 | ||||
| Full name | Sporting Kansas City[1][2] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Wizards | |||
| Short name | SKC | |||
| Founded | June 6, 1995; 29 years ago (1995-06-06) (as Kansas City Wiz) | |||
| Stadium | Children's Mercy Park Kansas City, Kansas | |||
| Capacity | 18,491[3] | |||
| Owner | Sporting Club | |||
| Head coach | Kerry Zavagnin (Interim) | |||
| League | Major League Soccer | |||
| 2024 | Western Conference: 13th Overall: 27th Playoffs: Did not qualify | |||
| Website | sportingkc.com | |||
 Current season | ||||
Sporting Kansas City is an American professionalsoccer club based in theKansas City metropolitan area. The club competes inMajor League Soccer (MLS) as a member of theWestern Conference. The administrative offices are located indowntown Kansas City, Missouri, and the team clubhouse and practice facilities are located inKansas City, Kansas. The team has played its home matches atChildren's Mercy Park since 2011.[4]
Sporting Kansas City began play in 1996 as a charter team in the league, then namedKansas City Wiz. The team was founded byLamar Hunt in 1995. Starting in 1997, the franchise was namedKansas City Wizards. The team rebranded in November 2010, coinciding with its move to its new home stadium,Children's Mercy Park.[2][5] Since moving across the state line, they have been the onlymajor professional sports league franchise to play their home games inKansas. The franchise has won theMLS Cup in 2000 and 2013, theSupporters' Shield in 2000, and theU.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-tierUSL Championship in 2016 before switching toMLS Next Pro in 2022.
The Kansas City MLS franchise was founded byLamar Hunt, who was also the founder of theAmerican Football League, theKansas City Chiefs, theUnited Soccer Association (which merged with the NPSL to form theNorth American Soccer League or NASL), andMajor League Soccer. TheKansas City Wiz played their first game on April 13, 1996, defeating theColorado Rapids atArrowhead Stadium with a score of 3–0.[6][7] The Wiz players includedPreki,Mo Johnston, andDigital Takawira, and were coached byRon Newman. The team finished third in the Western Conference (fifth overall) in 1996 regular season with a 17–15 record, qualifying for thefirst ever MLS Playoffs. In the 1996 conference semi-finals, the Wiz beat theDallas Burn in three games, won the final game in a shootout, and lost the conference final to theLA Galaxy.
Following the 1996 season, the Wiz changed names, becoming the "Wizards", following legal action from the now defunct electronics retailerThe Wiz.[8] For the1997 MLS season, their record was 21–11, sufficient for the Western Conference regular season championship.Preki was named 1997MLS MVP.[9] In the first round of the playoffs, the Wizards lost to the last-seeded Colorado Rapids. The Wizards had losing records for the1998 and1999 seasons, finishing last in the Western Conference both years. The Wizards fired Ron Newman early during the 1999 season,[10] and replaced him withBob Gansler. The Wizards finished the 1999 season with a record of 8–24, which put them in last place in the Western Conference once again.
In2000, their first full season underBob Gansler, the Wizards opened the season on a 12-game unbeaten streak. GoalkeeperTony Meola recorded an MLS record shutout streak at 681 minutes and 16 shutouts, and won MLS Goalkeeper of the Year andMLS MVP.[11]Peter Vermes was named 2000MLS Defender of the Year. The Wizards finished the 2000 regular season 16–7–9, the best record in the league, winning theMLS Supporters' Shield.
In the 2000 playoffs, fell behind 4 to 1 to the LA Galaxy, butMiklos Molnar scored a penalty kick in game three to send the series into a tiebreaker, where he scored again to send the Wizards to their firstMLS Cup. AtRFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., the Wizards, with the league's best defense, faced the team with the league's best offense, theChicago Fire. The Wizards took the lead on an 11th-minute goal byMiklos Molnar. The Fire put ten shots on goal, but Tony Meola and the defense held, and the Wizards claimed their first MLS Cup Championship. Tony Meola was named 2000 MLS Cup MVP.[11]
After the loss of Preki to theMiami Fusion, the team struggled to defend their championship in2001, making the playoffs as the 8th seed with a record of 11–13–3. In the first round, the Wizards reign as champion ended with a 6 points to 3 loss to Preki and the Miami Fusion. Despite getting back Preki, the Wizards sat in last place in the Western Conference in2002. They made the playoffs with a record of 9–10–9. The last two teams in the East, theMetroStars andD.C. United missed the playoffs, which propelled the Wizards into the playoffs. In the first round, the team would fall, 6 points to 3 to eventual champions, Los Angeles Galaxy.
