Soccer has some of the most devoted fans anywhere, and MLS is no different. Crowds are growing, expansion clubs are rolling in, and international interest keeps climbing. With the MLS Cup Playoffs in full swing, passion is at a high point. So which fanbases are the most devoted?
To answer that, The Action Network built the MLS Fan Passion Index, a data-driven ranking that measures how intensely each club’s supporters show up, engage, and rally behind their team. It uses data from the 2024 and 2025 seasons to keep comparisons fair across the league.
The index blends four indicators of supporter commitment:
- Matchday Support (%): how consistently fans fill the stadium
- Team Popularity (monthly searches): online demand for news, tickets, and updates
- Fan Satisfaction (%): the balance of positive vs negative Reddit conversations
- Fan Passion Score (0-100): a weighted composite capturing overall devotion
Put together, the numbers surface the most devoted fanbases, fast risers, and a few surprises that cut across market size and club age.
Key Highlights: Where MLS Passion Shines Most
- The West sets the pace in overall fan passion. Four of the top five clubs, Real Salt Lake, LAFC, San Diego FC, and Sporting Kansas City, come from the Western Conference or broader Western markets. Strong supporter traditions, an outdoorsy fan culture, and consistently loud home crowds show up in the data.
- Small markets keep punching above their weight. Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City outpace several big-market clubs despite smaller media footprints. Deep identity and long-term community loyalty still carry weight.
- Expansion clubs are catching on fast. San Diego FC’s debut season shows clear traction. Strong engagement and fast-growing enthusiasm point to one of MLS’s most energized new fanbases.
- Big-name clubs show mixed momentum. LAFC and Inter Miami rate highly on popularity and matchday engagement. Meanwhile, historically prominent clubs such as Atlanta United and Seattle Sounders show lower satisfaction and softer online positivity than in recent seasons.
Which MLS Fanbases Show the Most Passion?
Here’s how all MLS fanbases rank from most to least passionate according to the 2025 Fan Passion Index.
Top 5 Most Passionate MLS Fanbases (2025)
1. Real Salt Lake, Fan Passion Score: 70.22/100
Whether it's the altitude or the culture, the fans show up. Matchday support sits at 99.12% and the satisfaction rating is among the best in MLS. Steady and positive, RSL’s base held firm in a year when sentiment swung for a ton of clubs.
2. Los Angeles FC, Fan Passion Score: 65.69/100
LAFC pairs near-full stadiums with heavy search interest (425k monthly). The fanbase shows up in the seats and online, locking in the No. 2 spot. In a packed Los Angeles sports market, they remain one of the city’s most reliably mobilized supporter groups.
3. Inter Miami CF, Fan Passion Score: 62.71/100
Call it the Messi effect if you want, but Inter Miami leads MLS in team popularity, 2M+ monthly searches, and that global spotlight keeps turning into real support at home. Satisfaction bounces around, but the passion stays high.
4. San Diego FC, Fan Passion Score: 62.55/100
A new club landing in the top five is rare, and San Diego does it with strong early sentiment and promising turnout. The debut season points to a fast-growing base and one of the sharper adoption curves among recent MLS launches.
5. Sporting Kansas City, Fan Passion Score: 61.83/100
Sporting KC blends reliable crowds with standout online positivity (28.55%). A clear identity and long-running community ties keep them firmly in the top tier, a reminder that smaller markets still move the needle.
The Bottom of the Table: MLS’s Least Passionate Fanbases (2025)
On the other end of the index, a handful of clubs lag across attendance, satisfaction, and/or search interest:
27. New England Revolution, Fan Passion Score: 28.41/100
New England posts the league’s lowest matchday support (39.33%), a sign of muted in-stadium energy. Search interest is fine, but satisfaction sits in the middle, keeping the Revolution in the bottom tier.
28. Seattle Sounders FC, Fan Passion Score: 26.57/100
Search interest and sentiment slip despite a strong attendance history. Matchday turnout lands at 44.87%, a softer figure than expected for a club known for loud home dates.
29. Atlanta United FC, Fan Passion Score: 16.48/100
Attendance holds up, but a sharp drop in Reddit satisfaction drags the score. At 16.49%, Atlanta’s positivity rate is among the lowest in MLS, signaling frustration that outweighs solid crowds.
30. Chicago Fire FC, Fan Passion Score: 14.09/100
Low attendance and weak sentiment push Chicago near the bottom. With matchday support at 36.58%, the Fire struggle to spark consistent enthusiasm both in the stadium and online.
31. Charlotte FC, Fan Passion Score: 9.36/100
Modest attendance and low satisfaction land Charlotte last. Bottom-five matchday support (43.94%) and a 17.48% positivity rate suggest early expansion has not yet turned into lasting passion.
What the Numbers Say About MLS Fan Culture
- Matchday support is the strongest tell. Clubs filling 95% or more of their stadiums almost always land in the top half.
- Online positivity is one of the main factors. Even strong crowds can’t outrun heavy negative sentiment, which shows up with Chicago and Atlanta.
- Popularity tracks momentum. Big search volume, like Inter Miami and LAFC, reflects national and global attention and lifts scores.
- Expansion clubs are landing early wins. San Diego FC’s high placement points to fast adoption and early enthusiasm.
Passion vs. Performance: How MLS Fanbases Stack Up
Does passion track with wins? Sometimes. Here’s how it shook out across 2024 and 2025.
- When passion and performance run together. LAFC, Inter Miami, and Real Salt Lake graded well in the index and on the field. Energized supporter culture helped sustain momentum and made home dates tougher.
- When passion holds through uneven results. San Jose, Minnesota, Austin, and NYCFC posted strong passion scores despite inconsistent seasons. Those bases stuck around through rebuilds and transitions, giving each club something steady to build on.
- When results lead without top passion scores. Columbus Crew, FC Cincinnati, and Orlando City delivered in 2024 and stayed competitive in 2025, even with mid-tier or lower passion scores. Winning can stand on its own, regardless of sentiment or search volume.
- The big picture. Across both seasons, you see every combo: high passion with high performance, high passion during down years, and high performance with modest passion. Each club’s path is different, and supporter energy remains a meaningful piece of MLS culture.
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Methodology
We built the MLS Fan Passion Index from four inputs for every club, using data from the 2024 and 2025 seasons. All datasets were gathered and finalized in October 2025, so each team is measured on the same timeline.
- Matchday Support (%): average home attendance as a share of stadium capacity across 2024 and 2025.
- Team Popularity (monthly searches): Google demand for team-related queries such as news, tickets, and fixtures, averaged across both seasons.
- Fan Satisfaction (%): positive Reddit comments minus negative Reddit comments. Higher values mean stronger online positivity. Sentiment was tracked throughout 2024 and 2025.
- Fan Passion Score (0-100): a weighted composite of the three inputs:
- 40% Fan Satisfaction
- 35% Matchday Support
- 25% Team Popularity
All inputs were normalized to a 0-100 scale to make sure we had clean comparisons across clubs and markets. Same inputs, same weights, same scale. That's the MLS Fan Passion Index.
