San Diego FC kicks off its inaugural season in February 2025, expanding the MLS even deeper into one of America’s sunniest hotbeds of football talent – Southern California.
San Diego, in particular, has long been a US soccer breeding ground of sorts, producing stars like Julie Foudy, Luca de la Torre, Brandon Vasquez, and Paul Arriola. San Diego has a rich history of professional soccer clubs, exemplified today by the NWSL’s San Diego Wave FC, the only surviving club after the USL’s San Diego Loyal SC dissolved in 2023. There are many advantages to having a professional football club in Southern California. But there are even more advantages to having one in San Diego.
Due to a FIFA rule allowing teams to recruit talent from countries within 50 km (about 31 miles) of the club, SDFC’s proximity to Tijuana frees them to recruit from Mexico. That, in addition to being the most pleasant place to live in America, makes San Diego an ideal location for a soccer community, club, and academy. Though San Diego has long had a strong soccer community and even formerly had a pro USL club (RIP San Diego Loyal SC), the region has lacked an academy feeding a local professional club.
That’s where SDFC owners Right to Dream Academy comes in. Founded in Ghana in 1999, Right to Dream academies have expanded into Denmark and Egypt, producing top-level talent like Mohammed Kudus of West Ham, formerly of Ajax. The academy is owned by the Mansour Group, headed by Sir Mohamed Mansour. The academy is also known for having a fast-paced, high-flying play style.
So on top of being effective, it’s fun to watch, too.
Of course, any academy graduates are still years away. As for SDFC’s inaugural first team, what the team lacks in academy grads, it will try to make up for in carefully chosen leaders. SDFC plans to build a roster around the academy’s style, giving youth players a mold to move up into. This commitment to style will be embodied in the club’s franchise player, who SDFC CEO and LAFC founding partner Tom Penn says will be someone who fits best their system. But Mansour took it even further, saying the club will begin recruiting locally. Whoever they recruit, the owners say the club will be built by the community, retaining local flavor while integrating certain academy principles.
The strength of clubs owned by Right to Dream – FC Nordsjælland in Denmark, professional women’s side TUT FC in Egypt, and now San Diego FC – is defined by the strength of their academy. And that’s exactly why their ownership perfectly positions San Diego FC to become the Ajax of the Americas.
Measuring up to Ajax is a tall order.
The Dutch giants historically have one of the top academies in the world, annually graduating players to the top leagues and competitions globally. The academy and club were founded over 100 years ago and have produced legends like Johan Cruyff, Frank de Boer, Christian Eriksen, Matthijs de Ligt, and USMNT RB Sergiño Dest (get well soon).
Ajax was one of the top teams of the 20th century, winning the Champions League precursor European Cup four times and the Eredivisie 27 times (they’ve won the Dutch league nine times in the 21st century as well). Though their 2023-2024 campaign began uncharacteristically poorly, the club is on the rise again, thanks, in part, to their firm commitment to the style taught throughout the solid base that is their academy.
Four Champions Leagues and 36 league titles are high bars to set. But with a talent bed unlike any other, ideal conditions for attracting players, and a commitment to growing a football community, San Diego FC may indeed be taking the first steps of a 100-year journey to becoming the Ajax of CONCACAF, the Ajax of the Americas, and the Ajax of the 21st Century.
4/30 Update –
According to multiple sources, SDFC is looking to make a splash by signing PSV’s Chucky Lozano as the club’s first designated player. The Mexican star has had a stand out season with the Eredivisie-leader, alongside USMNT stars Malik Tillman, Ricardo Pepi, and Sergiño Dest.
Furthermore, there’s speculation Mexico goalkeeping legend Memo Ochoa has also bought his ticket to San Diego. With names like those in the starting line-up, SDFC will hit the pitch running in 2025.
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