The Shield's Legacy
Charting Major League Soccer's Regular Season Supremacy
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Understanding the Supporters' Shield
The Award for Regular Season Excellence
The Supporters' Shield is an annual accolade bestowed upon the Major League Soccer (MLS) team that achieves the highest point total during the regular season, as determined by the league's established points system. Since its inception, with retroactive awards for earlier seasons, the Shield has been presented annually at the MLS Supporters' Summit, gaining recognition as a significant trophy within the league's structure. This mirrors the tradition in top European football leagues where the team finishing atop the regular season standings is crowned champion.
Continental Qualification
Since 2006, the Supporters' Shield winner has been granted a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup (formerly Champions' Cup). This continental qualification underscores the Shield's importance, linking domestic regular-season dominance to international competition opportunities. Should the Shield winner also secure the MLS Cup or another qualifying spot, the next highest-ranked U.S.-based team typically earns the CONCACAF berth.
Record Holders and Recent Champions
The clubs with the most Supporters' Shields are D.C. United and LA Galaxy, each having claimed the honor four times. The Philadelphia Union are the most recent recipients, securing their second Shield in the penultimate match of the 2025 season. Inter Miami CF holds the record for the most points accumulated in a single regular season, achieving 74 points in the 2024 campaign.
The Evolution of the Supporters' Shield
Conception and Early Efforts
The concept of an award for the regular season champion emerged in 1997, proposed by a fan on a listserv following the Tampa Bay Mutiny's success in the regular season but failure to win the MLS Cup. Despite initial disagreements among supporter groups, the idea persisted. Fundraising efforts, supported by prominent figures in soccer media and league administration, were initiated to commission a trophy, culminating in a $2,200 award for a sterling silver chevron design by a university art student.
Gaining Significance
In its early years, the Supporters' Shield received limited recognition from MLS and the public. However, its status significantly elevated in 2006 when U.S. Soccer mandated that the Shield winner, alongside the MLS Cup champion, would represent the United States in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. This linkage provided a tangible incentive for regular-season success, integrating the Shield into the league's competitive hierarchy.
Redesign and Modernization
By 2010, with the growth of supporter culture, a movement began to create a new, more substantial Supporters' Shield. This initiative, formalized through the Independent Supporters Council and later the Supporters' Shield Foundation, successfully raised $18,000 through fan initiatives like scarf drives. The resulting new trophy, weighing 35 pounds and crafted from sterling silver and stainless steel, was first awarded in 2013, featuring an expandable design to accommodate future winners.
The 2020 Controversy
In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on fan attendance, the Independent Supporters Council (ISC) initially decided not to award the Supporters' Shield, citing a perceived conflict with the spirit of the award. This decision faced significant backlash from the MLS community, leading to a swift reversal by the Supporters' Shield Foundation. The Philadelphia Union ultimately received the Shield, albeit with a temporary, creatively fashioned replacement due to shipping delays.
Supporters' Shield Winners: A Historical Overview
The following table details the history of the Supporters' Shield, including the number of wins and runner-up finishes for each club, along with the years they achieved these distinctions.
All-Time Winners and Runners-Up
Statistical Achievements
Most Shields and Consecutive Wins
LA Galaxy and D.C. United lead the standings with four Supporters' Shields each. D.C. United achieved two consecutive Shields in 1997 and 1999, and again in 2006 and 2007. LA Galaxy also secured back-to-back Shields in 2010 and 2011. The New York Red Bulls have won three Shields, while Columbus Crew and San Jose Earthquakes have each won two.
The Double: Shield and Cup
Achieving both the Supporters' Shield and the MLS Cup in the same season represents the pinnacle of domestic success. This feat, often referred to as "The Double," has been accomplished on eight occasions: 1997 (D.C. United), 1999 (D.C. United), 2002 (LA Galaxy), 2008 (Columbus Crew), 2011 (LA Galaxy), 2017 (Toronto FC), and 2022 (LA Galaxy). Toronto FC's 2017 triumph also included the Canadian Championship, completing a domestic treble.
Record Points in a Season
Inter Miami CF set a new benchmark for regular-season performance by accumulating 74 points in the 2024 MLS season. Prior to this, the LA Galaxy (2011) and New England Revolution (2021) had held the record with 67 and 73 points, respectively. These high point totals reflect periods of sustained dominance throughout the league's history.
CONCACAF Competition Performance
The Supporters' Shield winner's qualification for continental tournaments has provided a platform to test MLS teams against regional rivals. The following table outlines the performance of Shield winners in the CONCACAF Champions Cup and its successor, the CONCACAF Champions League.
