The reality is there aren’t any major surprises at the top of MLS entering the 2026 season.
Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, the defending MLS Cup champion, got stronger in the offseason, addressing weaknesses at goalkeeper, center back and forward. LAFC is loaded once again in the West and will look to the prolific tandem of Son Heung-min and Denis Bouanga to challenge Messi & Co. San Diego, FC Cincinnati and Vancouver also look strong once again, while Nashville’s addition of Cristian Espinoza as a free agent has vaulted them into the contender tier.
Is there a surprise team lingering out there? No doubt. Could it be the Chicago Fire in Year 2 under Gregg Berhalter? Or an Orlando City team that reloaded with a trio of Brazilian under-22s? Or maybe a team like Atlanta United, reunited with manager Tata Martino, or Real Salt Lake that truly shocks us?
With the MLS regular season beginning on Saturday — Messi’s Miami vs. Son’s LAFC at the LA Coliseum is the headliner, provided the Argentine is healthy enough to feature — we took a crack at setting the table with our league-wide power rankings.
MLS Preseason Power Rankings30. Sporting Kansas City
(2025: 7-20-7, 28 points; 15th in West)
After firing longtime coach and general manager Peter Vermes last season, Sporting KC gave David Lee a seven-year contract as its new president of soccer operations and GM. That is a mandate to remake the club as he sees fit – and that’s not a short-term project. There is a lot of work to do in Kansas City, and to build properly the majority of those efforts will come on the infrastructure side before the roster. That likely means a rough 2026 season.
29. D.C. United
(2025: 5-18-11, 26 points; 15th in East)
It’s fair to say that United had one of the more intriguing offseasons of any team. It looks like the club finally has an understanding that, even if it doesn’t have an enormous budget, it can look within the league to find serviceable players. Forward Tai Baribo, defender Sean Nealis and goalkeeper Sean Johnson as the new spine is a start, but there are still a lot of needs to address in order for this team to reach more competitive levels.
28. CF Montréal
(2025: 6-18-10, 28 points; 13th in East)
Montreal is rebuilding in a way in which it has found some success before: looking for deals within the league, including Brayan Vera via trade with RSL and Toto Avilés on loan from Inter Miami. But there just isn’t much to excite you about this Montreal team, which will lean on Prince Owusu (13 goals, five assists in 2025) and designated player Iván Jaime to pull the Canadian side out of the depths of a tough Eastern Conference.
27. St. Louis City
(2025: 8-18-8, 32 points; 13th in West)
It seemed like St. Louis wanted to ride the high of its expansion season for as long as possible. That finally ended last year with a tear-down of the sporting structure. Corey Wray and Yoann Damet were hired as sporting director and coach, respectively. Former LAFC defender Mamadou Fall is a nice addition, but with João Klauss off to the LA Galaxy, St. Louis is lacking at forward – and in several other spots. This feels like the beginning of a rebuild.
26. San Jose Earthquakes
(2025: 11-15-8, 41 points; 10th in West)
Year 2 under Bruce Arena is when clubs tend to make their leaps, but expectations should be more tempered in the Bay Area. If Timo Werner can rediscover his past scoring form, then the calculus changes, but he’s also stepping into an attack that just lost its leading scorers and assistman in Chicho Arango, Josef Martínez and Espinoza, respectively. That’s a lot to replace, let alone take to another level.
25. Real Salt Lake
(2025: 12-17-5, 41 points; ninth in West)
RSL made some shrewd-looking under-the-radar moves this winter. Looking to bolster its squad around U.S. men’s national team midfielder Diego Luna, Salt Lake added forward Morgan Guilavogui from Lens as a designated player, as well as Uruguayan World Cup hopeful Juan Manuel Sanabria from Atlético San Luis in Liga MX. Those were two of eight incoming transfers, as RSL will again look to surprise in the West. Keep an eye on young American Zavier Gozo, who many around the league think will be the next up for a transfer abroad.
24. Atlanta United
(2025: 5-16-13, 28 points; 14th in East)
Martino is back for a second stint, but the Five Stripes remain a wait-and-see project. A club with the resources and facilities like Atlanta has should not find itself in this spot of any preseason ranking. But disappointment has become the norm and supporters are wary of being let down again. Expect new Argentine signings Tomás Jacob and Elías Baéz to provide an immediate jolt of competitiveness.
23. New England Revolution
(2025: 9-16-9, 36 points; 11th in East)
Former U.S. youth national team coach Marko Mitrović was hired as the Revs look to rebuild again. He’s leaned heavily on the youth national team players he got to know during his time working for U.S. Soccer, including Brooklyn Raines and Griffin Yow. New England has some decent pieces, but it might take time to come together under a new coach.
22. FC Dallas
(2025: 11-12-11, 44 points; seventh in West)
While Croatian striker Petar Musa might be one of the most underrated players in MLS — and a player from the league who could most benefit from the World Cup stage if he finds minutes for his country — there simply isn’t enough around him in Dallas to compete. Dallas added Herman Johansson, who had seven goals and eight assists last season for Mjällby in Sweden, and Joaquín Valiente, who spent last season on loan at Barcelona SC in Ecuador, to boost their hopes in the West.
