San Diego FC

San Diego was awarded MLS's 30th franchise in May 2023, culminating years of efforts to bring top-flight professional soccer to America's eighth-largest city. The ownership group is unlike any other in MLS: the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, a tribal nation indigenous to the San Diego region, partnered with the Right to Dream organization, which operates an acclaimed soccer academy network in Ghana and Denmark. The combination brings both local roots and global soccer expertise.

The club's identity draws on San Diego's unique position as a border city with deep ties to both American and Mexican soccer cultures. The large Mexican-American population in the region, combined with the proximity to Tijuana and Club Tijuana of Liga MX, creates a passionate soccer market that MLS has long coveted. San Diego FC's branding and outreach reflect this bicultural identity.

Preparations for the 2025 inaugural season included building out the club's front office, establishing a player development pipeline, and planning for a soccer-specific stadium that would give San Diego FC a permanent home. The club's ambition is to become not just a successful MLS franchise, but a bridge between the American and Mexican soccer ecosystems.