Austin FC to join MLS in 2021

Austin FC will become the 27th MLS team in 2021, league commissioner Don Garber announced on Tuesday.

Austin will play in a new $225million stadium and will be Texas’ third MLS side, joining FC Dallas and Houston Dynamo.

However, Austin will become the city’s first team in a major professional sports league.

“Austin is a thriving metropolitan city – the personification of what we mean when we say MLS is a ‘League for a new America,'” Garber said in a statement. “We are extremely proud to be the first major professional sports league to become part of the culture of this historic American city.”

Let’s do this Austin! #AustinFC https://t.co/SQJMQCDnw2

— Austin FC (@AustinFC) January 15, 2019

Austin mayor Steve Adler said the city would be positively impacted by the addition of the club.

“This is a historic day for Austin, as MLS becomes the first major league to plant roots in our beautiful city,” Adler said. “We believe professional soccer will bring a great and especially needed benefit to our city.”

Other expansion teams that have yet to make an MLS debut will be located in Cincinnati (2019), Miami (2020) and Nashville (2020).