Seattle Sounders among the most valuable team in MLS, according to Forbes

If you are a fan of Major League Soccer (MLS), you might be curious about which teams are the most valuable in the league. Forbes magazine publishes an annual ranking of the best franchises in terms of valuation, based on various financial metrics such as revenue, operating income, and transaction data. In this post, we will look at the latest Forbes list of the most valuable MLS clubs, which was released in February 2024, after the 2023 Major League Soccer season.

LAFC remains the most valuable club in MLS, topping the ranking. Inter Miami, however, made a huge leap from 11th place in 2023 to second place in 2024, becoming the second team to be worth more than a billion dollars. LA Galaxy slipped from second to third place on the 2024 list. Similarly, Atlanta United and New York City FC stayed in the top five but moved down one spot each.

One of the biggest leaps in the ranking of the most valuable MLS clubs was made by the Seattle Sounders, who climbed to the sixth spot. Last year, they were ranked eighth, trailing behind DC United, Toronto and Austin. The club's value increased from $660M in 2023 to $785M in 2024. The revenue also rose from $66M in the 2022 season to $75M in the previous season, placing them seventh in the league.

Here is the top five of the MLS:

1. Los Angeles Football Club - $1.2 billion

Aug 2, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; LAFC forward Denis Bouanga (99) celebrates with fans after / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

2023 Revenue: $140 million
Operating Income: $9 million
1-Year Change: +20%
Key Owners: Bennett Rosenthal, Brandon Beck, Larry Berg, Peter Guber
MLS regular season: third in the western conference.
MLS playoffs: Lost the MLS Cup final to Columbus Crew
Concacaf Champions League: Lost the final to Club Leon-MX

2. Inter Miami CF - $1.03 billion

Aug 23, 2023; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) walks on the field after / Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

2023 Revenue: $118 million
Operating Income: $8 million
1-Year Change: +72%
Key Owners: Jorge Mas, Jose Mas, David Beckham
MLS regular season: 14th place in the eastern conference
MLS playoffs: missed
Leagues Cup: champion
US Open Cup: Lost the final to Houston Dynamo

3. LA Galaxy - $950 million

Sep 16, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Riqui Puig (6) keeps the / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

2023 Revenue: $95 million
Operating Income: $3 million
1-Year Change: +3%
Key Owners: Philip Anschutz
MLS regular season: 13th place in the western conference
MLS playoffs: missed

4. Atlanta United FC - $900 million

Oct 21, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Atlanta United FC midfielder Thiago Almada (10) dribbles / Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

2023 Revenue: $95 million
Operating Income: $9 million
1-Year Change: +6%

Key Owners: Arthur Blank
MLS regular season: sixth in the eastern conference
MLS playoffs: Lost Columbus Crew in the round one of

5. New York City FC - No. 5. $850 million

Nov 10, 2023; Lauderdale, FL, USA; New York City forward Talles Magno (43) kicks the ball past Inter / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

2023 Revenue: $70 million
Operating Income: -$9 million
1-Year Change: +6%

Key Owners: City Football Group (Sheikh Mansour)
MLS regular season: 11th place in the western conference
MLS playoffs: missed

FC Cincinnati, the 2023 Supporter's Shield champion, ranks 14th on the list with a value of $650M. The 2023 MLS Cup champion, Columbus Crew, follows closely with a value of $640M. Houston Dynamo, the 2023 US Open Cup champion, is 20th on the list, valued at $530M.

What about the Cascadia rivals? The Portland Timbers ranked 13th, with a value of $660M. And the Vancouver Whitecaps came in 28th, the second lowest, with a value of $420M.

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Seattle Sounders among the most valuable teams in MLS, according to Forbes

By Paulo Alves Jr. | Feb 14, 2024