The Western Conference is one of the two Major League Soccer conferences, along with the Eastern Conference. The division of the conferences broadly follows the path of the Mississippi River from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, with clubs on, or west of the river in the Western Conference.
As of 2025, the Western Conference contains 15 teams. The conference has produced 11 Supporters' Shield champions and 18 MLS Cup winners in Major League Soccer's first 29 seasons. In 2000 and 2001, the conference was referred to as the Western Division when Major League Soccer briefly reorganized into three divisions.
2026 standings
Members
Current Team City StadiumAustin FCAustin, TexasQ2 StadiumColorado RapidsCommerce City, ColoradoDick's Sporting Goods ParkFC DallasFrisco, TexasToyota StadiumHouston Dynamo FCHouston, TexasShell Energy StadiumLA GalaxyCarson, CaliforniaDignity Health Sports ParkLos Angeles FCLos Angeles, CaliforniaBMO Stadium Minnesota United FC Saint Paul, Minnesota Allianz FieldPortland TimbersPortland, OregonProvidence ParkReal Salt LakeSandy, UtahAmerica First FieldSan Diego FCSan Diego, CaliforniaSnapdragon StadiumSan Jose EarthquakesSan Jose, CaliforniaPayPal ParkSeattle Sounders FCSeattle, WashingtonLumen FieldSporting Kansas CityKansas City, KansasSporting Park St. Louis City SC St. Louis, Missouri Energizer ParkVancouver Whitecaps FCVancouver, British ColumbiaBC Place
Timeline
Conference lineups by year
1996 (5 teams)
Changes from 1995: Creation of the Major League Soccer.
1997 (5 teams)
Changes from 1996: Kansas City changed their name from Wiz to Wizards.
1998–99 (6 teams)
Changes from 1997: Chicago Fire was added in the 1998 expansion.
2000–01 (as Western Division) (4 teams)
Changes from 1999: The Western Conference renamed itself the Western Division upon the creation of the Central Division; Chicago Fire and Dallas Burn moved into the new division; The San Jose Clash renamed to the Earthquakes.
2002–04 (5 teams)
Changes from 2001: The Western Division renamed back to Western Conference following the contraction of the Miami Fusion and the Tampa Bay Mutiny, resulting in the disbanding of the Central Division; Dallas Burn moved in from the Central Division.
2005 (6 teams)
Changes from 2004: Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake were added in the 2005 expansion; Kansas City Wizards moved to the Eastern Conference; The Dallas Burn renamed to FC Dallas.
2006–07 (6 teams)
Changes from 2005: The San Jose Earthquakes was put on hiatus; The Houston Dynamo joined the league as an expansion franchise.
2008 (7 teams)
Changes from 2007: The San Jose Earthquakes return to MLS after its hiatus.
2009–10 (8 teams)
Changes from 2008: Seattle Sounders FC was added in the 2009 expansion.
2011–14 (9 teams)
Changes from 2010: The Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC were added in the 2011 expansion; Houston Dynamo moved to the Eastern Conference.
2015–16 (10 teams)
Changes from 2014: Chivas USA ceases operations; Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo move in from the Eastern Conference.
2017 (11 teams)
Changes from 2016: Minnesota United FC was added in the 2017 expansion.
2018–19 (12 teams)
Changes from 2017: Los Angeles FC was added in the 2018 expansion.
2020 (12 teams)
Changes from 2019: Nashville SC was added in the 2020 expansion, but moved to the Eastern Conference since the MLS is Back Tournament up to the end of the 2020 season.
2021 (13 teams)
Changes from 2020: Nashville SC moved to the Eastern Conference; Austin FC was added in the 2021 expansion; Houston Dynamo added "FC" to their name.
2022 (14 teams)
Change from 2021: Nashville SC moved in from the Eastern Conference.
2023–24 (14 teams)
Changes from 2022: Nashville SC moved back to the Eastern Conference as expansion side St. Louis City SC was added to the Western Conference.
2025–26 (15 teams)
Changes from 2024: San Diego FC was added in the 2025 expansion.
Western Conference playoff champions by year Note: The conference finals were a best-of-three series through 2001 (including the MLS semifinals in 2000 and 2001, when a conference playoff format was not used). Matches tied after regulation were decided by a shoot-out. In 2002, a similar format was used except that draws were allowed and the team earning the most points advanced. From 2003 through 2011, the Finals were a single match. Matches tied after regulation went to extra time (Golden goal extra time was implemented for 2003 only), then a shoot-out if necessary. Beginning in 2012, the finals were a two-match aggregate series. The away goals rule for series that finished even on aggregate was first implemented in 2014. Extra time and shoot-outs were used if necessary, although away goals did not apply in extra time. In 2019, the playoffs returned to a single match, single elimination format (including the conference finals), which were 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.