Shield Winners in Continental Play
Further Exploration
Related Topics
- List of American and Canadian soccer champions
- CPL Shield (Canadian Premier League equivalent)
- Presidents' Trophy (NHL equivalent)
- Maurice Podoloff Trophy (NBA equivalent)
- NWSL Shield (National Women's Soccer League equivalent)
- Minor premiership (Australian sports concept)
- Major League Soccer's Wooden Spoon award (Last place award)
Related MLS Information
- Major League Soccer
- MLS Cup
- U.S. Open Cup
- Canadian Championship
Clarifications and Notes
Important Context
- ^ Canadian MLS teams could not earn a berth through the Supporters' Shield until 2023.
- ^ From 1996 to 1999, 3 points were awarded for a win in 90 minutes, 1 point for a shootout win, and 0 points for a loss. Since the 2000 season, 3 points are awarded for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss.
- ^ From 1996 until 1999, tied games were decided by a golden goal, culminating with a shootout.
Source Citations
Referenced Materials
- ^ "Inter Miami Sets MLS Single-Season Points Record As Lionel Messi Bags Hat Trick". SI. October 20, 2024. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
- ^ a b "MLS 101: Supporters' Shield". NYCFC.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
- ^ "Shield bearers". Columbus Alive. October 15, 2008. Archived from the original on June 10, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
- ^ Gates, Ryan (February 15, 2011). "A History of the Supporter's Shield". Stumptown Footy. Archived from the original on October 1, 2017. Retrieved October 8, 2011.
- ^ a b Crandall, October 11, 2016. "From internet message board to valued prize: How the Supporters' Shield got its start". MLSsoccer.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
- ^ Palmer, Tod (July 28, 2013). "Two KU students designed the original MLS Supporters' Shield". The Kansas City Star. p. B1. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ West, Phil (2016). The United States of Soccer. The Overlook Press. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-4683-1241-6.
- ^ Gareth (October 10, 2025). "MLS Supporters' Shield Explained โ Is It a Major Trophy?". MLSFootball. Retrieved October 10, 2025. "In its early years (1999โ2005), the unofficial nature of the Supporters' Shield meant that it was seldom mentioned in league marketing materials and rarely appeared in mainstream MLS press coverage."
- ^ Meagher, Tom (February 23, 2006). "Jeepers, Some Wishes Really Do Come True!". We Call it Soccer. Archived from the original on December 30, 2006. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
- ^ MLS announces competition changes for 2006
- ^ "Supporters' Shield will not be awarded in 2020 following decision by ISC". MLSsoccer.com. October 17, 2020. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
- ^ "Vanney rips Supporters' Shield decision". TSN.ca. October 18, 2020. Archived from the original on June 10, 2024. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^ "Supporters' Shield to be awarded in 2020 following reversal of decision". MLSsoccer.com. October 23, 2020. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^ Mashall, Tom (November 11, 2020). "Captain America to the rescue! Philadelphia Union celebrate with fake Supporters' Shield". ESPN. Archived from the original on June 10, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
- ^ "Qualifying Format Unveiled for 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League". CONCACAF. CONCACAF.com. May 14, 2008. Archived from the original on December 26, 2008. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
- ^ "CONCACAF Champions Cup/League History" (PDF). CONCACAF. CONCACAF.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 16, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
- ^ Toronto FC participated in the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League by virtue of their Canadian Championship win, not the Supporters' Shield.
- ^ Due to the restructuring of the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League, the United States' berths were allocated to the 2017 and 2018 MLS Cup winners and the 2017 and 2018 U.S. Open Cup winners, and the 2017 and 2018 Supporters' Shield winners were not guaranteed a berth. As Toronto FC won MLS Cup 2017, the vacated berth was reallocated to the New York Red Bulls as the U.S.-based non-champion with the best aggregate record for the 2017 and 2018 MLS regular seasons.
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References
References
- Toronto FC participated in the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League by virtue of their Canadian Championship win, not the Supporters' Shield.
- From 1996 to 1999, 3 points were awarded for a win in 90 minutes, 1 point for a shootout win, and 0 points for a loss in 90 minutes or shootout. Since the 2000 season, 3 points are awarded for a win, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss.
- MLS announces competition changes for 2006
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Disclaimer
Important Notice
This document has been generated by an AI and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is derived from publicly available data and may not be exhaustive or entirely current. It is presented as an academic overview for students pursuing higher education.
This is not professional sports analysis or advice. The information provided herein should not be considered a substitute for consulting official league documentation or seeking expert opinions from sports analysts or historians. Always verify information with primary sources.
The creators of this page are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for any actions taken based on the information provided.