Los Angeles FC (LA FC or LAFC) has become one of the best soccer team names in the United States because it tells a simple story that encapsulates soccer, city, and culture. But how exactly did the club sprint from a 2014 expansion announcement to sell-outs, silverware, and celebrity sparkle? Below, we break the saga into bite-sized sections, including a quick-glance table and lists you can skim between LAFC games.
The Origins of LAFC: A New Era for Los Angeles Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) awarded Los Angeles an expansion franchise on October 30, 2014, just weeks after Chivas USA folded – a fresh start rather than a rebrand, reported the Los Angeles Times.
In September 2015, the ownership group announced that the club’s placeholder name, “LAFC”, would become its permanent one, making the brand official nine months before revealing a crest.
Construction crews broke ground on a purpose-built downtown stadium in August 2016 – a 22,000-seat venue that would later be known as BMO Stadium. The team debuted in the 2018 season with a record 17,500 season-ticket sales and a mission of “Shoulder to Shoulder” unity, a motto stitched inside their first-year kits.
Who Runs the Show? Front Office and Technical Staff
Behind every successful club is a team of decision-makers and tacticians who blend analytics with heart. Here’s the crew steering LAFC’s ascent:
| Role | Name | Quick Fact |
| Co-President & GM | John Thorrington | Negotiated a club-record ~$5 million transfer fee to sign striker Denis Bouanga in 2022, as noted by MLSsoccer.com. |
| Head Coach | Steve Cherundolo | Holds a 95-51-29 record (as of July 2025) and is set to step down after 2025, according to Transfermarkt. |
| Assistant Coach | Marc dos Santos | Returned to LAFC in 2022 after managing Vancouver, as reported by LAFC.com. |
MLS roster rules can feel like algebra. Cherundolo and Dos Santos translate those rules into simple objectives: buy attackers with charisma, promote academy kids for equity, and keep salary flexibility for mid-season momentum.
Inside the Locker Room: Roster Identity and Core Values
As founding star Carlos Vela departed in 2025, striker Denis Bouanga went on to break his record for game-winning goals, reflecting the club’s core belief in attacking, high-tempo soccer, as reported by LAFC.
The LAFC roster blends academy graduates and CONCACAF standouts with marquee internationals. Meanwhile, French star Olivier Giroud, famous for his viral goalkeeper cameo at Milan, spent a single season in Black and Gold before mutually terminating his Designated Player contract to join Lille in July 2025, freeing a DP slot for summer recruitment.
Players speak often about unity and dedication – concepts that read like buzzwords elsewhere but are lived daily through multilingual team meetings, social-impact volunteer days, and a locker-room anthem playlist, featuring everything from mariachi brass to Kendrick Lamar.
Star Power: Celebrities and Entertainment Icons Behind LAFC
LAFC’s ownership group fuses Hollywood glamour with genuine activism:
| Investor | Day Job | Active Contribution |
| Earvin “Magic” Johnson | NBA legend and entrepreneur | Hosts the annual Holiday Hope giveaway during LAFC’s Season of Giving, providing food, toys, and essentials to families in L.A. |
| Will Ferrell | Actor and producer | Drops into supporters’ meetings unannounced. |
| Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra | Soccer and MLB icons | Lead quarterly Owner Sessions, small-group clinics, and Q&As for academy players and local girls’ teams. |
| Mark Shapiro | Endeavor / TKO President | Brings decades of broadcast-rights expertise (ESPN, WME-IMG, Endeavor) and advises LAFC on global media and sponsorship strategy as part of the club’s ownership board. |
The takeaway? Influence plus dedication equals sustainable prestige, not just photo ops.
Community Roots: LAFC’s Commitment to Local Engagement
Programs you’ll actually remember:
- LAFC Fit (with Kaiser Permanente) promotes physical activity and basic health literacy in local schools and has reached over 12,000 students since its 2023 launch.
- Saves for the Community donates $1,000 for every LAFC goalkeeper save. In 2024, that added up to $102,000 for Latino educator fellowships, as reported by PR Newswire.
- LAFC Foundation futsal courts and free clinics run year-round. It has constructed a total of 45 futsal pitches, including six in 2024 alone, as detailed in their report.
This activism cements the club’s local identity and amplifies its momentum far beyond matchdays.
Fan Experience and Stadium Atmosphere at BMO Stadium
Opened in 2018, the 22,000-seat BMO Stadium was designed by Gensler with steep 34-degree stands that leave every supporter within 41 meters of the action. Home games are a festival of sound led by the 3252, an independent supporters’ union named for the safe-standing section’s capacity.
Their coordinated chants, smoke, and call-and-response drumming create an atmosphere so intense that MLS once fined the club for overenthusiastic pyrotechnics – a testament to their unmatched passion.
Match-day rituals include pre-game falcon flights released by rotating honorary falconers – from Will Ferrell to Mia Hamm, Magic Johnson, and local community heroes – alongside a Latin-and-hip-hop playlist on Apple Music and the raucous North-End tifos. These layers of spectacle have turned LAFC games into a bucket-list experience even for neutral soccer fans.
Branding and Visual Identity: Black and Gold as a Cultural Symbol
In a city where visuals matter, LAFC’s crest channels the Art Deco geometry of downtown Los Angeles architecture, while its black-and-gold palette signals prestige, glamour, and strength, as explained on LAFC’s crest page.
Designers Matthew Wolff and Tue Nguyen even modelled the shield’s outline after the official City of Los Angeles seal, embedding civic heritage directly into the badge, as noted in a press release.
The result is a kit and logo recognized across MLS and beyond, turning everyday merchandise into streetwear and ensuring that Black and Gold stands for more than a colourway. It’s an identity of passion, unity, and high performance.
