Drive for expansion Despite being one of the ten largest metropolitan areas in the country and a top-five media market, the
Philadelphia area was not represented when Major League Soccer kicked off in 1996. Philadelphia was previously represented by the
Philadelphia Atoms (1973–76) and
Philadelphia Fury (1978–80) in the
FIFA-backed, major professional
North American Soccer League (NASL). The Atoms won the
Soccer Bowl in their
inaugural 1973 season. Philadelphia goalkeeper and
Ridley Park, Pennsylvania native
Bob Rigby became the first soccer player to be featured on the cover of
Sports Illustrated following the club's championship. The Atoms folded after the 1976 season, having been bought by Mexican owners whose plans to move the team to
San Antonio were not approved by the league. The Atoms and the Fury both played at
Veterans Stadium, though the Atoms played their final season in Philadelphia at
Franklin Field. The NASL folded in 1984, leaving the United States without a top-level soccer league until Major League Soccer (MLS) began play in 1996. The first effort to bring professional soccer back to the Delaware Valley commenced in 2001, when a group of investors attempted to bring an MLS franchise to
Trenton, New Jersey. The centerpiece of their efforts was a $31 million soccer-specific stadium to be built across the street from the
CURE Insurance Arena and with access to the under-construction
NJ Transit River Line. "Union FC" was the intended name for the Trenton MLS team if it came to fruition. However, the MetroStars (now the
New York Red Bulls) held the right to block a franchise in Trenton, as it would infringe on their 75-mile competition-free zone. Five years later, plans were in place to construct a 20,000-capacity stadium on the campus of
Rowan University in
Glassboro, New Jersey. The stadium would serve as the home field for both an MLS expansion club and Rowan's football team. Ultimately, $100 million in state bonds to fund the stadium and various other improvements on the Rowan campus were dropped by New Jersey Governor
Jon Corzine. Shortly after the Rowan proposal fell through, Keystone Sports & Entertainment (the group that would eventually own the Union) looked at a site underneath the
Commodore Barry Bridge in Chester to develop a soccer-specific stadium. In 2007, the
Sons of Ben supporter group formed to raise interest toward a Major League Soccer team in Philadelphia. They are credited with demonstrating to MLS an established fan base in the market. Major League Soccer added Philadelphia as its sixteenth team on February 28, 2008. The finalization of the club was the result of a $47 million package approved by
Delaware County politicians and Pennsylvania governor
Ed Rendell that included the cost of
Subaru Park and a major
urban renewal project. , with then-Vice President
Joe Biden, at a Philadelphia Union match, 2010 In December 2009, the Union added the Reading Rage youth soccer organization as their official minor league affiliate in the
USL Premier Development League. As a result, the Rage were rebranded as "
Reading United AC" with a new logo and colors for the 2010 PDL season. In the
2010 MLS SuperDraft, the Union selected forward
Danny Mwanga from
Oregon State University as the number one pick, as well as sixth and seventh picks
Amobi Okugo from
UCLA and
Jack McInerney from the U.S. U-17 National Team in the first round. In March 2010, the Union signed an affiliation agreement with the
Harrisburg City Islanders of the
United Soccer League. And in January 2012, the Union formed their first international partnership with
Deportivo Saprissa of the
Costa Rican Primera División.
Inaugural season The Union played their inaugural game on March 25, 2010, in which they lost 2–0 to
Seattle Sounders FC at
Qwest Field.
Sébastien Le Toux became the first player to score a goal for Philadelphia in their home opener on April 10, 2010, a 3–2 win over
D.C. United at
Lincoln Financial Field. The team again played Seattle Sounders FC for the first match at Subaru Park on June 27, 2010. Le Toux scored the Union's initial goal at the venue from a penalty kick, which was instrumental to their 3–1 victory. All 12,000 season ticket packages for 2010 were sold prior to this opener. At the end of the inaugural season the Union finished 7th in the Eastern Conference and 14th overall in the league with a record of 8–15–7 (W-L-T).
