With its inaugural MLS match versus the LA Galaxy three months away, San Diego FC continues to make huge moves in order for its rookie regular season to become one for the ages.

The team recently announced that Spanish international football standout and World Cup champion Juan Mata (above) has joined the club’s ownership group. Mata is the first active international soccer player to hold an ownership stake in MLS joining David Beckham as only the second international player to be involved in league ownership.

That along with some of the club’s previous signings which include Mexican soccer star Chucky Lozano, former San Diego Loyal goalkeeper Duran Ferree, and former Manchester United defender Paddy McNair has the fans in eager anticipation to see what level of success SDFC will have on the pitch.

Only one team in MLS history has managed to win the championship in its inaugural season (not taking into account D.C. United’s championship in the league’s inaugural year of 1996), and that happened in 1998 with the Chicago Fire. The Fire also pulled off “the double” that year by winning the U.S. Open Cup over the Columbus Crew 2-1 in front of its home fans at Soldier Field.

In terms of rivalries, San Diego FC will need to look no further than the two teams in Los Angeles (the Galaxy and LAFC), which have been a force to be reckoned with as LAFC has made it to the last two finals (winning the championship in 2022) while LA Galaxy already has five MLS Cups and finished tied in points this season with LAFC on top of the Western Conference standings.

Most recently, St. Louis City SC became the first expansion team in MLS history to win a conference title in its first season last year (SDFC will play its opening home game versus St. Louis City at Snapdragon Stadium on March 1).

While everyone eagerly awaits SDFC’s next move, making the playoffs in its first year would definitely be seen as a huge success, considering that San Diego Wave made it to the playoffs in its first two NWSL seasons.