USA: Major League Soccer to expand to 24 teams by 2020 season (Don Garber, MLS commissioner)

The MLS (Major League Soccer, U.S. professional football top league) plans to add four teams by the 2020 season, MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced on the 31/07/2013.

The MLS currently count 19 teams, and will host a 20^th franchise in 2015, with the launch of the New York City FC, which is a joint property of Manchester City (ENG, Premier League) and the New York Yankees (Major League Baseball, USA). The MLS, which was created in 1993, went live in 1996 with 10 teams. Since 2005, 9 extra teams have joined the league.

"These expansion clubs have brought new ideas that have contributed to our strategy for growing the league and the addition of new markets has expanded our geographic reach while increasing our fan base," Don Garber said. "As MLS enters a period of accelerated growth, the addition of new teams will allow us to expand our geographic coverage, grow our fan base and help us achieve our vision of being among the best leagues in the world by 2022," he added.

• According to the MLS, the perspective of 4 extra spots "gives immediate hope to several markets looking to break…