The Wizards returned to the top half of the West in2003 with a record of 11–10–9. In the first round of the playoffs, the Wizards defeated the Colorado Rapids in the aggregate goal series, 3–1. That set up a one-game showdown with theSan Jose Earthquakes the winner would advance to the2003 MLS Cup. The Wizards took the lead, but the Earthquakes battled back and forced golden goal in overtime byLandon Donovan in the 117th minute, which sent his team to the2003 MLS Cup and the Wizards home.
The Wizards started2004 mediocre, and improved mid-year. The Wizards finished the season on a six-game unbeaten streak to finish 14–9–9 for the Western Conference regular season championship. GoalkeeperTony Meola went down with injury and backupBo Oshoniyi filled as a replacement.[12]
In the first round of the 2004 playoffs, the Wizards lost the first game toSan Jose Earthquakes, 2–0. In the second game, however, the Wizards scored 2 goals beforeJack Jewsbury scored in stoppage time to move KC onto the conference final. In the conference final, the Wizards held off the Los Angeles Galaxy to reach their secondMLS Cup. In the 2004 MLS Cup final, the Wizards went up againstD.C. United at theHome Depot Center inCarson, California. The WizardsJose Burciaga scored in the sixth minute, but D.C. United replied with three goals in the first half. KC was given a lifeline in the 58th minute asJosh Wolff scored the first penalty kick in MLS Cup history,[13] but KC lost the 2004 MLS Cup final 3–2.
Following MLS expansion, the Wizards moved to the Eastern Conference in2005. By the end of the 2005 season, despite the solid play of 2005 MLS Defender of the YearJimmy Conrad, the Wizards found themselves outside the playoffs with a record of 11–9–12. After the season, the team's veteran leader,Preki announced his retirement.
In the2006 season, the Wizards just missed out on a playoff berth with a loss to theNew York Red Bulls on the final day of the regular season, finishing with a 10–14–8 record.Lamar Hunt sold the club in August 2006 toOnGoal, LLC, a six-man ownership group led byCerner Corporation co-foundersNeal Patterson and Cliff Illig, a local group committed to keeping the Wizards inKansas City.
The club dedicated its2007 season to Lamar Hunt, who had died in December 2006. A good start earned them four wins in the first seven weeks of the season. The club picked up goalkeeperKevin Hartman from the LA Galaxy to help with that position. Despite winning just four games after the All-Star break, Kansas City managed to finish fifth in the East at 11–12–7 and qualify for the playoffs. The club shifted over to the West as a result of a playoff format change, the Wizards played againstChivas USA. With the WizardsDavy Arnaud's goal in the first game to win the series, the defense andKevin Hartman did the rest and kept Chivas USA off the scoreboard. In the conference final, the Wizards came up short to theHouston Dynamo, 2–0.
In2008, the Wizards played their home games atCommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas, and ended a four-year playoff drought by posting an 11–10–9 record, good enough for fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Facing theColumbus Crew, the Wizards earned a 1–1 tie in Game 1 of the first round series, but with a 2–0 loss in Game 2 the Wizards lost the aggregate series 3–1.
In the2009 season, the Wizards remained at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, but struggled to score. They went 426 minutes without scoring a goal,[14] the longest streak of the season. In August 2009, with the team holding a 5–7–6 record, KC fired Head CoachCurt Onalfo,[15] and named general managerPeter Vermes the head coach. The Wizards finished with the worst home record in the league,[16] and at 8–13–9 were third to last in the league standings. Top players wereClaudio López (8 goals & 7 assists) andJosh Wolff (11 goals), who sparked the Wizards offense.
The Wizards hostedManchester United F.C. in afriendly on July 25, 2010, and won the match by a score of 2–1. The announced attendance of 52,342 was a record for a professional soccer match inthe Kansas City area[18][19] In the2010 regular season, the Wizards finished third in the Eastern Conference and narrowly missed qualifying for the playoffs.
