FALLS CHURCH, Va., July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Capital One and Major League Soccer (MLS) are kicking off the ultimate credit card for soccer lovers, the MLS MasterCard. Earlier this year, MLS named Capital One the exclusive credit card issuer of MLS and its 12 member teams. Now, every cardholder will feel the excitement of the game from a product loaded with benefits -- like the chance to attend the 2001 MLS Cup in Columbus, Ohio.

MLS fans can choose from five design images, including the logos of three different MLS teams (D.C. United, Tampa Bay Mutiny or Los Angeles Galaxy) or soccer designs. Additional card designs will be added to the roster next season.

"We anticipate a great interest from our fans to be able to identify themselves with their favorite MLS team," said MLS Executive Vice President Paul Phipps.

All MLS cardholders are eligible to attend the league's championship game

• the MLS Cup. The grand prize winner of the MLS MasterCard Sweepstakes will receive such tantalizing prizes as: two tickets to the 2001 MLS Cup, a stadium tour, an autographed team jersey and hospitality passes to post-game events as well as two tickets to the 2002 season.

Soccer fans will find applications at all twelve MLS stadiums. Or, customers can call 1-800-428-2700 to apply or log onto www.MLSnet.com for more information.

"Soccer fans are extremely passionate and diverse," says Peter Schnall, Capital One's Senior Vice President of Marketing and Analysis. "We're tapping into that excitement with a product that soccer fans will be proud to use and carry. Everyone's a winner."

Capital One joins the MLS corporate family including: Official Sponsors -- Aquafina, Budweiser, Honda, Kellogg's, MasterCard, New York Life, Pepsi, Snickers and Yahoo!; Official Suppliers -- adidas, Atletica, Kappa, Nike and Umbro; Corporate Partners -- Best Foods and LEGO; and Suppliers -- ACE, Allsport Photography, Awards.com, Kwik Goal and Official Sports International.

Headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, Capital One Financial Corporation (www.CapitalOne.com) is a holding company whose principal subsidiaries, Capital One Bank and Capital One, F.S.B., offer consumer lending products. Capital One's subsidiaries collectively had 27.1 million accounts and $21.9 billion in managed loans outstanding as of June 30, 2000. Capital One is one of the major financial service providers on the Internet, with online account decisioning, real-time account numbering, online retail deposits and a growing number of customers serviced online. Capital One is a FORTUNE 500 company that trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 500 index. Capital One was named "Card Marketer of the Year" by Card Marketing magazine (March 2000) and also ranked by Business Week as one of the Top 50 Best Performers of the S&P 500 Index (March 27, 2000).

Celebrating its fifth season in 2000, Major League Soccer features many top stars from the United States and around the world, and is America's only Division I outdoor professional soccer league. The twelve teams that comprise MLS are: the Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids, Columbus Crew, Dallas Burn, D.C. United, Kansas City Wizards, Los Angeles Galaxy, MetroStars, Miami Fusion, New England Revolution, San Jose Earthquakes and the Tampa Bay Mutiny. SOURCE Capital One Financial Corporation

CONTACT: Dana Cilluffo of Capital One, 703-289-6811 or dana.cilluffo@capitalone.com; or Catherine Philbin of Major League Soccer, 212-450-1266 or cphilbin@mlsnet.com/