Real Salt Lake Football Club, abbreviated as "RSL" (Spanish: Real Salt Lake), was founded in 2004 and is a professional soccer club based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area in the United States.
In 2006, the team brought in stars like Freddy Adu and established a formal partnership with Real Madrid. The team disbanded after winning the championship in 2004 due to the establishment of Real Salt Lake. The first head coach, John Ellinger, previously coached the U.S. U17 national team, and assistant coach Chris Agnello came from the original Blitzz team. The team also founded regional competitions such as the Rocky Mountain Cup.
The term "Royal" in the team's name comes from Spanish, inspired by the naming tradition of Spanish clubs like Real Madrid. This decision stemmed from owner Dave Checketts' admiration for the Spanish style of football, and the team unexpectedly won the MLS Cup championship in 2009 under the leadership of Jason Kreis.