“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with the Sycuan Tribe to bring Major League Soccer to such a deserving community and legion of San Diego soccer fans,” said Mansour. And in a first for MLS, the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation will become the first Native America tribe to have an ownership stake in an MLS club as part of the $500 million agreement. Also forming part of the team’s ownership is Manny Machado, six-time Major League Baseball All-Star and current member of the San Diego Padres. The MLS’ newest club will be majority-owned by British-Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour. Alex Morgan and her teammates set a single-game attendance record there in the National Women’s Soccer League in September with a sold-out crowd. The 35,000-seat venue, which opened in 2022, is already home to the San Diego Wave FC and has proven to be a popular soccer venue. The expansion club will begin to play in 2025 at Snapdragon Stadium on the campus of San Diego State University. It’s official, San Diego, California has been awarded the 30th Major League Soccer team.
