Major League Soccer coming to San Diego
Sports mad Southern California has another reason to cheer.
San Diego is getting a Major League Soccer team.
Last month MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced the league’s 30th team will debut in San Diego in 2025.
The team is expected to be named the San Diego Football Club or Football Club of San Diego.
It will play at Snapdragon Stadium, a 35,000-seat venue at San Diego State University’s Mission Valley campus.
The owners include Egyptian businessman Mohamed Mansour and San Diego Padres star Manny Machado.
Also backing the franchise is the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation, which becomes the first tribe to co-own a professional soccer team.
“Major League Soccer will draw visitors who will stay in hotels, dine out, visit our attractions and support local businesses,” said Julie Coker, CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority.
“Establishing a new MLS team leads to out-of-town visitors, which leads to jobs, tax revenue and overall visitor spend.”
The Snapdragon Stadium opened last year and has become a popular sports and entertainment center.
It hosts concerts and is home to SDSU Aztecs football, the San Diego Wave FC and the San Diego Legion.
This summer, the stadium will host a high-profile exhibition match between Manchester United and Wrexham AFC on July 25.
It will also host the 20th edition of MexTour on June 10, when the Mexican Men’s National Team takes on Cameroon.
The Concacaf Gold Cup will also take place at Snapdragon on July 12.
MLS joins an already impressive sporting lineup in San Diego.
It is home to the San Diego Padres (MLB), the San Diego Wave FC (National Women’s Soccer League), the San Diego Loyal (United Soccer League), the San Diego Legion (Major League Rugby) and the San Diego Gulls (American Hockey League).
The San Diego Tourism Authority helps drive visitor demand to the San Diego region. Tourism is the second largest segment of the economy and employs around 200,000 people.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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