In Major League Soccer, several teams annually compete for secondary rivalry cups that are usually contested by only two teams, with the only exceptions being the Cascadia Cup and the new Copa Tejas, which are contested by three MLS teams, each. Each cup or trophy is awarded to the eligible team with the better regular season record and are comparable to minor trophies played for in college football rivalries. Most cups are deliberately conceived as local derbies between teams in the same region. Rivalry cups are considered a tradition to most MLS fans and players alike. Out of the ten original MLS teams only three have not competed in these rivalry cups: Sporting Kansas City, New England Revolution, and the defunct Tampa Bay Mutiny. The Texas Derby is the only MLS rivalry where the winner does not walk away with a cup trophy but instead they play for "El Capitán", a replica 18th century mountain howitzer cannon. Some derbies only contest for bragging rights of rival supporters groups.
Summary Official All records reflect wins made when all participating franchises are MLS teams.
Derby nameMost winsTitlesOther club(s)TitlesRecent winner Atlantic Cup New York Red Bulls 16 D.C. United 14 New York Red Bulls Brimstone Cup FC Dallas 12 Chicago Fire FC 9 Chicago Fire Cascadia Cup* Seattle Sounders FC 5 Portland Timbers4 Vancouver Whitecaps FC Vancouver Whitecaps FC 5 Copa Tejas** FC Dallas 2 Houston Dynamo FC 1 Houston Dynamo FC Austin FC Heritage Cup Seattle Sounders FC 9 San Jose Earthquakes 8 Seattle Sounders FC Hudson River Derby New York Red Bulls 6 New York City FC 5 New York City FC Rocky Mountain Cup Real Salt Lake 14 Colorado Rapids 7 Colorado Rapids Texas Derby FC Dallas 11 Houston Dynamo FC 9 Houston Dynamo FC Trillium Cup Columbus Crew 11 Toronto FC 7 Columbus Crew * Cascadia Cup existed in USL prior to the entry of franchises into MLS by Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver.** Copa Tejas was originally conceived for USL clubs, with an MLS division created in 2021.
Non-official All records reflect wins made (per regular season, not per matches) when all participating franchises are MLS teams. No cup/trophy contested.
Derby nameMost winsWin(s)Other club(s)Win(s)Recent winner California Clásico LA Galaxy 17 San Jose Earthquakes 10 San Jose EarthquakesCanadian ClassiqueToronto FC7CF Montréal6Toronto FC El Tráfico Los Angeles FC 4 LA Galaxy 4 LA Galaxy Hell Is Real derby*** Columbus Crew 6 FC Cincinnati 3 Columbus Crew MTL v VAN**** Vancouver Whitecaps FC 8 CF Montréal 6 Vancouver Whitecaps FC POR v SEA Portland Timbers 7 Seattle Sounders FC 7 Seattle Sounders FC POR v VAN Portland Timbers 8 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 6 Vancouver Whitecaps FC SEA v VAN Seattle Sounders FC 11 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 4 Vancouver Whitecaps FC MIA v ORL Inter Miami CF 4 Orlando City SC 6 Orlando City SCSTL v SKCSt. Louis City SC2Sporting Kansas City1Sporting Kansas City *** The Hell Is Real Derby existed prior to FC Cincinnati joining MLS. **** The Montreal–Vancouver rivalry existed prior to both teams joining MLS. The rivalries between the Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders, and Vancouver Whitecaps have existed in previous teams that are part of their respective legacies, and leagues that have operated prior to MLS.
Discontinued
Derby nameMost winsTitlesOther club(s)TitlesLast winner Florida Derby* Miami Fusion 2 Tampa Bay Mutiny 2 Miami (2001) SuperClasico LA Galaxy 9 Chivas USA 1 LA Galaxy (2014)
* Florida Derby existed prior to creation of MLS franchises for Tampa Bay and Miami, and after teams left MLS in 2001.
Rivalry cups Competition Established Teams Series Wins Years won Atlantic Cup 1996 D.C. United 14 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2021 New York Red Bulls 16 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Brimstone Cup 2001 Chicago Fire FC 9 2001, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2025 FC Dallas 12 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2018 California Clásico 1996 LA Galaxy 17 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2024 San Jose Earthquakes 10 1997, 2001, 2005, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2025 Cascadia Cup (MLS years) 2011 Portland Timbers 4 2012, 2017, 2022, 2024 Seattle Sounders FC 5 2011, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 5 2013, 2014, 2016, 2023, 2025 Copa Tejas 2021 Austin FC 2 2022, 2023 FC Dallas 2 2021, 2024 Houston Dynamo FC 1 2025 El Tráfico 2018 LA Galaxy 4 2018, 2019, 2021, 2025 Los Angeles FC 4 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 Florida Derby(MLS years) 1998 Miami Fusion 2 2000, 2001 Tampa Bay Mutiny 2 1998, 1999 Hell Is Real derby(MLS years) 2019 Columbus Crew 6 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025 FC Cincinnati 1 2024 Heritage Cup 2009 San Jose Earthquakes 8 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 Seattle Sounders FC 9 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2025 Hudson River Derby 2015 New York Red Bulls 6 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023 New York City FC 5 2017, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025 SuperClasico 2005 Chivas USA 1 2007 LA Galaxy 9 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup 2007 Columbus Crew 11 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023 FC Dallas 2 2010, 2015 Rocky Mountain Cup 2005 Colorado Rapids 7 2005, 2006, 2013, 2015, 2020, 2024, 2025 Real Salt Lake 14 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 Texas Derby 2006 FC Dallas 11 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 Houston Dynamo FC 9 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2025 Trillium Cup 2008 Columbus Crew 11 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Toronto FC 7 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 Notes
See also Major League Baseball rivalries National Basketball Association rivalries National Hockey League rivalries National Football League rivalries
References