SafekipediaWestern Conference (MLS)
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The Western Conference is one of the two main groups in Major League Soccer, the top soccer league in the United States and Canada. The other group is called the Eastern Conference. The teams in the Western Conference are mostly located west of the Mississippi River, which runs from the Great Lakes down to the Gulf of Mexico.
Right now, in 2025, there are 15 teams in the Western Conference. These teams have been very successful over the years.
The teams in the Western Conference include Austin, Colorado, Dallas, Houston, LAFC, Galaxy, Minnesota, Portland, Salt Lake, San Diego, San Jose, Seattle, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Vancouver.
2026 standings
Updated to match(es) played on May 17, 2026. Source: MLS
Rules for ranking: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) goal difference; 4) goals scored; 5) fewer discipline points; 6) away goal difference; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goal difference; 9) home goals scored; 10) drawing of lots
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 13 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 10 | +20 | 29 | Qualification for round one and the CONCACAF Champions Cup round one |
| 2 | San Jose Earthquakes | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 31 | 14 | +17 | 29 | Qualification for round one |
| 3 | Real Salt Lake | 13 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 25 | 18 | +7 | 25 | |
| 4 | Seattle Sounders FC | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 10 | +7 | 24 | |
| 5 | FC Dallas | 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 28 | 21 | +7 | 22 | |
| 6 | Houston Dynamo FC | 13 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 22 | −4 | 21 | |
| 7 | Los Angeles FC | 14 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 23 | 17 | +6 | 21 | |
| 8 | Minnesota United FC | 14 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 17 | 21 | −4 | 21 | Qualification for the wild-card round |
| 9 | LA Galaxy | 14 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 19 | |
| 10 | San Diego FC | 14 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 28 | 23 | +5 | 17 | |
| 11 | Colorado Rapids | 14 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 24 | 22 | +2 | 16 | |
| 12 | Portland Timbers | 13 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 21 | 25 | −4 | 14 | |
| 13 | Austin FC | 14 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 19 | 28 | −9 | 14 | |
| 14 | St. Louis City SC | 13 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 20 | −7 | 13 | |
| 15 | Sporting Kansas City | 13 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 13 | 34 | −21 | 11 |
Members
The Western Conference is one of the two groups in Major League Soccer. It has teams west of the Mississippi River, from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico.
As of 2025, there are 15 teams in the Western Conference.
!Western Conference member Eastern Conference member Central Division member
Conference lineups by year
1996 (5 teams)
Changes from 1995: The Major League Soccer began.
1997 (5 teams)
- Colorado Rapids
- Dallas Burn
- Kansas City Wizards
- Los Angeles Galaxy
- San Jose Clash
Changes from 1996: Kansas City changed their name from Wiz to Wizards.
1998–99 (6 teams)
- Chicago Fire
- Colorado Rapids
- Dallas Burn
- Kansas City Wizards
- Los Angeles Galaxy
- San Jose Clash
Changes from 1997: Chicago Fire joined in 1998.
2000–01 (as Western Division) (4 teams)
- Colorado Rapids
- Kansas City Wizards
- Los Angeles Galaxy
- San Jose Earthquakes
Changes from 1999: The Western Conference became the Western Division; Chicago Fire and Dallas Burn moved to the new division; The San Jose Clash changed their name to Earthquakes.
2002–04 (5 teams)
- Colorado Rapids
- Dallas Burn
- Kansas City Wizards
- Los Angeles Galaxy
- San Jose Earthquakes
Changes from 2001: The Western Division became the Western Conference again; Dallas Burn returned from the Central Division.
2005 (6 teams)
- Chivas USA
- Colorado Rapids
- FC Dallas
- Los Angeles Galaxy
- Real Salt Lake
- San Jose Earthquakes
Changes from 2004: Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake joined in 2005; Kansas City Wizards moved to the Eastern Conference; The Dallas Burn changed their name to FC Dallas.
2006–07 (6 teams)
- Chivas USA
- Colorado Rapids
- FC Dallas
- Houston Dynamo
- Los Angeles Galaxy
- Real Salt Lake
Changes from 2005: The San Jose Earthquakes paused; The Houston Dynamo joined the league.
2008 (7 teams)
- Chivas USA
- Colorado Rapids
- FC Dallas
- Houston Dynamo
- Los Angeles Galaxy
- Real Salt Lake
- San Jose Earthquakes
Changes from 2007: The San Jose Earthquakes returned to MLS.
2009–10 (8 teams)
- Chivas USA
- Colorado Rapids
- FC Dallas
- Houston Dynamo
- Los Angeles Galaxy
- Real Salt Lake
- San Jose Earthquakes
- Seattle Sounders FC
Changes from 2008: Seattle Sounders FC joined in 2009.
2011–14 (9 teams)
- Chivas USA
- Colorado Rapids
- FC Dallas
- Los Angeles Galaxy
- Portland Timbers
- Real Salt Lake
- San Jose Earthquakes
- Seattle Sounders FC
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Changes from 2010: The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC joined in 2011; Houston Dynamo moved to the Eastern Conference.
