MLS: Nashville named as 24th franchise, in competition's latest expansion
- Published
July's friendly between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur attracted a record crowd for a football match in the state of Tennessee.
Nashville has been named as the 24th Major League Soccer franchise, in the competition's latest expansion.
Nashville already has two major sports franchises - the Tennessee Titans in American football's NFL, and NHL ice hockey team Nashville Predators.
In July, a friendly in the city between Premier League football teams Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur attracted a crowd of 56,232.
The MLS franchise will play in a new, 27,500-seat stadium.
"Nashville is a rising city with a passionate soccer fanbase, a dedicated ownership group and civic leaders that truly believe in this sport," said MLS commissioner Don Garber, who announced the news at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Nashville was initially named in January among 12 cities vying to secure a franchise in a league that began in 1996 with 10 teams.
A decision is yet to be made on when the team will begin to play.