Forbes MLS Valuations 2026

Discussion in 'MLS: News & Analysis' started by Paul Berry, Feb 16, 2026.

  1. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Team, Valuation, Revenue, Operating Income (P/Ll)

    Inter Miami CF, $1.35 Billion, $205 Million, $58 Million
    LAFC, $1.32 Billion, $158 Million, $14 Million
    LA Galaxy, $1.08 Billion, $108 Million, $5 Million
    New York City FC, $1.02 Billion, $85 Million, -$6 Million
    Atlanta United, $1.00 Billion, $112 Million, $12 Million
    Seattle Sounders, $860 Million, $102 Million, $6 Million
    Austin FC, $840 Million, $94 Million, $5 Million
    Columbus Crew, $780 Million, $82 Million, -$4 Million
    D.C. United, $775 Million, $92 Million, $11 Million
    FC Cincinnati, $760 Million, $80 Million, $4 Million
    Toronto FC, $720 Million, $74 Million, -$10 Million
    Charlotte FC, $710 Million, $84 Million, $6 Million
    Philadelphia Union, $705 Million, $76 Million, -$5 Million
    St. Louis City SC, $695 Million, $72 Million, $2 Million
    San Diego FC, $680 Million, $65 Million, -$15 Million
    Nashville SC, $660 Million, $70 Million, $1 Million
    Portland Timbers, $655 Million, $68 Million, -$2 Million
    New York Red Bulls, $630 Million, $62 Million, -$6 Million
    Minnesota United, $615 Million, $60 Million, -$12 Million
    San Jose Earthquakes, $605 Million, $58 Million, -$3 Million
    Sporting Kansas City, $600 Million, $56 Million, -$4 Million
    Houston Dynamo FC, $590 Million, $55 Million, -$5 Million
    FC Dallas, $575 Million, $54 Million, -$8 Million
    New England Revolution, $560 Million, $58 Million, $4 Million
    Orlando City SC, $540 Million, $52 Million, -$3 Million
    Real Salt Lake, $530 Million, $51 Million, -$2 Million
    Chicago Fire FC, $525 Million, $49 Million, -$10 Million
    Vancouver Whitecaps, $460 Million, $44 Million, -$8 Million
    CF Montréal, $450 Million, $46 Million, -$7 Million
    Colorado Rapids, $430 Million, $42 Million, -$9 Million
     
    AZUL GALAXY, SetPeace, chrayatl and 2 others repped this.
  2. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Inter Miami CF: $205M
    LAFC: $158M
    Atlanta United: $112M
    LA Galaxy: $108M
    Seattle Sounders: $102M
    Austin FC: $94M
    D.C. United: $92M
    New York City FC: $85M
    Charlotte FC: $84M
    Columbus Crew: $82M
    FC Cincinnati: $80M
    Philadelphia Union: $76M
    Toronto FC: $74M
    St. Louis City SC: $72M
    Nashville SC: $70M
    Portland Timbers: $68M
    San Diego FC: $65M
    New York Red Bulls: $62M
    Minnesota United: $60M
    San Jose Earthquakes: $58M
    New England Revolution: $58M
    Sporting Kansas City: $56M
    Houston Dynamo FC: $55M
    FC Dallas: $54M
    Orlando City SC: $52M
    Real Salt Lake: $51M
    Chicago Fire FC: $49M
    CF Montréal: $46M
    Vancouver Whitecaps: $44M
    Colorado Rapids: $42M
    Total Combined Revenue: $2,405,000,000 ($2.405 Billion)
     
    SetPeace repped this.
  3. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Combined operating income +$61 million

    • Profitable Teams (Total $134M): * Inter Miami ($58M), LAFC ($14M), Atlanta United ($12M), D.C. United ($11M), Seattle ($6M), Charlotte ($6M), LA Galaxy ($5M), Austin ($5M), FC Cincinnati ($4M), New England ($4M), St. Louis ($2M), Nashville ($1M), Orlando ($0M - break even).
    • Teams with Operating Losses (Total -$73M): * San Diego (-$15M), Minnesota (-$12M), Toronto (-$10M), Chicago (-$10M), Colorado (-$9M), FC Dallas (-$8M), Vancouver (-$8M), CF Montréal (-$7M), NYCFC (-$6M), NY Red Bulls (-$6M), Houston (-$5M), Philadelphia (-$5M), Columbus (-$4M), Sporting KC (-$4M), San Jose (-$3M), Orlando (-$3M), Real Salt Lake (-$2M), Portland (-$2M).
     