With the rebranding (of Wizards to Sporting) the team followed a recent trend in MLS of adopting European-style names, such asToronto FC,D.C. United, andReal Salt Lake. The title "Sporting" has its origins in Iberia where it is used only by multi-sports clubs with a history of having multiple departments fielding teams across different sports, the most notable being Portugal'sSporting CP.[8] Kansas City's use of the term has been criticized for inaccuracy andcultural appropriation.[20] At the rebrand announcement, the Kansas City's president announced they had planned to add a rugby club and lacrosse club.[21] Since then, a partnership with theKansas City Blues Rugby Club has been announced,[22] but the two sides are not part of one "Sporting Club" and no lacrosse team has been established. The rebranding was met with a mixture of both excitement and disdain by fans when originally announced.[23]With the opening of the newChildren's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, Sporting became the first major-league team to have played in stadiums on both sides of the state line in Kansas City, while Kansas City became the only U.S. metropolitan area other than New York City to have major professional sports teams playing in different states.
Because Children's Mercy Park was not ready for the beginning of the2011 season, Sporting Kansas City played its first ten games on the road, only winning one game. Once the road trip was over, the team found more success and ended the regular season with the most points of any Eastern Conference team. After defeating the Colorado Rapids on a 4–0 aggregate in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Sporting lost to the Houston Dynamo 2–0 in the Eastern Conference finals.
KC began the2012 season with seven consecutive wins, in the process setting an MLS record for 335 minutes without allowing a shot on goal.[24] The team finished the regular season first in the East with an 18–7–9 record. KC was led byGraham Zusi, who delivered a league-leading 15 assists and was named finalist for 2012MLS MVP,[25]Jimmy Nielsen, who notched a league leading 15 shutouts and was named 2012MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, andMatt Besler, who was namedMLS Defender of the Year. KC lost to the Houston Dynamo in the conference semifinals. KC won the2012 U.S. Open Cup, defeatingSeattle Sounders FC in the finals, to qualify for the2013–14 CONCACAF Champions League.
In2013, Kansas City took advantage of MLS's newly created retention funds to renew contracts with U.S. national team playersGraham Zusi andMatt Besler.[26] Sporting had finished second in the Eastern Conference and overall with 17 wins, 10 losses, and tied 7 times in the regular season. In the 2013 MLS Playoffs, Sporting KC defeatedNE Revolution in the conference semifinals andHouston Dynamo in the conference finals, advancing toMLS Cup 2013. SKC defeatedReal Salt Lake on penalties (7–6) after the match was tied 1–1 in regulation and overtime. It was the coldest MLS Cup game on record.[27]
In the2014 MLS Cup Playoffs, Sporting were eliminated in the East Knockout Round by theNew York Red Bulls.[28]
On October 27, 2014, the league announced that Sporting, along with the Houston Dynamo, would move from the Eastern Conference to the Western Conference when two teams fromEast Coast states,New York City FC andOrlando City SC, joined the league in 2015. Sporting finished sixth in the Western Conference that year, again qualifying for postseason play due to the expanded twelve-club field in the2015 MLS Cup Playoffs.[29] They were eliminated in the Western Knockout Round by thePortland Timbers, 6–7 in aPenalty Shootout.