21. Austin FC
(2025: 13-13-8, 47 points, sixth in West)
Austin made some intriguing moves both within the league, trading for Jayden Nelson and Joseph Rosales, and then outside of it, bringing back a familiar name in Facundo Torres. The former Orlando City forward had 37 goals and 16 assists in three seasons in MLS, but Austin will need the Uruguayan to be at his most productive in order to compete.
20. Minnesota United
(2025: 16-8-10, 58 points; fourth in West)
However long James Rodríguez remains a Loon, the signing has undoubtedly made Minnesota one of the most interesting teams to watch in the early months of the season. It’s an uncharacteristic move for the club but comes at low risk and presents an element of excitement and potential where there is otherwise plenty of uncertainty and question following the recent manager change of Eric Ramsay (West Brom) to former assistant Cam Knowles.
Minnesota United brought James Rodríguez to MLS in an offseason stunner (Courtesy of Minnesota United)
19. Houston Dynamo
(2025: 9-15-10, 37 points; 12th in West)
The Dynamo front office was among the busiest this offseason. After missing the playoffs, it was obvious upgrades were needed. The biggest signing was winger Mateusz Bogusz, a sought-after and expensive attacker who returned to MLS after a frustrating spell with Cruz Azul. The Poland international scored 16 goals and added nine assists for LAFC (regular season and playoffs) in 2024. Brazilian winger Guilherme, 30, and defender Lucas Halter, 25, join the Dynamo from Brazil’s first division.
18. Toronto FC
(2025: 6-14-14, 32 points; 12th in East)
TFC is desperate to return to the league’s elite and may finally have a pathway after getting out from under Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi’s contracts. Djordje Mihailovic will play a starring role after his midseason trade from Colorado, while veteran U.S. center back Walker Zimmerman has been brought in to solidify the back line. Josh Sargent remains a transfer target, but Norwich has remained steadfast about its stance regarding the U.S. forward, and the longer the saga drags out, the more Toronto may need to find its goals elsewhere.
17. Colorado Rapids
(2025: 11-5-8, 41 points; 11th in West)
New coach Matt Wells comes to Colorado from Tottenham looking to reshape the team. Shipping Cole Bassett to the Portland Timbers is part of that, and the Rapids will hope Paxten Aaronson (one goal in seven games) can become a domestic star for them. Colorado also made a $1.9 million trade for Dante Sealy, who had nine goals last year in Montreal. Still, it feels like Colorado has plenty to do to feel like an actual contender in the West.
16. Portland Timbers
(2025: 11-12-11, 44 points; eighth in West)
The Timbers sent David Ayala to Inter Miami, but made a nice move by acquiring Bassett for at least $2.65 million. Still, they have more holes to fill in the attack, and they’ll need increased contributions from designated players David Da Costa and Kristoffer Velde, with the latter impressing in his appearances at the end of last season and now primed for a full run.
15. New York Red Bulls
(2025: 12-15-7, 43 points; 10th in East)
The club hired Michael Bradley as head coach in a move that is part of a shift in strategy. Bradley has no previous top-flight experience as a head coach, but he’s a former U.S. national team captain and a local soccer hero who won an MLS Next Pro title with Red Bulls II. He succeeds Sandro Schwarz, who guided the club to an MLS Cup appearance in 2024 but also oversaw the end to its 15-year streak of making the playoffs. Will Bradley immediately stamp his personality on the squad? Or will he be another Red Bull employee who toes the company line? It’s a fascinating experiment.
14. Charlotte FC
(2025: 19-13-2, 59 points; fourth in East)
Pep Biel is back, and that should mean good things for Charlotte. The Spanish midfielder had 10 goals and 12 assists in 26 games before a knee injury ended his 2025 season. With the addition of Luca de la Torre in midfield and some bolstered depth, the hope is that Biel and Wilfried Zaha can push this team a bit further than last year’s finish.
13. Columbus Crew
(2025: 14-8-12, 54 points; seventh in East)
It’s easy to forget what Wilfried Nancy accomplished in Columbus due to his brutal stint with Celtic, but the Crew were among MLS’s sharpest teams under his watch. Now, with Henrik Rydström in as his replacement in his first job outside of Sweden and Darlington Nagbe having retired, there are reasons to wonder whether the high standard will be maintained. The health and form of star forward Wessam Abou Ali after his ankle injury will dictate plenty, while a midseason move abroad for U.S. wingback Max Arfsten is firmly on the radar.
12. Orlando City
(2025: 14-9-11, 53 points; ninth in East)
The Lions still have a question to answer after the departure of U.S. defender Alex Freeman to La Liga’s Villarreal, but they’ve been aggressive in adding under-22 players in this winter window, and there is belief those young signings could make an immediate impact. Tiago could play a big role right away as the No. 9, while 18-year-old Luis Otavia has already played minutes in Serie A in Brazil. Iago Teodoro, meanwhile, wore the captain’s armband for Brazil’s U-20s. It all makes Orlando City a true wild card in 2026.