    SetPeace and chrayatl repped this.
  4. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    SetPeace repped this.
  5. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  6. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  7. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  8. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Average MLS team valuation

    2013 $103 M —
    2015 $157 M +52% (2-yr)
    2016 $185 M +18%
    2017 $223 M +21%
    2018 $240 M +8%
    2019 $313 M +30%
    2021 $550 M +76% (2-yr)
    2023 $579 M +5% (2-yr)
    2024 $658 M +14%
    2025 $690 M +5%
    2026 $731 M +6%
     
    SetPeace repped this.
  9. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Forbes report, Teams, Combined operating income

    2016 20 -$63 M
    2019 24 -$105 M
    2021 27 -$120 M
    2024 29 -$95 M
    2025 29 +$2 M
    2026 30 +$9 M
     
    Allez RSL repped this.
  10. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Oh look, the yearly article of made up numbers that far too many people take as settled fact...
     
    Minnman, FoxBoro 143 and Egbert Sousé repped this.
  11. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It's all relative.

    And as far as I know the revenue numbers are real, if limited in scope.
     
  12. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    Raleigh NC
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You’ve got DC and Atlanta wrong. DC made $12M and Atlanta only $10M.

    DC is the most profitable club that wasn’t in the CWC last summer.
     
  13. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Apologies. I didn't double check the AI output.
     
  14. Saint Dennis

    Saint Dennis Red Card

    Feb 16, 2026
    I assume based on your tone that you are firmly committed to this position and that no amount of facts will change that.

    There have been 3 teams sold in the last few years and all of them actually exceeded the estimated valuation.

    Estimated valuation => actual valuation

    Sporting KC - $600m => $700m

    Columbus Crew - $780m => $900m

    Real Salt Lake - $530m => $600m
     
  15. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Which seems to support my point about the lack of accuracy of these numbers...
     
  16. jaykoz3

    jaykoz3 Member+

    Dec 25, 2010
    Conshohocken, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So you're saying the numbers are lower than what they actually are?

    These sales weren't necessarily for the entire team either.... they were for percentage stakes in the teams. The Crew sale was for a 10% stake.
     
  17. Saint Dennis

    Saint Dennis Red Card

    Feb 16, 2026
    I can't presume to speak for everyone but I'm not sure anybody believes that you were snarking for the under.
     
    Jeremy Goodwin repped this.
  18. AZUL GALAXY

    AZUL GALAXY Member+

    Aug 28, 2009
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    CDSC Cruz Azul
    Is San Diego with their good average attendance and revenue but still the highest on operating losses, in the long run will they be in a Vancouver situation?
     
  19. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Did those 3 come with real estate?
     
  20. FoxBoro 143

    FoxBoro 143 Member+

    Jan 18, 2004
    MA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm guessing start up costs hit them hard in these figures. Gotta see where they are in year 5.
     
    owian, jaykoz3 and NFLPatriot repped this.
  21. Saint Dennis

    Saint Dennis Red Card

    Feb 16, 2026
    I would assume that their losses are a function of being a startup.
     
  22. AZUL GALAXY

    AZUL GALAXY Member+

    Aug 28, 2009
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    CDSC Cruz Azul
    I think that they have a 30 year lease of the stadium, but probably they have similar conditions of Vancouver where they don’t have revenue from parking and concessions.
     
  23. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    San Diego FC "keeps all parking and merchandise proceeds, plus 80 percent of concessions."

    https://share.google/TlVcYOU9olwJxEJ7P
     
    owian, Kev_K, superdave and 1 other person repped this.
  24. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm saying these are somewhat educated guesses that a number of people tend to take as gospel.

    Do I think Colorado is absolutely for sure the lowest team in the league? No. I'm sure they're in the bottom 5 but it could be Montreal, it could be Chicago. Likewise San Jose could be 20th, or they could be 15th. Atlanta could be 3rd or they could be 6th.

    Its a decent way to separate the league into tiers, but lets be honest, most of us could figure out the tiers pretty accurately without this release. Beyond that its not particularly accurate, undervaluing and overvaluing clubs.
     
  25. wantmlsphilly

    wantmlsphilly Member+

    Aug 2, 2006
    Philadelphia, Pa.
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    How much more revenue does MLS need to start breaking even? Looks like it's not far from happening.
     

Share This Page