Sporting's co-owner Neal Patterson died due to soft tissue cancer in July 2017.[30][31] Kansas City unveiled wordmarks on the team's jerseys and on Children's Mercy Park to commemorate their late owner.[32] Later that month, the club traded Dom Dwyer to Orlando City in exchange for $1.6 million (in general and targeted allocation money with additional incentives), setting the record for the most expensive internal trade in league history.[33][34][35][36]
The team won the2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, defeating theNew York Red Bulls 2–1 in the final.[37] The win gave Sporting their fourth Open Cup title, and their third in the last six years. The victory extended head coach Peter Vermes's record to 4–0 in cup finals and championship games with the club.[38] In Open Cup history, Kansas City became just the second franchise in the single elimination tournament to have won four Open Cup finals in the same number of appearances.[39]
Pat Curran, one of the club's ownership partners, died in October 2024.[40] Peter Vermes ended his 15-year tenure as the team's head coach in March 2025 after a winless start to the season.[41]
.svg){kind=logo}
Sporting Kansas City's official colors are "sporting blue" and "dark indigo"[42] with "lead" as a tertiary color.[43] The primary logo is composed of a teardrop-shaped shield containing a stylized representation of the Kansas–Missouri state line with "sporting blue" stripes on the "Kansas" side and an interlocking "SC" on the "Missouri" side. The shield's contour alludes to the team's former logo while under the "Kansas City Wizards" appellation. The stateline represents Sporting's fanbase in both of theKansas andMissouri portions of theKansas City metropolitan area. The eleven alternating horizontal stripes of "sporting blue" and "dark indigo" forming the state line are a nod to the number of players a team fields. The "SC" (forSporting Club) is inspired byAsclepius' rod representing health and fitness, a Greek statue called theWinged Victory of Samothrace – alluding to strength and movement, and to theSpanish architecture of Kansas City'sCountry Club Plaza.[1] Beginning in2013,Ivy Funds became the club's first uniform sponsor,[44] and a new home and away jersey design was unveiled, and an alternateargyle design.
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor | Sleeve sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–2012 | Adidas | — | |
| 2013–2019 | Ivy Investments[45] | — | |
| 2020 | Compass Minerals[46] | ||
| 2021 | Victory Project | Compass Minerals Children's Mercy | |
| 2022–present | Compass Minerals[47] | — | |
Home: 1996–2010
          1996–1997 |   1998–1999 |     2000–2002 |    2003–2004 |      2005 |    2006–2007 |     2008–2009 |     2010 |
Home: 2011–present
     2011–2012 |    2013–2014 |      2015–2016 |      2017–2018 |      2019–2020 |    2021–2022 |     2023–2024 |      2025– |
Third
     2013–2014 |      2015–2016 |      2024 |
From 1996 through 2007, the Wizards played home games in Arrowhead Stadium, theAmerican football stadium mainly used by theKansas City Chiefs. Wizards management kept the west end of Arrowhead tarped off for the first 10 years of play, limiting seating near the field. In 2006, fans could sit all the way around the field, but, in 2007, seating was [again] only available along thesidelines. After the 2007 final season at Arrowhead, the Wizards continued to use the stadium for select large events. In 2008, the club played a regular season home game against theLos Angeles Galaxy at the stadium to accommodate the large crowd expected forDavid Beckham's Galaxy debut. Again in 2010, the Wizards played afriendly here against English clubManchester United, winning 2–1. Once again the club had to use the stadium for their game againstInter Miami to accommodate the large crowd forLionel Messi's first appearance in Kansas City. Inter Miami won the game 3-2.
The Wizards entered an agreement with theKansas City T-Bones to use their home stadium, CommunityAmerica Ballpark, during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The deal was later extended to include 2010. The stadium, located across the state line in Kansas City, Kansas, built a new bleacher section financed by the Wizards to increase its capacity to 10,385. This move made the Wizards the third MLS team to share their home ground with abaseball team.D.C. United had been sharingRFK Stadium withMajor League Baseball'sWashington Nationals in Washington, D.C., before the latter's move intoNationals Park. TheSan Jose Earthquakes usedOakland–Alameda County Coliseum inOakland, home of theOakland A's (andOakland Raiders), for certain games during the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
The Wizards originally planned to return to Kansas City, Missouri, and build a new stadium there – tentatively calledTrails Stadium – as part of a majormixed-use development. The team had received all required approvals and was awaiting site demolition; however, the 2008–09 financial crisis ultimately led to the scrapping of the Trails Stadium project.
