Las Vegas Lights FC

Las Vegas Lights FC is an American professional soccer team based in Las Vegas, Nevada, that plays in the USL Championship. The team employs neon imagery in its crest and jerseys. It has engaged in unusual promotions to attract fans, including the use of llama mascots and rewarding players with casino chips. The city played host to the 1994 FIFA World Cup draw in December 1993 and was considered several times for a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise, but was passed over by the league. An MLS expansion bid was explored in 2014, led by Findlay Sports and Entertainment and the Cordish Company, proposing a 24,000-seat stadium at Symphony Park in Downtown Las Vegas. The Las Vegas bid was rejected for further consideration by MLS in February 2015, putting an end to plans for the publicly financed downtown stadium. On August 11, 2017, Las Vegas was formally announced as a USL expansion team that would join the league in 2018. On March 17, 2018, the team played their inaugural regular season match in Fresno, California, winning 3–2 over Fresno FC. In the 2018 U.S. Open Cup, the Lights defeated FC Tucson and advanced to the third round, where they lost to FC Golden State Force.