With the likes of F.C. Cincinnati and Inter Miami C.F. joining the MLS in recent seasons as expansion teams, The United States’ premier soccer league is going through a major period of expansion as well as renewal.
At the moment, there are seven franchises that are in the process of building privately funded stadiums. This move diverts significantly from the approach of other major American sports leagues, all of whom tend to raise money through the public.
One team that is going through a major transition is F.C. Cincinnati, a club founded in 2015 as a minor-league team. Having attracted more than 17,000 fans to its games on a regular basis, the club was approached by the MLS to become a franchise. Now, this team is in the process of building their 550,000-square-foot, 26,000-seat stadium for the 2021 season.
In order to construct the stadium, F.C. Cincinnati received $35 million from the city for infrastructure as well as the support of neighborhood residents. Overall, the stadium is costing $250 million to build.
Inter Miami C.F., the latest edition to the MLS lineup, is in the midst of building a privately funded $60 million stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with 18,000 seating capacity.
Long established franchises that are also constructing new stadiums include Austin F.C. and Columbus Crew S.C.