The team sought a new site for its stadium, quickly settling on a development in Kansas City, Kansas, known asVillage West, nearCommunityAmerica Ballpark and theKansas Speedway.In September 2009, the developer askedWyandotte County (in Kansas) andKansas state officials for permission to use revenues from existingtax increment financing in theVillage West area to help finance the soccer complex.[48] On December 17, Wizards president Robb Heineman provided an update on the stadium situation, identifying the Kansas City, Kansas, location as near final, pending the signature of the final agreements.[49][50] On January 19, 2010, Wyandotte County approved the bonds to help finance the stadium,[51][52] and on January 20 the groundbreaking ceremony was made, with Wizards CEO Robb Heineman using heavy machinery to move dirt on the construction site.[53]
When the Kansas City Wizards first rebranded as Sporting Kansas City, they builtLivestrong Sporting Park. Spending $200 million on the complex,[54] it was the first "European style" soccer complex in the United States.[55] Name rights were held by theLivestrong Foundation until the downfall ofLance Armstrong from his doping scandal; Sporting Kansas City subsequently changed the name of their stadium to Sporting Park.[56][57][58]
On November 19, 2015, the stadium was renamed to Children's Mercy Park in a ten-year deal withChildren's Mercy Hospital.[59]
| Name | Location | Years in use |
|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City, Missouri | 1996–2007 |
| CommunityAmerica Ballpark | Kansas City, Kansas | 2008–2010 |
| Children's Mercy Park | 2011–present |
Previous stadiums:
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Sporting regularly sells out its matches, with over 100 straight sellouts as of August 2017.[60] Sporting has 14,000 season-ticket holders, with a wait list for season tickets of 3,000 people.[61] Sporting KC has a relatively young fan base, with season-ticket holders having an average age of 29.7 years.[62] Sporting KC works with Sporting Innovations, a consulting firm spun off from the team that focuses on fan engagement.[62] Administrators from several college football teams, such as the Florida Gators, have visited Sporting KC to learn from the team's success at fan engagement.[62]
The mainsupporters group of Sporting Kansas City cheers in the Members' Stand on the North side of Children's Mercy Park and is known as "The Cauldron".[63] The name is derived from the large metal pots used for boiling potions, due to the team's former nameWizards. Since the rebranding in 2010, Sporting have seen dramatic growth in their fan section, with several fan groups adding their voice to The Cauldron culture and atmosphere.[63]
Current groups in the north stands along with The Cauldron include: The Emeritus, Drainage Pond SC, Monster Squad, La Barra KC, Mass Street Mob, King City Yardbirds, Fountain City Ultras, Trenches, and Ladies of SKC.[63]
The South Stand SC cheers from the south end of Children's Mercy Park and is the umbrella group for The Wedge and Ad Astra SKC (a reference to the motto of the state of Kansas), while American Outlaws – Kansas City Chapter are also present in the stands.[63]
"Blue the Dog" is the franchise's official mascot.[64]
The two teams had faced each other regularly over the years, while both having been members of the Eastern conference. During that time, Sporting KC had frequently faced Houston in the playoffs, beginning their rivalry. As of 2022, SKC is 18–18–16 (W–L–T) against the Dynamo.[65]
In their total meetings, Sporting KC is 17–19–12 (W–L–T), (as of October 2023). The two teams faced each other in MLS Cup 2013, in what was the coldest MLS Cup final at that time.[65]
In recent years, the metro areas of Portland and Kansas City have both become major soccer markets due to the performance of their respective soccer teams. Additionally theirNWSL teams, thePortland Thorns and theKansas City Current, have become major rivals, especially since the Thorns' 2–0 win over the Current in the2022 NWSL Championship.[65]
Sporting KC began a rivalry withSt. Louis City SC starting with the team's entrance into the league in the2023 season. Prior to the first meeting, a St Louis fan podcast, the Soccer Capitol Podcast, became the center of attention and heightening tensions between supporters. A series of emails from Sporting Kansas City’s front office arrived in the inbox of the podcast's Gmail account. The club believed the Soccer Capitol Podcast was infringing on the trademark "The Soccer Capital of America," which was registered to Kansas Training Partners LLC, an affiliate company of Sporting Kansas City.[66][67][68][69][failed verification] St. Louis City won the first meeting atCityPark in May 2023, but Sporting KC won the second meeting, which took place atChildren's Mercy Park the following September.[70] The two teams played in their first postseason matchup in the2023 MLS Cup playoffs,[71] with Sporting Kansas City (the #8 seed) upsetting the #1 seeded St. Louis in a best-of-three series.[72]
From 2023, every Sporting Kansas City match is available viaMLS Season Pass on theApple TV app.