The Piotr Nowak era (2010–2012) The Union picked up three players in the
2011 MLS SuperDraft, most notably
Zac MacMath, who was the fifth overall draft pick. On January 11, 2011, the Union acquired shirt sponsor
Bimbo Bakeries USA. On January 20, Philadelphia introduced two new players: Colombians
Faryd Mondragón (GK) and
Carlos Valdés (D). Mondragón had recently come from playing with
1. FC Köln in the German
Bundesliga, and has at least 50 caps with the
Colombia national team. Valdés came from
Independiente Santa Fe in the
Colombian First Division, where he served as captain before coming to Philadelphia. The Union also signed during the summer transfer window US International
Freddy Adu. The team made a complete turnaround in the 2011 season, finishing 3rd in the Eastern Conference and 8th overall in the league with a record of 11–8–15 (W-L-T) scoring 44 goals and allowing 36. This marked the first time the Philadelphia Union qualified for the
MLS Cup Playoffs. The Union had a stellar start of the season that saw them win 4 and only lost 1 of their first six league games. In the
2011 MLS Cup Playoffs the Union lost the first leg of the MLS Eastern Conference semi-finals 2–1 at home on October 30, 2011, with the 1st playoff Union goal coming from Sebastien Le Toux. The Union then lost the 2nd leg 1–0 on November 3, 2011, against the future MLS Cup finalist Houston Dynamo. was the Union's first goal scorer.
Nowak to Hackworth (2012–2014) John Hackworth became the Union's interim coach on June 13, 2012, receiving the role permanently on August 30, 2012. The Union finished their third season in eighth place in the Eastern Conference and fifteenth in MLS overall, with a record of 10–18–6 (W-L-T), scoring 37 goals and allowing 45.
Antoine Hoppenot, who was selected in the third round of the 2012 Supplemental Draft, netted four goals within 817 minutes of play. Subaru Park, then known as PPL Park, was the site of the
2012 MLS All-Star Game in which the MLS All-Stars defeated
Chelsea F.C., 3–2. Ahead of the 2019 season, Union Sporting Director, Ernst Tanner, announced that Curtin would be retained for the upcoming season on a one-year extension. By July of that season, the Union reach first place in the
Eastern Conference and hitting the club's best start to a season. This success lead to the club announcing Curtin signed a two-year contract extension, to remain head coach through the
2021 season.
First trophy and success The
2020 season was the most successful to date for the Union. Despite disruptions from the
COVID-19 pandemic, the Union reached the semi-final of the
MLS is Back Tournament and went on to win their first trophy finishing top of the league standings and earning the
2020 Supporters' Shield. The team's performance over the season earned Curtin his first Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year Award. Winning the Supporter's Shield earned the Union their debut in the
CONCACAF Champions League, where the Union earned their first international win against
Deportivo Saprissa; a victory that marked Curtin's 100th win as head coach of the club. Within two days prior to the Union's first ever conference final match in team history, it was reported that 11 players, including six starters had to undergo the league's COVID-19 protocol. Philadelphia lost to eventual champions New York City FC 2–1. It was later stated that it would've been impossible to delay the game, as the players would not have been available for the MLS Cup Final. On July 8, 2022, the Philadelphia Union defeated D.C. United 7–0, setting a club record and tying the MLS record for biggest goal differential win. The overall
season proved to be special, as Philadelphia topped the Eastern table with 67 points—equal with Supporters' Shield winners
Los Angeles FC (and with better goal differential but lost out due to MLS' tiebreaker of total wins). Philadelphia beat
FC Cincinnati in the conference semifinals, 1–0, on a
Leon Flach goal, and then defeated defending champions
New York City FC 3–1 in the conference finals to advance to their first-ever
MLS Cup final. In MLS Cup, the Union erased 1−0 and 2−1 deficits and center back
Jack Elliott scored twice in the match, including late in extra time. Ultimately LAFC came back to force penalties and won the Cup in a penalty shoot-out. After a poor performance in the
2024 season, in which the Philadelphia Union failed to qualify for the playoffs, Jim Curtin was sacked on November 7, 2024.
Bradley Carnell era (2025–present) On January 2, 2025,
Bradley Carnell was announced as new the head coach for the Philadelphia Union. Having recently managed
St. Louis City SC, the club would acquire
Indiana Vassilev from his former club, along with
Jovan Lukić,
Bruno Damiani, and mid-season signing
Milan Iloski. Carnell would win his first match with Philadelphia, winning 4−2 at
Orlando City. On April 11, 2025, the club's all-time top-scorer
Dániel Gazdag transferred to
Columbus Crew. Despite his departure, Philadelphia would go on to have a successful season. With a 1−0 win over New York City FC at Subaru Park, the Philadelphia Union clinched the
Supporters' Shield for the second time in club history. The Union would win their best-of-three series with the
Chicago Fire, but lost in the semifinals as the top seed in MLS to New York City FC for the second time in postseason history. ==Colors and badge==