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| Full name | Sporting Kansas City[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Wizards | |||
| Short name | SKC | |||
| Founded | June 6, 1995 (as Kansas City Wiz) | |||
| Stadium | Children's Mercy Park | |||
| Capacity | 18,491[3] | |||
| Owner | Sporting Club | |||
| Head coach | Peter Vermes | |||
| League | Major League Soccer | |||
| 2024 | Western Conference: 13th Overall: 27th Playoffs: Did not qualify | |||
| Website | sportingkc.com | |||
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Sporting Kansas City is an American men's professional soccer club in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The administrative offices are located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and the team clubhouse and practice facilities are located in Kansas City, Kansas. Home games have been played at Children's Mercy Park since 2011.[4] The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a part of the league's Western Conference.
Sporting Kansas City began play in 1996 as a charter team in the league, then named Kansas City Wiz. The team was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1995. Since moving across the state line, they have been the only major professional sports league franchise to play their home games in Kansas.
Starting in 1997, the franchise was named Kansas City Wizards. The team rebranded in November 2010, coinciding with its move to its new home stadium, Children's Mercy Park.[2][5] The franchise has won the MLS Cup in 2000 and 2013, the Supporters' Shield in 2000, and the U.S. Open Cup in 2004, 2012, 2015, and 2017.
The club also has a reserve team, Sporting Kansas City II, that began play in the second-tier USL Championship in 2016 and switched to MLS Next Pro in 2022.
- ^ "Explore The New Brand at Sporting Kansas Website". InsightKC.com. MLS Digital. November 17, 2010. Archived from the original on November 19, 2010.
- ^ a b "Kansas City rebrands as Sporting KC". MLSSoccer.com. MLS Digital. November 17, 2010. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
- ^ "Children's Mercy Park Fact Sheet". SportingKC.com. Sporting Kansas City. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ^ "Contact Us / Sporting Kansas City". SportingKC.com. MLS Digital. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ^ "Kansas City Wizards Change Name To Sporting Kansas". Kmbc.com. November 17, 2010. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved December 3, 2011.