Major League Soccer announced on Wednesday morning that Phoenix is not a finalist for two expansion slots.
MLS announced Cincinnati, Detroit, Nashville and Sacramento will make formal presentations on December 6.
Phoenix is still under consideration for two more expansion clubs that will be announced at a later time.
The argument to bring MLS to the Valley is strong: a large Latino and millennial population, an ownership group with the land and capital to build a taxpayer-free MLS-sized stadium, and a passionate fan base that has made Phoenix Rising sixth among all 30 USL teams in average home attendance in just their first season in the East Valley.
Phoenix Rising, which underwent a total rebrand and moved from Peoria to Scottsdale before the beginning of the 2017 season, averaged 6,127 fans per home game at a stadium that was built in less than two months.
