The Longest Winning Streaks in MLS History

It’s always inspiring to see history made in the world of sports, and it’s even better when you’re on the winning side. For the sport of American soccer, in particular, winning streaks are crucial to securing a spot in the playoffs in the pro leagues.

There have been only a few win streaks in the MLS, with only three separate teams reaching double-digits. So, in this article, we’ll break down the longest winning streaks in MLS history, including when they occurred, what teams were on the win streak, and how many games in a row they won.

2=. D.C. United (July 1999-September 1999) – 11-game streak

Funny enough, all of the games on the list of the longest MLS winning streaks in history happened in the 20th century. For one of D.C. United’s memorable seasons, they’d win 11 straight games from July to September in 1999. Keep in mind, the MLS during this time didn’t conclude games in regulation as draws, they would go straight into penalty kicks to decide a winner.

Most likely, this didn’t prevent the 1st place Eastern Conference team from going on an absolute rampage, earning 57 points that season, with the next highest being 45 points (that’s four entire wins ahead in points). There’s no argument when it comes to United’s summer run in 1999 that it belongs on the list of longest MLS winning streaks in history.

2=. Chicago Fire (May 1998-July 1998) – 11-game streak

Up next and tied with D.C. United’s record is the legendary Chicago Fire of 1998. In the first year of the team’s creation, the Fire would go on a heated 11-game win streak from May to July in 1998, comparable to D.C.’s later accomplishments.

However, winning an MLS championship and earning one of the longest MLS winning streaks in history in its first year of being founded is a feat that belongs solely to Chicago. It’s a double record in one year for the Chicago Fire, although they’ll be slightly edged out not once but twice by the same team.

1. LA Galaxy (April-June 1996, Sept-May 1998) – 12-game streak, 14-game streak

That same team is none other than the most feared LA Galaxy, first going on a hot 12-game win streak in April of 1996. Beating out both D.C. United and the Chicago Fire with one extra win, that streak would fall short in June to the hands of the Colorado Rapids in a close 2-1 game.

This wouldn’t stop the Galaxy from pulling off an incredible 14-game win streak two years later in the fall of 1998. The Galaxy’s 14-game win streak would go from September to May until the Chicago Fire would stop them from setting any further records in a 3-1 bout. All in all, the LA Galaxy would go on two separate runs to beat out all other competition for the longest MLS winning streaks in history, winning 12 in a row in 1996 and 14 during 1998.