On Thursday morning, Major League Soccer will unveil an all-new expansion team in sunny San Diego at the Snapdragon Stadium.
Besides the MLS Commissioner, Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour and Sycuan Tribe Chairman, Cody Martinez, are attending the kickoff event of the new San Diego team.
Major League Soccer's Expanded Team
Per the NBC affiliate in San Diego, the league is set to formally introduce the new expansion franchise in the sunny city, adding yet another exciting chapter to the city's rich sports legacy.
San Diego has long been a hotbed for athletic passion, with avid fans embracing their beloved Padres and Chargers. While the latter is technically based in Greater Los Angeles, most of their fans are from San Diego. This time, they are about to have a soccer team as the city joins the MLS.
In other words, the arrival of the all-new soccer franchise is expected to solidify San Diego's position as a sports mecca.
According to CBS Sports, California already has several soccer teams, including the San Jose Earthquakes, Los Angeles Galaxy, and the Los Angeles Football Club (FC). With the new addition from San Diego, the state will now have more MLS franchises than Texas, which currently holds the top spot in the league's most teams.
On Thursday, California is set to dethrone Texas as the home of the most MLS franchise thanks to the new San Diego expansion team.
The new franchise will play in the league in the 2025 MLS season. Its home field is none other than the Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley. It is worth noting that the stadium could accommodate up to 35,000 soccer fans. Once the team officially joins MLS, it will be the 30th franchise in the league.
Fox 5 San Diego reports that it remains to be seen how the new soccer club in San Diego will affect the San Diego Loyal, which plays in the USL Championship league.
Egyptian Billionaire Mohamed Mansour to Buy Expansion Rights
The Egyptian billionaire and Tory treasurer Mansour is expected to spend $500 million to buy the expansion right in San Diego. The mouth-watering franchise fee is reportedly the highest-ever amount paid for an MLS soccer club. NBC Sports notes that Charlotte FC was only worth $325 million.
With that, Mansour is set to be a majority owner of the all-new expansion franchise in California. Apart from the Egyptian billionaire, the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation also sits as the team's co-owner.
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