San Diego FC are the newest MLS side, having only been founded in May 2023 after the league decided to award the club’s ownership group an expansion team. They've quickly gained momentum, with more than 5000 season tickets sold a day after the announcement.
In November 2024, Juan Mata joined the club’s ownership group and became the first active soccer player to hold an ownership stake in the MLS. The Spaniard is the second professional athlete in San Diego’s ownership group and joins San Diego Padres’ star Manny Machado.
In September, San Diego FC announced that Mikey Varas had been appointed the club's first head coach. Varas joins San Diego after most recently serving as interim coach of the U.S. men's national team.
In addition to his time with the USMNT, Varas also served as U.S. U-20 men's national team head coach, helping the U.S. qualify for the Olympics by winning the 2022 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. Varas has also served as a USMNT scout at the 2022 World Cup while also spending three years as an assistant coach at FC Dallas.