Prior to 2017 matches were broadcast inhigh definition onKMCI-TV (except for nationally broadcast matches). The play-by-play announcer wasWHB 810AM 'Border Patrol' host Nate Bukaty, who began broadcasting for the team in the 2015 season. Former Sporting Kansas City goalkeeperAndy Gruenebaum provided color commentary following his retirement after the 2014 season. Color commentary was covered by Jake Yadrich through the 2013 season, after which he transitioned to be the lead analyst on the sidelines during games. Morning reporter Kacie McDonnell ofKSHB-TV, an NBC affiliate and KMCI-TV's sister station, served as the network host of the pregame and postgame shows.[73]
In addition, the Sporting Kansas City Television Network provided coverage across markets in six states:
Matches that are not broadcast nationally were broadcast onFox Sports Kansas City (it was also carried onFox Sports Midwest in the St. Louis market until 2023, where it was removed due to founding of St Louis City SC).[75] In 2017, Fox Sports Midwest only carried select matches, while in 2018, the club announced the St. Louis market would receive all matches while the Mid-Missouri and Iowa markets would receive most matches. Nate Bukaty continues to provide the play-by-play commentary, whileJacob Peterson joined as the color commentator ahead of the 2020 season with Carter Augustine returning as the sideline reporter.[76]
In 2022, prior to an upcoming leaguewide TV deal, KMCI returned as broadcast partner for those in theKansas City market,[77] with other areas being able to stream all matches on the club's website.[78]
Regular local radio coverage in English is provided through an official partnership with Sports Radio 810WHB and its affiliate ESPN Kansas City 99.3FM. Spanish broadcasting was previously found onKDTD 1340AM, but is onKCZZ (ESPN Deportes Kansas City 1480AM) for the 2018 season. The broadcasts are produced by Jorge Moreno and feature the voice of 13-year MLS veteran Diego Gutierrez along with Ale Cabero, Raul Villegas and Alonso Cadena.[79]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
| Name | Nation | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Ron Newman |  | October 11, 1995 – April 14, 1999 |
| Ken Fogarty (interim) |  | April 14, 1999 – April 28, 1999 |
| Bob Gansler |  | April 28, 1999 – July 19, 2006 |
| Brian Bliss (interim) | | July 19, 2006 – December 31, 2006 |
| Curt Onalfo | | November 27, 2006 – August 3, 2009 |
| Peter Vermes | | August 4, 2009 – November 10, 2009 (interim) November 10, 2009 – March 31, 2025 |
| Kerry Zavagnin (interim) | | March 31, 2025 – Present (interim) |
| Name | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Tim Latta | 1996 |
| Doug Newman | 1997–1999 |
| Curt Johnson | 1999–2006 |
| Robb Heineman | 2006–2016 |
| Jake Reid[81] | 2016–present |
| National[82] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Competitions | Titles | Seasons | |
| MLS Cup | 2 | 2000,2013 | |
| Supporters' Shield | 1 | 2000 | |
| U.S. Open Cup | 4 | 2004,2012,2015,2017 | |
This is a partial list of the most recent seasons completed by SKC. For the full season-by-season history, seeList of Sporting Kansas City seasons.
| Season | League | Position | Playoffs | USOC | Continental / Other | Average attendance | Top goalscorer(s) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Div | League | Pld | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Conf. | Overall | Name(s) | Goals | ||||||
| 2017 | 1 | MLS | 34 | 12 | 9 | 13 | 40 | 29 | +11 | 49 | 1.44 | 5th | 11th | R1 | W | DNQ | 19,565 |  Gerso Fernandes | 8 | |
| 2018 | MLS | 34 | 18 | 8 | 8 | 65 | 40 | +25 | 62 | 1.82 | 1st | 3rd | SF | QF | 19,774 |  Dániel Sallói | 14 | |||
| 2019 | MLS | 34 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 49 | 67 | –18 | 38 | 1.12 | 11th | 21st | DNQ | R4 | CONCACAF Champions League | SF | 18,601 |  Felipe Gutiérrez | 12 | |
| 2020 | MLS | 21 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 38 | 25 | +13 | 39 | 1.86 | 1st | 5th | QF | NH | MLS is Back tournament | QF | 21,188 |  Alan Pulido | 6 | |
| 2021 | MLS | 34 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 58 | 40 | +18 | 58 | 1.7 | 3rd | 4th | SF | NH | DNQ | 18,757 | Dániel Sallói | 16 | ||
| 2022 | MLS | 34 | 11 | 16 | 7 | 42 | 54 | -12 | 40 | 1.18 | 12th | 23rd | DNQ | SF | 18,365 |  Johnny Russell | 8 | |||
| 2023 | MLS | 34 | 12 | 14 | 8 | 48 | 51 | -3 | 44 | 1.29 | 8th | 15th | SF | R4 | 18.616 | Alan Pulido | 14 | |||
| 2024 | MLS | 34 | 8 | 19 | 7 | 51 | 66 | -15 | 31 | 0.91 | 13th | 27th | DNQ | RU | 21,193 |  Willam Agada | 10 | |||
^ 1.Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only.
