D.C. United was founded in 1994 and is based in Washington, D.C. The club was one of the ten original franchises when Major League Soccer launched its inaugural season in 1996, and it quickly became the league's dominant force during its formative years.
The club's golden era came almost immediately. Under head coach Bruce Arena, D.C. United won back-to-back MLS Cups in 1996 and 1997, a U.S. Open Cup, two Supporters' Shields, a CONCACAF Champions' Cup, and the Copa Interamericana — all by the end of 1999. The 1998 CONCACAF Champions' Cup victory made D.C. United the first American club to win a continental club championship, and their Copa Interamericana title remains the only one ever won by a U.S. side. The attacking "magic triangle" of Jaime Moreno, Marco Etcheverry, and Raúl Díaz Arce defined that era, supported by U.S. internationals such as Eddie Pope and John Harkes.
A second wave of success arrived in the mid-2000s. Piotr Nowak guided the club to a fourth MLS Cup in 2004, and further Supporters' Shield titles followed in 2006 and 2007. A U.S. Open Cup was added in 2008 under Tom Soehn, and a final major trophy — another U.S. Open Cup — came in 2013 under long-serving manager Ben Olsen.
Since the mid-2010s the club has endured a more difficult period, cycling through several managers and missing the playoffs on multiple occasions. D.C. United plays its home matches at Audi Field, which opened in 2018, and as of 2026 is managed by René Weiler. In total the club holds four MLS Cups, four Supporters' Shields, three U.S. Open Cups, and two international titles — tied with the LA Galaxy as the most decorated club in American soccer history.