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The 10 Best MLS Stadiums: 2023 Edition

best mls stadiums

What are the best MLS stadiums? Major League Soccer has seen significant growth in both popularity and attendance in recent years.

Best MLS Stadiums 

Over the years the MLS has become one of the best soccer leagues in the world and it’s stadiums have played a big part. Let’s take a look at the 10 best stadiums in the league.

10. CityPark (St. Louis City SC)

MLS expansion team St Louis City SC played its first home game in March 2023 in one of the best MLS stadiums. The grass pitch uniquely sits 40 feet below street level and is surrounded by two tiers of seating with a capacity of just under 22,500. 

No seat in CITYPARK is further than 120 feet from the pitch, the closest of any Major League Soccer stadium. There’s also a 257-foot long integrated tifo rigging system and also a drum platform for drum corps to play from during games. 

9. TQL Stadium (FC Cincinnati)

At a cost of $250 million, TQL Stadium is home to FC Cincinnati and hosted its first MLS game in 2021. The 26,000-seat stadium looks like a futuristic steel fortress and its closest seats are only 15 feet away from the pitch. 

The progressive design features 500 vertical fins wrapping around the exterior, each of them connected to an LED lighting system that provides motion sequencing. All seats have chairbacks and cupholders, and the 360-degree canopy roof protects fans from the elements.

8. GEODIS Park (Nashville SC)

The 30,000-seat GEODIS Park is the largest soccer-specific stadium in the United States and Canada, and it’s one of the best MLS stadiums. Home to Nashville SC, it offers stunning architecture and an engaging atmosphere.

GEODIS Park features an exposed structural steel 360-degree canopy giving it an industrial feel, with brick-clad ground level structures completing the look. GEODIS also features a 65-foot-wide shared concourse and a safe standing supporter’s section inspired by European stadiums.

7. Lumen Field (Seattle Sounders FC)

One of the best MLS stadiums is home to the Seattle Sounders FC. Also home to the Seattle Seahawks’, Lumen Field is also one of the best stadiums in the NFL and is known for its raucous atmosphere. 

The Battle of Cascadia, between Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers, is the biggest MLS rivalry, and the game day atmosphere during the derby is arguably the best in North American soccer.  

Lumen Field’s U-shape design is one of a kind with the north end triangle-shaped stand allowing for picturesque views of downtown Seattle. A stadium-record 69,274 fans watched Seattle beat Toronto 3-1 in the 2019 MLS Cup.

6. Children’s Mercy Park (Sporting Kansas City)

Built in 2011, Kansas City’s Children’s Mercy Park helped set the benchmark of what a mid‐sized stadium can achieve when it opened. An architectural masterpiece, the stadium’s design is based on the concept of stop-motion photography.  

There are excellent sightlines from every seat and the signature 145,000-square-foot roof canopy drops from a high of 95 feet, to a low point of 65 feet. Made out of ingenious polycarbonate material, the roof panels let in sunlight and also helps to amplify crowd noise. 

5. Q2 Stadium (Austin FC)

Q2 Stadium opened in 2021 at a cost of over $250 million. With a capacity of 20,738, the stadium welcomed Austin FC for their first ever season in Major League Soccer. There’s a real Austin flavor about Q2 Stadium with arguably the best food in the MLS.   

The stadium’s orientation has been planned out thoughtfully, allowing prevailing winds and breezes to rush in from the south. There are also breathable mesh seats and cooling misters to combat the hot Texas sun.

Q2 features one of the largest roofs in the MLS with the steel cable-supported roof creating a shade canopy, and helping create an electric atmosphere by keeping crowd noise inside the stadium.   

4. Providence Park (Portland Timbers):

Providence Park first opened in 1926 and has undergone major renovations multiple times. One of the best MLS players of all time, Diego Valeri, called the stadium home and it was expanded to a capacity of 25,218 in 2019.

A marvellous marriage of historic charm and modern amenities, Providence Park has sold out every single MLS game since Portland Timbers joined the league in 2011. It’s incredible atmosphere makes it one of the best MLS stadiums. 

3. Allianz Field (Minnesota United FC)

Home to Minnesota United FC, Allianz Field opened in 2019, cost $200 million, seats about 19,400, and is renowned for its unique design and emphasis on sustainability. 

One of the best MLS stadiums, Minnesota’s Allianz Field is reminiscent of Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena, featuring a stunning translucent fibreglass woven skin that glows during night games.  

2. BMO Stadium (Los Angeles FC)

Opening in 2018 at a cost of $350 million, Los Angeles FC’s BMO Stadium is one of the best MLS stadiums. Inspired by European stadiums, BMO Stadium seats are set at a steep 34-degree incline offering an intimate view from anywhere. 

Located in the heart of Los Angeles, BMO Stadium provides an electrifying atmosphere and also offers views of the downtown Los Angeles skyline, and the San Gabriel Mountains from the northeast stands. 

1. Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta United FC) 

Major League isn’t the Premier League yet but when it comes to stadiums, Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium is proof that MLS stadiums are better than those in the EPL. 

Home to Atlanta United FC, Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened in 2017 and is an architectural masterpiece. It’s highest attendance of 73,019 for the MLS Cup 2018 game between Atlanta and Portland was an MLS record at the time. 

At a cost of $1.6 billion, it features a 14-acre retractable roof with a unique eight-petal design. The futuristic exterior facade, oculus-inspired roof and 360-degree halo video screen makes Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium the best MLS stadium. 

Matt Ieriko

Matt Ieriko is a freelance writer who’s evolved his lifelong passion for sport into the creation of WolfgangSport.com in 2020 – an American sports blog covering the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS and more. As an Australian, he’s always been fascinated with the cultural differences and global significance of sports in America.

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