prior club)
UEFA 29.1
USA/CANADA 24.4
OTHER CONCACAF 32.0
Two players
One player
CONMEBOL 25.6
PLAYER SALARIES
9,3 8,8
6,5
5,3 4,8 4,6 4,7
4,1
3,1 2,6 2,7 2,9 3,3
07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
PLAYER STATISTICS
Minutes (as % of the total) played by foreign players Average ages per players' origin
(calculations based on the total minutes played) 29,7
(2015-2020)
27,9
27,2 27,3
26,9 27 27
26,7
68 26,3
62,8
25,9 25,9
49,3 51,8 51,3
47,1 TOTAL SQUAD 25,1 25,1
25,3 25,2
24,9 25
FOREIGN
USA/CAN
23,2
15 16 17 18 19 20 15 16 17 18 19 20
29Governance structures at national association level
DC UNITED
MLS ADMISSION MLS DEBUT ENTRY FEE
1994 1996 USD 5m
CLUB
OWNERSHIP INFO & OWNERS' OTHER HONORS
INVESTMENTS IN SPORTS TEAMS
The club is owned by Jason Levien and Stephen Kaplan. An investor in real estate MLS CUP
and sports and technology-focused businesses, Levien - who previously served as 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004
CEO of NBA's Memphis Grizzlies - was first named a majority owner of DC United
in 2012. Kaplan, the co-founder of Oaktree Capital Group - a global investment SUPPORTERS'
management firm and previously co-chairman of the Memphis Grizzlies - joined SHIELD
him at the helm of the club in 2018. Together, they also led the takeover of Swansea 1997, 1999, 2006, 2007
City (ENG) in 2016.
US OPEN CUP
1996, 2008, 2013
SWANSEA CITY (ENG) CONFERENCE
CHAMPIONS
1996, 1997, 1998,1999, 2004
STADIUM INFO & EVOLUTION OF AVERAGE ATTENDANCES
Move from RFK
Stadium to Audi
NAME AUDI FIELD Field
LOCATION WASHINGTON, D.C.
INAUGURATION 2018
21
19.8
18.2 17.9 17.6 17.7
CAPACITY 20'000
16.7 16.1 17 16.2 17.1
14.5 15.2 13.8 13.6
SOCCER-SPECIFIC YES
05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Values in thousands
3031
PLAYER RECRUITMENT STRATEGY - 2020 SQUAD
Club-trained players Players recruited from North America Players recruited from abroad
Location of players' prior club (when not recruited from North America) and average age at the time of recruitment (by region of players' prior club)
UEFA 25.7
USA/CANADA 28.2
OTHER CONCACAF 24.5 AFC 29.8
Two players
One player
CONMEBOL 25.0
PLAYER SALARIES
9.7 10.2
6.1
4.9 5.3
4.1 3.6 4 4.3
3.3 2.9 3.5
2.3
07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
PLAYER STATISTICS
Minutes (as % of the total) played by foreign players Average ages per players' origin
(2015-2020) (calculations based on the total minutes played)
29,5
29,1 29,1
28,3
28 28,1 28
27,8
27,5 27,6 27,6
27,3
62,1 60,7 63,9 26,8
27
26,7
26,1
TOTAL SQUAD
33,3 30,8 FOREIGN 25,1
24,7
18,3
USA/CAN
15 16 17 18 19 20 15 16 17 18 19 20
15 16 17 18 19 20
31Governance structures at national association level
HOUSTON DYNAMO
MLS ADMISSION MLS DEBUT ENTRY FEE
2005 2006 USD 5m*
*The entry fee reflects the amount paid by the San Jose Clash to join the league in 1996. The franchise was relocated to Houston in 2005.
CLUB
OWNERSHIP INFO & OWNERS' OTHER HONORS
INVESTMENTS IN SPORTS TEAMS
Since December 2015, the club's controlling owner is Gabriel Brener. The CEO of
MLS CUP
Brener International Group - an LA-based private investment firm - is one of just two
2006, 2007
Latino owners in American sports. He is joined at the helm of the club by boxing
champion and Golden Boy Productions CEO Oscar De La Hoya, Stormlight Hol-
US OPEN CUP
dings chairman and CEO Jake Silverstein, White Deer Partners managing partner
2018
Ben Guill and NBA all-star James Harden. Harden's acquisition of a small stake in
the club for USD 15 million in July 2019 reportedly placed the valuation of the fran-
CONFERENCE
chise and its stadium at USD 425 million.