BoldMLS Cup champions Season Champions Score Runners-up1996LA Galaxy2 matches to 0Kansas City Wizards1997Colorado Rapids2 matches to 0Dallas Burn1998Chicago Fire2 matches to 0LA Galaxy1999LA Galaxy2 matches to 1Dallas Burn2000No conference playoffs2001No conference playoffs2002No conference playoffs2003San Jose Earthquakes3–2 Kansas City Wizards2004Kansas City Wizards2–0LA Galaxy2005LA Galaxy2–0Colorado Rapids2006Houston Dynamo 3–1Colorado Rapids2007Houston Dynamo2–0Kansas City Wizards2008New York Red BullsE1–0Real Salt Lake2009LA Galaxy 2–0 Houston Dynamo2010FC Dallas3–0LA Galaxy2011LA Galaxy 3–1Real Salt Lake2012LA Galaxy4–2 agg.Seattle Sounders FC2013Real Salt Lake 5–2 agg.Portland Timbers2014LA Galaxy2–2 agg. (a)Seattle Sounders FC2015Portland Timbers5–3 agg.FC Dallas2016Seattle Sounders FC3–1 agg.Colorado Rapids2017Seattle Sounders FC5–0 agg.Houston Dynamo2018Portland Timbers3–2 agg.Sporting Kansas City2019Seattle Sounders FC3–1Los Angeles FC2020Seattle Sounders FC3–2Minnesota United FC2021Portland Timbers2–0Real Salt Lake2022Los Angeles FC3–0Austin FC2023Los Angeles FC2–0Houston Dynamo FC2024LA Galaxy1–0Seattle Sounders FC2025Vancouver Whitecaps FC3–1San Diego FC E – Eastern Conference team.
Western Conference Champion counts by team As of the 2025 season, a total of sixteen different teams have competed in the Western Conference finals, and thirteen of those teams have won at least once. In the table below, teams are ordered first by the number of appearances in a Western Conference finals, then by the number of wins, and finally by year. Note that this table does not include years that a Western Conference team appeared in the Eastern Conference in the playoffs (such as 2010), and it does include appearances by Eastern Conference teams. Chivas USA (defunct), Nashville SC, and St. Louis City SC and have never made it to the Western Conference finals.
ClubAppearancesWinsLossesMost recent Year of AppearanceLA Galaxy11832024Seattle Sounders FC7432024Houston Dynamo FC5232023Sporting Kansas City5142007Colorado Rapids4132016FC Dallas4132015Real Salt Lake4132013Portland Timbers4312021New York Red Bulls (Eastern Conference team)1102008San Jose Earthquakes1102003Chicago Fire FC (now in Eastern Conference)1101998Vancouver Whitecaps FC1102025Minnesota United FC1012020Los Angeles FC3212023Austin FC1012022San Diego FC1012025
Western Conference regular season champions by year Since 2013, the winner of each conference has qualified for the CONCACAF Champions Cup. BoldSupporters' Shield champions Year Team Record (W–L–T) (GD) Playoffs result1996 LA Galaxy (+10) 1997Kansas City Wizards 21–11–0^ (+6) Lost conference semifinals1998LA Galaxy 24–8–0^ (+41) 1999LA Galaxy 20–12–0^ (+20) 2000Kansas City Wizards 16–7–9 (+18) 2001LA Galaxy† 14–7–5 (+16) 2002LA Galaxy 16–9–3 (+11) 2003San Jose Earthquakes 14–7–9 (+10) 2004Kansas City Wizards 14–9–7 (+8) 2005San Jose Earthquakes 18–4–10 (+22) Lost conference semifinals2006FC Dallas 16–12–4 (+4) Lost conference semifinals2007Chivas USA 15–7–8 (+18) Lost conference semifinals2008Houston Dynamo 13–5–12 (+13) Lost conference semifinals2009LA Galaxy 12–6–12 (+5) 2010LA Galaxy 18–7–5 (+18) 2011LA Galaxy 19–5–10 (+20) 2012San Jose Earthquakes 19–6–9 (+29) Lost conference semifinals2013Portland Timbers 14–5–15 (+21) 2014Seattle Sounders FC 20–10–4 (+15) 2015FC Dallas 18–10–6 (+13) 2016FC Dallas 17–8–9 (+10) Lost conference semifinals2017Portland Timbers 15–11–8 (+10) Lost conference semifinals2018Sporting Kansas City 18–8–8 (+25) 2019Los Angeles FC 21–4–9 (+48) 2020Sporting Kansas City 12–6–3 (+13) Lost conference semifinals2021Colorado Rapids 17–7–10 (+16) Lost conference semifinals2022Los Angeles FC 21–9–4 (+28) 2023St. Louis City SC 17–12–5 (+17) Lost first round2024Los Angeles FC 19–7–8 (+20) Lost conference semifinals2025San Diego FC 19–9–6 (+23) Lost conference finals
^ – MLS did not have draws until the 2000 season. † – The LA Galaxy were declared winners of the Western Division in 2001 after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks forced the cancellation of the rest of the regular season. The MLS Cup playoffs began on September 20.
MLS West at the MLS All-Star Game
In 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2004, the Major League Soccer All-Star Game was contested between an all-star team from the Western Conference against an all-star team from the Eastern Conference. In total, the MLS West all-star team has 1 win, 1 draw, and 4 losses against the east.
+Yearly resultsYearResultScoreSeries1996Lost2–3East 1–0–01997Lost4–5East 2–0–01999Won6–4East 2–1–02000Lost4–9East 3–1–02001Tied6–6East 3–1–12004Lost2–3East 4–1–1
See also Eastern Conference (MLS) Central Division (MLS)
References
External links Complete MLS History