2015–16 (10 teams)
- Colorado Rapids
- FC Dallas
- Houston Dynamo
- Los Angeles Galaxy
- Portland Timbers
- Real Salt Lake
- San Jose Earthquakes
- Seattle Sounders FC
- Sporting Kansas City
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Changes from 2014: Chivas USA stopped playing; Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo moved in from the Eastern Conference.
2017 (11 teams)
- Colorado Rapids
- FC Dallas
- Houston Dynamo
- Los Angeles Galaxy
- Minnesota United FC
- Portland Timbers
- Real Salt Lake
- San Jose Earthquakes
- Seattle Sounders FC
- Sporting Kansas City
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Changes from 2016: Minnesota United FC joined in 2017.
2018–19 (12 teams)
- Colorado Rapids
- FC Dallas
- Houston Dynamo
- LA Galaxy
- Los Angeles FC
- Minnesota United FC
- Portland Timbers
- Real Salt Lake
- San Jose Earthquakes
- Seattle Sounders FC
- Sporting Kansas City
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Changes from 2017: Los Angeles FC joined in 2018.
2020 (12 teams)
- Colorado Rapids
- FC Dallas
- Houston Dynamo
- LA Galaxy
- Los Angeles FC
- Minnesota United FC
- Portland Timbers
- Real Salt Lake
- San Jose Earthquakes
- Seattle Sounders FC
- Sporting Kansas City
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Changes from 2019: Nashville SC joined in 2020 but moved to the Eastern Conference.
2021 (13 teams)
- Austin FC
- Colorado Rapids
- FC Dallas
- Houston Dynamo FC
- LA Galaxy
- Los Angeles FC
- Minnesota United FC
- Portland Timbers
- Real Salt Lake
- San Jose Earthquakes
- Seattle Sounders FC
- Sporting Kansas City
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Changes from 2020: Nashville SC moved to the Eastern Conference; Austin FC joined in 2021; Houston Dynamo added "FC" to their name.
2022 (14 teams)
- Austin FC
- Colorado Rapids
- FC Dallas
- Houston Dynamo FC
- LA Galaxy
- Los Angeles FC
- Minnesota United FC
- Nashville SC
- Portland Timbers
- Real Salt Lake
- San Jose Earthquakes
- Seattle Sounders FC
- Sporting Kansas City
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Change from 2021: Nashville SC moved in from the Eastern Conference.
2023–24 (14 teams)
- Austin FC
- Colorado Rapids
- FC Dallas
- Houston Dynamo FC
- LA Galaxy
- Los Angeles FC
- Minnesota United FC
- Portland Timbers
- Real Salt Lake
- San Jose Earthquakes
- Seattle Sounders FC
- Sporting Kansas City
- St. Louis City SC
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Changes from 2022: Nashville SC moved back to the Eastern Conference; St. Louis City SC joined the Western Conference.
2025–26 (15 teams)
- Austin FC
- Colorado Rapids
- FC Dallas
- Houston Dynamo FC
- LA Galaxy
- Los Angeles FC
- Minnesota United FC
- Portland Timbers
- Real Salt Lake
- San Diego FC
- San Jose Earthquakes
- Seattle Sounders FC
- Sporting Kansas City
- St. Louis City SC
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Changes from 2024: San Diego FC joined in 2025.
Western Conference playoff champions by year
Note: The conference finals were a best-of-three series through 2001. In 2002, draws were allowed and the team with the most points advanced. From 2003 through 2011, the Finals were a single match. Beginning in 2012, the finals became a two-match series. In 2019, the playoffs returned to a single match, hosted by the higher placed team in the regular season.
From 2015 to 2021, the Western Conference was represented in the MLS Cup by either Seattle Sounders FC or the Portland Timbers.
E – Eastern Conference team.
Western Conference Champion counts by team
As of the 2025 season, sixteen different teams have competed in the Western Conference finals, and thirteen have won at least once. Chivas USA, Nashville SC, and St. Louis City SC have never made it to the Western Conference finals.
| Club | Appearances | Wins | Losses | Most recent Year of Appearance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA Galaxy | 11 | 8 | 3 | 2024 |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| Houston Dynamo FC | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2023 |
| Sporting Kansas City | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2007 |
| Colorado Rapids | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2016 |
| FC Dallas | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2015 |
| Real Salt Lake | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2013 |
| Portland Timbers | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2021 |
| New York Red Bulls (Eastern Conference team) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2008 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2003 |
| Chicago Fire FC (now in Eastern Conference) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1998 |
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2025 |
| Minnesota United FC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2020 |
| Los Angeles FC | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2023 |
| Austin FC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2022 |
| San Diego FC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2025 |
Western Conference regular season champions by year
Since 2013, the winner of each conference has qualified for the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
^ – MLS did not have draws until the 2000 season.
† – The LA Galaxy were declared winners of the Western Division in 2001 after some games were stopped. The MLS Cup playoffs began on September 20.
MLS West at the MLS All-Star Game
Further information: MLS All-Star Game
In some years, the best players from the Western Conference played against the best players from the Eastern Conference in the Major League Soccer All-Star Game. The Western Conference team won once, tied once, and lost four times in these games.
Related articles
This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Western Conference (MLS), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.