Minnesota United FC officially join MLS

Welcome to Major League Soccer, Minnesota United FC.

The North American Soccer League club were officially unveiled as MLS's newest franchise Wednesday at an event held at Target Field, the home of Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins.

With an ownership group led by Dr. Bill McGuire, Minnesota will kick off their inaugural season in 2018 - one year after Atlanta's MLS club and Los Angeles FC get their campaigns underway - and will play in a new, soccer-specific stadium in downtown Minneapolis.

"We are proud to welcome Minnesota to Major League Soccer," commissioner Don Garber said in a league statement. "The ownership group's commitment to soccer and the community, the area's growing millennial population and the region's rich tradition of supporting soccer at all levels in Minnesota were key indicators that this was the right market.

"The passionate soccer fans in Minnesota will soon have a world-class, downtown soccer stadium that will serve as the home for the new MLS team and become a destination for marquee international sports events."

Among those in attendance for Wednesday's event were FOX Sports host Rob Stone and Landon Donovan.

Also on hand were the Dark Clouds, the club's supporters group that was formed in 2004, when they supported the now-dissolved Minnesota Thunder of the since-folded United Soccer Leagues First Division.

MLS has a stated goal of reaching 24 clubs by 2020, and the addition of Minnesota means that there will be 23 clubs in the league by 2018.