San Diego will make history on the soccer pitch in 2025.
Major League Soccer’s 30th club, San Diego FC will play its first-ever regular-season match on Sunday against LA Galaxy in Carson. The team will host its first home game at Snapdragon Stadium on March 1.
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Many player gs and announcements have been made since San Diego FC became part of MLS on May 18, 2023. Here are eight important things to know heading into the inaugural first season.
For coverage all season long, visit sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/soccer/san-diego-fc.
Origins
San Diego was awarded a MLS expansion franchise on May 18, 2023.
The team is owned by Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour, the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation and a group of minority investors that includes Padres third baseman Manny Machado.
The franchise also announced it would be working with Right to Dream, a youth soccer academy that helps to develop players in Denmark, Egypt and Ghana.
Team name, colors, crest and jersey
San Diego FC’s name, colors and crest were revealed for the first time in October 2023.
“We chose to call ourselves a Football Club since we will be competing on the global stage in the world’s game,” the club said. “The term Club represents that we are not just a team, not just another franchise. Our Club includes our owners, players, employees, partners, fans and ers.”
The primary club colors are chrome and dark navy — they call it azul — with shades of red, orange, blue and yellow as secondary colors.
The crest contains 18 lines that represent the 18 communities of the county. It also features an “FC” inside the soccer ball and the word “San Diego” on top. The outer trim of the crest is blue, yellow, orange and red.
The club’s inaugural jersey was released Dec. 13. It is primarily dark blue with small shades of red, orange, blue and yellow on the side. It shows the club crest on the front and chrome stripes on the shoulders. Secondary jerseys were announced just last week: white with light blue accents.
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Key players
Mexican professional soccer player Chucky Lozano became the club’s first “designated player” and is the face of the expansion club. On June 6, he signed a four-year contract with the club that includes two more option years. San Diego FC paid a reported $12 in transfer fees to acquire Lozano’s rights.
Danish winger Anders Dreyer signed on Jan. 22. He is the club’s second designated player; MLS allows each club to designate up to three players whose gs do not count toward their salary cap.
Midfielder Luca de la Torre, who grew up in San Diego, signed with San Diego FC on Jan. 21. He has made 24 appearances for the U.S. Men’s National Team, playing in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers and the 2023 Copa América. De la Torre has also played on clubs in the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga and Netherlands’ Eredivisie.
Head coach
On Sept. 16, 2024, Mikey Varas was named San Diego FC’s first head coach. His experience includes stops as the academy head coach for Sacramento Republic FC from 2016 to 2017 and then at FC Dallas from 2017 to 2019, first as the academy coach followed by as the assistant head coach.
Varas was the U.S. Men’s National Team’s U-20 head coach from 2021 to 2023. In 2022, his squad won the CONCACAF U-20 championship.
Last year, Varas served as interim head coach for the U.S. Men’s National Team.
Ownership and club partners
In addition to Mansour, the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation and Machado, more owners and partners have been announced in recent months. They include names such as actress, writer, producer and director Issa Rae, Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and producer Tems, retired U.S. Navy Seal Jocko Willink and Spanish World Cup winner Juan Mata.
Mansour is the club’s chairman and Cody Martinez serves as the club’s vice chairman on behalf of Sycuan.
Watching matches
San Diego FC plays its home games at Snapdragon Stadium, which features 35,000 seats. There are 17 regular-season home MLS matches scheduled at Snapdragon; fans can purchase tickets on the San Diego FC website and on ticketmaster.com.
San Diego FC matches will be broadcast on Apple TV as part of a 10-year deal with MLS and the streaming giant.
Select MLS games are also airing on Fox, including a May 3 match between SDFC and FC Dallas and a May 24 match between SDFC and the LA Galaxy.
Key matches, promotional and theme games
On March 1, the team will premiere in San Diego vs. St. Louis City SC. The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and every fan in attendance will receive a giveaway scarf.
Youth Club Night is April 26, when SDFC takes on Real Salt Lake.
May 3 is the club’s military appreciation night vs. FC Dallas. Active-duty military, veterans and their families will be honored with pre-match ceremonies and special tributes throughout the game.
Kids Night is May 17. The night will feature interactive games, exclusive merchandise and a special national anthem performance before San Diego FC plays Sporting Kansas City.
May 31 is the club’s Summer Kickoff Night, which features fan giveaways, special activities and a match against Austin FC.
San Diego FC will take on Houston Dynamo FC on July 5 as part of Stars & Stripes Night. The night will celebrate Independence Day with patriotic activations and a tribute to service .
The team’s Pride Night, in collaboration with San Diego Pride, will be celebrated on Aug. 23, with themed activations and activities when it battles the Portland Timbers.
On Sept. 13, the club will host its Hispanic Heritage Night against Minnesota United FC. The night will include themed entertainment, cultural performance and a tribute to San Diego’s Hispanic communities.
San Diego FC’s regular season will close with Fan Appreciation Night vs. the San Jose Earthquakes on Sept. 27. There will be special recognitions, giveaways and surprises.
Additional giveaways will be announced throughout the season at sandiegofc.com/tickets/celebrationnights.
er groups
San Diego FC recognizes the nonprofit San Diego Independent ers Union, which is made up of seven groups: 18th Battalion, Barra 18, Chavos Frontera Ultras, Daygo Boys, The Locals, Riptides and USG 18.
The ers groups work together on community efforts, gameday atmosphere and events.
