MLS, NWSL Expansion Interest Grows, New State Explores Stadium Plans

One of the smallest markets in MLS could land a brand new franchise.

MLS currently sits at 30 teams. / Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images

Major League Soccer already boasts the largest first division in world soccer, but the league is attracting interest from several cities across the United States.

Mesa, Arizona, is the latest city to show interest in bringing a club to their market after the Mesa City Council approved the formation of the Palo District in an attempt to attract both an MLS team and a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) club to the area. 

The district would follow the trend of entertainment areas and stadiums and take over the previous location of the 80-acre Fiesta Mall, which workers began demolishing in 2023. The site has been vacant since 2019, and Mesa Mayor Mark Freeman stated that the city is hoping to attract franchises in both leagues to the area.

“The Phoenix metropolitan area is a great place for it, and we’re able and willing to court them,” Mayor Mark Freeman told 12News. “MLS, women’s soccer… and there could be other sports venues as well.”

The stadium would be a multi-use venue, with its size yet to be determined, and the area would also feature restaurants, retail, lodging, office space and residences. 

Previously, former Mesa Mayor John Giles shared similar hopes of bringing an MLS and NWSL team to the city, which, according to the 2020 U.S. census, has a population of 504,258. Given the size of the city, it would rank among the smallest markets in MLS, but it would still be larger than the 309,317 people who live in Cincinnati and regularly pack TQL Stadium to its 26,000-person capacity. 

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NWSL Seeking Expansion 

The NWSL is hoping to expand to 18 teams by 2028. / EM Dash-Imagn Images

While the deal was approved quickly in a November meeting and the site will receive special tax breaks, there are no guarantees that either league would look to expand to the area. Several MLS teams, however, could be up for relocation should they not find the success they hoped for in their current markets. 

The NWSL may be a more realistic hope, with the league hoping to expand to 18 teams by 2028.

Other issues that could impact Mesa’s hopes include whether to build a climate-controlled stadium. Giles previously stated that the ground would need to be indoors, given the area’s hot summers. Yet, MLS’s switch from a summer-based schedule to playing through the winter starting in 2027-28 could allow a more favorable weather period for the city. The 14-team NWSL, however, is not shifting in the near future. 

Should the city earn an expansion bid in either league, it would be expected to pay a significant price. San Diego FC, the latest MLS expansion club, paid an expansion fee of $500 million to earn entry in 2025, while the Atlanta NWSL club, set to kick off in 2028, paid $165 million. 

Currently, the land for the new stadium and the entertainment district is owned by Verde Investments, a real estate firm owned by Ernest Garcia II, who has an estimated net worth of $23.1 billion and is the wealthiest person in Arizona.

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