Soccer-MLS announces plans to expand to 30 teams

Major League Soccer (MLS) announced plans on Thursday to expand to 30 teams with the league in discussion with several ownership groups and markets including Sacramento and St. Louis. The North American league said Sacramento and St. Louis will make presentations to its expansion committee in the second quarter of 2019 with a decision "in the coming months."

FC Cincinnati joined MLS as the 24th team this season. Nashville SC and Inter Miami CF will debut in 2020 followed by Austin FC in 2021. MLS said Sacramento had shown an impressive level of fan support since expressing interest in a club in 2014, while St. Louis would be the league's first female majority-owned team.

"Professional soccer at all levels is thriving in the United States and Canada and we believe there are many markets that could support a successful MLS club,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. MLS said the expansion fee for the next two teams will be $200 million each while the board deferred a decision regarding the expansion fee and timeline for the league's 30th club. (Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; editing by Ken Ferris)