Los Angeles FC
Overview
Los Angeles FC (abbreviated LAFC) is a professional soccer club in Major League Soccer's (MLS) Western Conference, based in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its founding plan was announced in 2014 and the club officially joined MLS in 2018; despite its short history, it has won the Supporters' Shield twice (2019, 2022) and the MLS Cup once (2022), growing into one of the league's representative powerhouses. The club's ownership group includes a broad range of sports and entertainment figures such as Peter Guber, Magic Johnson, and Will Ferrell.
Main Content
Founding Background and History
LAFC was officially announced as an MLS expansion club in October 2014. The plan was built on establishing a second MLS club in the Los Angeles area, following the old Los Angeles Galaxy that relocated to Houston in 2002. In its first season in 2018 it immediately entered the upper ranks of the Western Conference, and in 2019 it pulled off an upset by winning the Supporters' Shield in only its second year of existence. It continued to maintain playoff competitiveness thereafter, and in 2022 it lifted its first trophy by defeating the Philadelphia Union on penalties in the MLS Cup final.
Home Stadium and Infrastructure
Its home ground is BMO Stadium (named Banc of California Stadium at the time of opening), built near Exposition Park in Los Angeles. It is a soccer-specific stadium with a capacity of about 22,000, characterized by spectator seating placed very close to the pitch, and is regarded as one of the venues with the most passionate atmosphere in MLS. The club uses a performance center located near the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as its training facility.
Major Results
- 2019: Supporters' Shield champions, U.S. Open Cup runners-up
- 2020: CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals
- 2022: MLS Cup champions, Supporters' Shield champions
- 2023: CONCACAF Champions League runners-up, MLS Cup runners-up, Campeones Cup runners-up
- 2024: U.S. Open Cup champions
Representative Players
In the early years of the club, Mexico international Carlos Vela starred as the franchise player, winning both the league MVP and the Golden Boot. Afterwards, Denis Bouanga led the team's attack, contending for the league scoring title in consecutive years in 2023 and 2024, while goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau and defender Ryan Hollingshead featured as key players. In the summer of 2025, Son Heung-min, who transferred from Tottenham Hotspur, joined the club and drew attention from across MLS.
Rivals and Supporters
Its matchup with the LA Galaxy, which shares the same city, is 'El Tráfico,' MLS's biggest rivalry derby. Matches between the two teams contend for the league's highest attendance records every year, and the cheering competition between the two clubs' supporter groups is also famous. LAFC's representative supporter group is the 3252, which carries out organized support centered on the north stand of the stadium.
Club Operating Philosophy
LAFC is known for its strategy of actively utilizing data analysis and scouting networks to discover undervalued players from South America and Europe's second divisions. It has also built a model that consistently maintains competitiveness even under the league's salary cap regulations through a balance of signings and departures.
Latest Trends
Having added another trophy with the 2024 U.S. Open Cup title, LAFC set about reorganizing its attack for the 2025 season. Above all, when Son Heung-min left Tottenham and joined LAFC in August 2025, it was evaluated as one of the largest transfers in MLS history, and the commercial ripple effects were also significant, including an influx of subscribers to Apple TV, which holds the league's broadcasting rights, and a surge in jersey sales. The club has set its goals on reclaiming the MLS Cup and challenging for the top of the CONCACAF Champions League, centered on an attacking line led by Son Heung-min and Bouanga. Meanwhile, ahead of the 2026 North American World Cup, MLS is seeing both its league profile and attendance rising together, and LAFC is counted among the clubs at the center of that trend. Under head coach Steve Cherundolo, the squad management combining young prospects and veterans is a major point of interest for the 2025–2026 season.
Related Topics
- [[Major League Soccer]]
- [[Son Heung-min]]
- [[LA Galaxy]]
- [[Carlos Vela]]
- [[BMO Stadium]]