^ 2.Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in league,MLS Cup playoffs,U.S. Open Cup,MLS is Back tournament,CONCACAF Champions League,FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.
Sporting Cristal: 1–2Santos Laguna: 2–4
Barcelona: 3–2Sporting Cristal: 1–2Barcelona: 1–1Santos Laguna: 0–1
W Connection: 1–0, 2–0 (Wizards win 3–0 on aggregate)Santos Laguna: 1–2, 2–0 (Wizards win 3–2 on aggregate)Monarcas Morelia: 1–6, 1–1 (Morelia advance 7–2 on aggregate)
Deportivo Saprissa: 0–0, 1–2 (Saprissa advance 2–1 on aggregate afteradded extra time)Atlas: 0–0New England Revolution: 1–1Santos Laguna: 1–3
Real Estelí: 2–0, 1–1
Olimpia: 2–0, 0–0Cruz Azul: 1–0, 1–5 (Cruz Azul advance 5–2 on aggregate)Real Estelí: 1–1, 3–0Deportivo Saprissa: 3–1, 0–2Central FC: 2–2, 3–1
Vancouver Whitecaps FC: 3–0, 1–2Toluca: 3–0, 2–0 (Sporting KC advance 5–0 on aggregate)
Independiente: 1–2, 3–0 (Sporting KC advance 4–2 on aggregate)Monterrey 0–5, 2–5 (Monterrey advance 10–2 on aggregate)| # | Name | Career | MLS | Playoffs | Open Cup | CCL | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Preki | 1996–2000 2002–2005 | 71 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 81 |
| 2 | Johnny Russell | 2018–2024 | 60 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 67 |
| 3 | Dom Dwyer | 2012–2017 | 57 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 66 |
| 4 | Dániel Sallói | 2017–present | 49 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 62 |
| 5 | Davy Arnaud | 2002–2011 | 43 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 52 |
| 6 | Josh Wolff | 2003–2006 2008–2010 | 43 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 46 |
| 7 | Chris Klein | 1998–2005 | 39 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 43 |
| 8 |  Kei Kamara | 2009–2013 | 38 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 41 |
| 9 | Alan Pulido | 2020–2024 | 35 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 |
| 10 | Graham Zusi | 2009–2023 | 31 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 35 |
| 11 | Mo Johnston | 1996–2001 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 32 |
| Benny Feilhaber | 2013–2017 2019 | 29 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 32 | |
| 13 |  Vitalis Takawira | 1996–2000 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 31 |
| 14 | Scott Sealy | 2005–2008 | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 30 |
The following records are for MLS regular season only:
Sporting Legends is an initiative launched in 2013 that pays tribute to the individuals who played an instrumental role for Sporting Kansas City and in the growth of soccer in the region.[85]
The individuals named as Sporting Legends, their year of induction, and a brief description are listed below:
| Player | Date | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Vitalis Takawira | May 16, 1998 | New England Revolution |
| Preki | September 5, 1998 | San Jose Earthquakes |
| Davy Arnaud | July 3, 2004 | Dallas Burn |
| Eddie Johnson | May 26, 2007 | New England Revolution |
| June 2, 2007 | New York Red Bulls | |
 Birahim Diop | October 23, 2010 | San Jose Earthquakes |
| Dom Dwyer+ | July 1, 2015 | FC Dallas |
| Gerso | May 17, 2017 | Seattle Sounders FC |
| Johnny Russell | April 20, 2018 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
| Krisztián Németh | March 30, 2019 | Montreal Impact |
| Johnny Russell | May 26, 2019 | Seattle Sounders FC |
^ + Dom Dwyer scored four goals in this game[86][87][88]
Primary sources
Further reading
