In the early days of MLS, rivalries didn’t come easily. Not many clubs were incredibly close to one another, and there lacked years of an between teams and their supporters.
To remedy that issue, some clubs and supporters’ groups introduced their own trophies between two or three clubs, adding some silverware to the bragging rights that come with regular-season wins in heated matchups.
Even as MLS has grown and created new natural rivalries over the past 30 years, several clubs still seek one of the league's “Rivalry Cups” each season.
Ranked from least-heated to most, here are the MLS Rivalry Cups you should know about, as the 2025 regular season continues.
7. Brimstone Cup – Chicago Fire vs. FC Dallas (2001)
Created by the supporters’ groups of Chicago Fire FC and FC Dallas, the Brimstone Cup has been awarded since 2001. However, it has lost some lustre in recent years, with Dallas and Chicago not meeting in every MLS regular season in an unbalanced schedule between Eastern Conference and Western Conference teams.
While there were no games between the two teams in 2023 or 2024, Chicago Fire won the 2025 title with a 3–1 victory over FC Dallas in what was Gregg Berhalter’s first win as Fire head coach.
The 2025 win was Chicago’s ninth, trailing Dallas’ 12 victories.
6. Heritage Cup – Seattle Sounders FC vs. San Jose Earthquakes (2009)
The Heritage Cup rivalry between Seattle Sounders FC and the San Jose Earthquakes dates back to the 1970s, when both teams competed in the now-defunct North American Soccer League (NASL). However, they introduced the Heritage Cup in 2009, bringing some silverware to the battles between two of the longest-running clubs on the American West Coast.
While Seattle focuses more on the Cascadia Cup and San Jose eyes their California state rivals, the trophy is still awarded each season, with Seattle and San Jose both claiming the title eight times.
