List of MLS Cup finals
Team Total appearances Wins Most recent win Runners-up Most recent loss
Los Angeles Galaxy 9 5 2014 4 2009
D.C. United 5 4 2004 1 1998
New England Revolution 5 0 - 5 2014
Houston Dynamo 4 2 2007 2 2012
Sporting Kansas City 3 2 2013 1 2004
Seattle Sounders FC 3 2 2019 1 2017
Chicago Fire 3 1 1998 2 2003
San Jose Earthquakes 2 2 2003 0 -
Colorado Rapids 2 1 2010 1 1997
Columbus Crew SC 2 1 2008 1 2015
Real Salt Lake 2 1 2009 1 2013
Toronto FC 3 1 2017 2 2019
Portland Timbers 2 1 2015 1 2018
Atlanta United FC 1 1 2018 0 -
FC Dallas 1 0 - 1 2010
New York Red Bulls 1 0 - 1 2008
Results by team
As of 2019 [ update ] , 16 of the league 's 24 teams have appeared at an MLS Cup final , and thirteen have won a championship . [ 20 ] The Los Angeles Galaxy has appeared at and won the MLS Cup the most times , with five championships in nine appearances . The New England Revolution has appeared five times as a finalist , but has not won an MLS Cup . [ 21 ] The Chicago Fire won the MLS Cup in their inaugural season in 1998 , a feat unmatched by any other expansion team in a major U.S. sports league . [ 20 ]
The MLS Cup is the annual championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-level men's soccer league for the United States and Canada. The match marks the conclusion of the MLS Cup Playoffs, a four-round knockout competition contested by the top six teams from each of the league's two conferences. The playoffs tournament is organized by the league at the end of the regular season in a format similar to other professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada, but unlike other soccer leagues. The league also awards the Supporters' Shield to teams that have the most points during the regular season. Both the MLS Cup champion and Supporters' Shield winner qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League, contested by the champions of CONCACAF leagues in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. First contested in 1996, the MLS Cup was originally hosted by a predetermined neutral site selected by the league before the regular season. Since the 2012 edition, the match has been hosted by the remaining team with the highest regular season standing. The final, originally contested in October, was moved to November and later December as the length of the regular season and playoffs were extended by the league. The playoffs originally allowed for lower-ranked seeds, known as wild cards, to be placed into different sides of the bracket regardless of their actual conference. As a result, several MLS Cups have featured two teams from the same conference. Seattle Sounders FC are the reigning cup-holders, having defeated Toronto FC in the 2019 final, the third edition in four years to feature the two teams. The Los Angeles Galaxy hold the record for most MLS Cup titles, having won five times in nine appearances.