CHAMPIONS
2006, 2007, 2011,2012
SWANSEA CITY (ENG), HOUSTON DASH
STADIUM INFO & EVOLUTION OF AVERAGE ATTENDANCES
Move from Robertson
Stadium to BBVA
NAME BBVA STADIUM Stadium
LOCATION HOUSTON, TEXAS
INAUGURATION 2012
20,8 19,9 20,1 20,7
18,9 19
17 17,3 17,7 17,5 16,9
15,9 16,9 15,7
CAPACITY 22'000
SOCCER-SPECIFIC YES
05
0 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Values in thousands
3233
PLAYER RECRUITMENT STRATEGY - 2020 SQUAD
Club-trained players Players recruited from North America Players recruited from abroad
Location of players' prior club (when not recruited from North America) and average age at the time of recruitment (by region of players' prior club)
UEFA 24.7
USA/CANADA 27.4
OTHER CONCACAF 25.2
Two players
One player
CONMEBOL 22.2
PLAYER SALARIES
8,7
5,9
4,5 5,1 5,1 5
3,5 3,3 3,6
2,4 2,5 2,6 2,6
07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
PLAYER STATISTICS
Minutes (as % of the total) played by foreign players Average ages per players' origin
(2015-2020) (calculations based on the total minutes played)
30,3
29,8
29,4
29 29
80,1 28,6 28,6
73,1 28,2
28,4
65,9 28,1 28,1
65,5 28 27,9 27,8
27,7
TOTAL SQUAD 26,9 26,8
39,4 39,9 26,6
FOREIGN
USA/CAN
15 16 17 18 19 20 15 16 17 18 19 20
33 15 16 17 18 19 20Governance structures at national association level
INTER MIAMI CF
MLS ADMISSION MLS DEBUT ENTRY FEE
2018 2020 USD 25m
CLUB
OWNERSHIP INFO & OWNERS' OTHER HONORS
INVESTMENTS IN SPORTS TEAMS
In addition to David Beckham, who has been the driving force behind the creation
____
of the franchise, Inter Miami's ownership group currently comprises of other four
individuals. Marcelo Claure - a Bolivian-American tech entrepreneur - is the CEO
of SoftBank Group International and COO of SoftBank Group Corporation. The
Mas brothers - Jorge and Jose - are respectively chairman and CEO of MasTec, an
infrastructure engineering and construction company, with more than USD 7 billion
in revenue in 2019. Masayoshi Son - founder and CEO of SoftBank - was recently
named by Forbes the richest person in Japan with an estimated net worth of USD
45.4 billion.
GIRONA CF (ESP), CLUB BOLIVAR (BOL), SALFORD CITY (ENG)
STADIUM INFO & EVOLUTION OF AVERAGE ATTENDANCES
NAME DRV PNK STADIUM
LOCATION FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA
INAUGURATION 2020
CAPACITY 18'000
SOCCER-SPECIFIC YES
* The DRV PNK Stadium will serve as the club's temporary home venue until
completion of the proposed Freedom Park stadium.
05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
3435
PLAYER RECRUITMENT STRATEGY - 2020 SQUAD
Club-trained players Players recruited from North America Players recruited from abroad
Location of players' prior club (when not recruited from North America) and average age at the time of recruitment (by region of players' prior club)
UEFA 29.8
USA/CANADA 28.3
OTHER CONCACAF 27.2
Two players
One player
CONMEBOL 20.9
PLAYER SALARIES
Data on player salaries currently available only until the 2019 MLS season
PLAYER STATISTICS
Minutes (as % of the total) played by foreign players Average ages per players' origin
(2020) (calculations based on the total minutes played)
28,4
27,3
26,4
55,2
TOTAL SQUAD
FOREIGN
USA/CAN
15 16 17 18 19 20
15 16 17 18 19 20
35Governance structures at national association level
LOS ANGELES FC
MLS ADMISSION MLS DEBUT ENTRY FEE
2014 2018 USD 110m
OWNERSHIP INFO & OWNERS' OTHER CLUB
INVESTMENTS IN SPORTS TEAMS HONORS
With 31 owners listed as of March 2021, LAFC has possibly the largest and most
diverse ownership groups across the MLS. The three managing owners are Larry
Berg - the chairman of McGraw-Hill Education - Brandon Beck - a co-founder of SUPPORTERS'
video game developer and e-sports tournament organizer Riot Games - and Ben- SHIELD
nett Rosenthal - a co-founder of Ares Management LP and co-chairman of the Pri- 2019
vate Equity Group. LAFC's ownership group also includes famous sports persona-
lities such as soccer legend Mia Hamm, former professional baseball player Nomar
Garciaparra and NBA all-star Earvin 'Magic' Johnson. The franchise was valued at
more than USD 700 million in February 2020 when Vincent Tan - one of the original
investors in the club - sold half of his shares.
