D.C. United

D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1994, the club was an inaugural franchise in Major League Soccer, playing in the league since its first season in 1996. The club played a majority of its matches at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium from 1996 until 2017 before moving to the soccer-specific stadium, Audi Field, in 2018, where it has played since. Domestically, the club has won four MLS Cups, four Supporters' Shields, three U.S. Open Cups, and six Eastern Conference championships. In international competitions, the club has one CONCACAF Champions Cup title and one Copa Interamericana, the only team from the United States to win the latter.

Before the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the United States Soccer Federation fulfilled its promise to FIFA by aiding in the foundation of a new professional league, which would become Major League Soccer (MLS). On June 15, 1994, MLS selected Washington, D.C. out of twenty-two applicants to host one of the league's first seven franchises, with three more added before the league's launch. The team's name was chosen as a reflection of the names of European clubs, such as Manchester United or Leeds United, as well as being the capital of the United States. The team's colors and original logo, along with those of the other ten original teams, were announced in October 1995, during a presentation in New York City. Black and white were announced D.C. United's primary colors, and red was announced as the club's secondary color. The club's first season was in 1996. Ahead of the season, United hired Bruce Arena, who had led the University of Virginia men's soccer program to five NCAA College Cup titles, to be the head coach of the club. Under Arena, the club quickly established itself as one of the flagship franchises in MLS, winning two MLS Cup titles, a U.S. Open Cup title, a Supporters' Shield, a CONCACAF Champions' Cup, and a Copa Interamericana all within the club's first two seasons. United's inaugural match was played on April 6, 1996, against the then-called San Jose Clash at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, California, which also was the first match to ever be played in MLS history. United would lose the match to the Clash, 0–1 off a late match-winner by Eric Wynalda. However, the season was hallmarked by the Arena leading the team to the first domestic double in modern U.S. soccer history by beating the Los Angeles Galaxy in the first MLS Cup and the Rochester Raging Rhinos of the USL First Division in the 1996 U.S. Open Cup. The club's early success continued into 1997, repeating as MLS Cup champions, and winning their first Supporters' Shield, becoming the first club in MLS history to achieve the "league double" by winning both the regular season championship and league championship. In 1998 the club won the Eastern Conference regular season and postseason championship, but finished runners-up for the Supporters' Shield, and lost to Chicago Fire in MLS Cup 1998. Despite not winning any domestic titles, the club managed to win the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, defeating Mexican side, Toluca, in the final thanks to a Pope goal, as well as winning the now-defunct Copa Interamericana. D.C. United became the first American club to win a CONCACAF club championship, and the only American club to have won the Copa Interamericana. In October 1998, Arena left D.C. United to accept the head coaching role for the United States men's national soccer team.

• Unconfirmed

  Reported2026.09.10

  Collaborative Fund takes a stake in D.C. United and its stadium Audi Field[2]Collaborative Fund入股足球队D.C. United及其球场Audi Fieldtechcrunch.com

  New York-based venture firm Collaborative Fund has taken a stake in the soccer club D.C. United and its stadium, Audi Field, which founder Craig Shapiro pitched as a way to showcase the firm's startups.

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1. 1D.C. Uniteden.wikipedia.org
2. 2Collaborative Fund入股足球队D.C. United及其球场Audi Fieldtechcrunch.com