QPR (ENG), ANGEL CITY LOS ANGELES DODGERS
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS, BROOKLYN NETS,
LOS ANGELES SPARKS, NEW YORK LIBERTY
STADIUM INFO & EVOLUTION OF AVERAGE ATTENDANCES
NAME BANC OF CALIFORNIA STADIUM
LOCATION LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
INAUGURATION 2018 22 22,2
CAPACITY 22'000
SOCCER-SPECIFIC YES
05
0 06
0 07
0 08
0 09
0 10
0 11
0 12
0 13
0 14
0 15
0 16
0 17
0 18 19
Values in thousands
3637
PLAYER RECRUITMENT STRATEGY - 2020 SQUAD
Club-trained players Players recruited from North America Players recruited from abroad
Location of players' prior club (when not recruited from North America) and average age at the time of recruitment (by region of players' prior club)
UEFA 28.4
USA/CANADA 25.3
OTHER CONCACAF -
CAF 19.2
Two players
One player
CONMEBOL 22.7
PLAYER SALARIES
14,1 13,8
18 19
PLAYER STATISTICS
Minutes (as % of the total) played by foreign players Average ages per players' origin
(2018-2020) (calculations based on the total minutes played)
28,9
27,7 27,7 27,8
75,5
26,5
26,2
58,4
52,1
TOTAL SQUAD 25,1 25,2
FOREIGN 24,4
USA/CAN
0
15 0
16 0
17 18 19 20 15 16 17 18 19 20
37Governance structures at national association level
LOS ANGELES GALAXY
MLS ADMISSION MLS DEBUT ENTRY FEE
1994 1996 USD 5m
CLUB
HONORS
OWNERSHIP INFO & OWNERS' OTHER
INVESTMENTS IN SPORTS TEAMS
CONCACAF
CHAMPIONS CUP
Since 1998 the club is owned by Philip Anschutz and his Anschutz Entertainment 2000
Group (AEG) - the leading sports and live entertainment company in the world.
AEG played a crucial role in supporting the development of MLS. In 2006, it ope- MLS CUP
rated as many as six out of the ten teams participating in the league. As part of its 2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014
investments in soccer, AEG also co-owns a majority stake in Hammarby IF (SWE)
together with former LA Galaxy star Zlatan Ibrahimovic. SUPPORTERS' SHIELD
1998, 2002, 2010,2011
US OPEN CUP
HAMMARBY IF (SWE) LOS ANGELES LAKERS 2001, 2005
CONFERENCE
LOS ANGELES KINGS, EISBÄREN BERLIN (GER), CHAMPIONS
DJURGÅRDENS (SWE) 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2009,
2011, 2012, 2014
STADIUM INFO & EVOLUTION OF AVERAGE ATTENDANCES
NAME DIGNITY HEALTH SPORTS PARK
LOCATION CARSON, CALIFORNIA
26 25,1
24,2 24,3 23,3 23,1 22,2 23,4 24,4
22,2 23,2
INAUGURATION 2003 20,8 20,4 21,4 21,3
CAPACITY 27'000
SOCCER-SPECIFIC YES
05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Values in thousands
3839
PLAYER RECRUITMENT STRATEGY - 2020 SQUAD
Club-trained players Players recruited from North America Players recruited from abroad
Location of players' prior club (when not recruited from North America) and average age at the time of recruitment (by region of players' prior club)
UEFA 26.0
USA/CANADA 26.5
OTHER CONCACAF 23.9
Two players
One player
CONMEBOL 23.6
PLAYER SALARIES
21,3
19,6
18,1 17,5
14,7
12,7 13,2
12,1
11
9,3 9,2 9,8 9,9
07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
PLAYER STATISTICS
Minutes (as % of the total) played by foreign players Average ages per players' origin
(2015-2020) (calculations based on the total minutes played)
30,8 30,7
30,4
29,3 29,3
28,7
28,3
54,8 55,3 57,8 58,2 28,2
28 28
27,9
51,5 27,6 27,6
41,1 TOTAL SQUAD 27,3 27,3 27,3
26,7
FOREIGN
26,1
USA/CAN
15 16 17 18 19 20 15 16 17 18 19 20
39
15 16 17 18 19 20Governance structures at national association level
MINNESOTA UNITED FC
MLS ADMISSION MLS DEBUT ENTRY FEE
2015 2017 USD 100m
CLUB
OWNERSHIP INFO & OWNERS' OTHER HONORS
INVESTMENTS IN SPORTS TEAMS
The club is controlled by a local ownership group led by Dr. Bill McGuire - a for-
mer CEO of UnitedHealth Group and already owner of NASL's Minnesota United ___
since 2012. McGuire is joined in the MLS project by a group of investors. Amongst
others, these reportedly include Robert and Jim Pohlad - members of a family that
owns more than 30 diverse Minneapolis-based businesses and owners of MLB's
Minnesota Twins, Glen Taylor - owner of the Star Tribune newspaper - and Wendy
Nelson - chair of the Carlson Family Foundation.
MINNESOTA TWINS BOSTON BRUINS
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES*, MINNESOTA LYNX
* As of April 2021, Glen Taylor is reportedly in advanced talks to sell his majority share in the
Minnesota Timberwolves
STADIUM INFO & EVOLUTION OF AVERAGE ATTENDANCES
Move from TCF
Bank Stadium to
NAME ALLIANZ FIELD Allianz Field
LOCATION SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA
INAUGURATION 2019 23,9
20,5 19,7
CAPACITY 19'400
SOCCER-SPECIFIC YES
05
0 06
0 07
0 08
0 09
0 10
0 11
0 12
0 13
0 14
0 15
0 16
0 17 18 19
Values in thousands
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