11. NYCFC
(2025: 17-12-5, 56 points; fifth in East)
Much of the squad returns from a team that finished fifth in the Eastern Conference last year. Losing leading scorer Alonso Martínez to an ACL injury suffered on international duty last November was a huge blow, and Justin Haak was a stalwart in the lineup, but left as a free agent to sign with the LA Galaxy. NYCFC will look to Australian national teamer Kai Trewin to replace Haak’s minutes, but after seeing a deal for a new No. 9 fall through, what happens up top is a big question mark.
10. LA Galaxy
(2025: 7-18-9, 30 points; 14th in West)
The Galaxy would’ve had top-five potential had attacking fulcrum Riqui Puig been making his return as hoped. Instead, he’s missing a second straight season with a torn ACL, leaving the 2024 champs wondering what could’ve been. Greg Vanney’s side still made savvy intraleague additions in Jakob Glesnes and Haak, while also extending the loan of forward Matheus Nascimento. There’s no way this club should be fending off the wooden spoon, like it did last season en route to a paltry 30-point output.
9. Chicago Fire
(2025: 15-11-8, 53 points; eighth in East)
Berhalter restored the winning ways in the Windy City in his first year as manager and sporting director, and now expectations have risen – especially while rumors of a summer swoop for Robert Lewandowski are swirling. Regardless, the club’s big export this winter was selling Brian Gutiérrez to Chivas, while smart signings like free agent Robin Lod and South African international center back Mbekezeli Mbokazi should further solidify the group.
8. Seattle Sounders
(2025: 15-9-10, 55 points; fifth in West)
The Sounders didn’t make any significant additions and sold Obed Vargas to Atlético Madrid, while Pedro de la Vega will miss the start of the season after suffering a nasty knee injury. Nevertheless, Brian Schmetzer’s side remains defensively, er, sound, and there’s something to be said for the consistent product churned out by the likes of Albert Rusnák, Cristian Roldan and Jordan Morris. Osaze De Rosario, meanwhile, is a candidate for a breakout season.
7. Philadelphia Union
(2025: 20-8-6, 66 points; first in East; won Supporters’ Shield)
The reigning Shield winners don’t get the full complement of respect entering a new season – for good reason. They crashed out of the playoffs in the conference semifinals, then lost two core defenders (Glesnes, Kai Wagner) and their leading scorer (Baribo). They’ve been busy reworking the squad, and if the replacements hit, including club-record signing and forward Ezekiel Alladoh, they’ll contend again. But there’s warranted skepticism, especially as the new pieces adjust and mesh early.
Vancouver made MLS Cup months after Thomas Müller’s arrival from Bayern Munich (Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
6. Vancouver Whitecaps
(2025: 18-7-9, 63 points; second in West; lost in MLS Cup)
The club’s murky future in Vancouver after 2026 hangs over this season, but Jesper Sørensen’s roster is as capable as the squad that came within a few bounces of winning MLS Cup and also reached the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup final. We saw what Thomas Müller brings to the table in a small sample size and, stretched over a full season, the possibilities are tantalizing. There will need to be compensation out wide for the losses of Canadian internationals Ali Ahmed (Norwich City) and Nelson (Austin FC).
5. Nashville SC
(2025: 16-12-6, 54 points; sixth in East)
Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge have a third musketeer in the attack after the smash free-agent signing of Espinoza. There should be ample service and productivity in the final third, but after losing Zimmerman to Toronto in free agency, there’s reason to question whether there’s enough solidity and consistency in the back to win the games in which that attacking trio is neutralized.
4. FC Cincinnati
(2025: 20-9-5, 65 points; second in East)
Cincy was a point off the Supporters’ Shield in 2025 and still revolves around Evander, the playmaker who had 67 goal contributions (33 goals, 34 assists) in the last two seasons. The big questions: can Kévin Denkey level up after a 15-goal debut season, and can the club remain resolute if facing Inter Miami in the playoffs, instead of wilting like it did last postseason?
3. San Diego FC
(2025: 19-9-6, 63 points; first in West)
It’ll be hard for San Diego to top its expansion season with a more impressive Year 2, but the early returns in Concacaf Champions Cup – namely, eliminating Pumas while effectively in preseason mode – are promising. The club still needs to sort out its Chucky Lozano problem – there are no plans to play him, but it still needs to pay him (a lot) – but with MVP candidate Anders Dreyer pulling the strings at the heart of a solid all-around side, there’s ample reason to believe Year 1 was no fluke.
2. LAFC
(2025: 17-8-9, 60 points; third in West)
Son’s summer arrival lived up to the hype in every way, and now he’s poised for a dynamic first full season in MLS. The rumors and reports surrounding transfer bids for Denis Bouanga are unsettling, as he’s been one of the league’s most prolific and consistent attacking stars for three years. If he were to go, the equation would change, but this is the chief contender for Miami’s throne, and it’s apropos that they’ll open the season against each other. Will they close it that way, too?
1. Inter Miami
(2025: 19-7-8, 65 points; third in East; won MLS Cup)
The best in 2025 got better. It took until the postseason for Javier Mascherano to unlock the true potential of Miami’s attack by benching Luis Suárez and flanking Lionel Messi with Tadeo Allende and Mateo Silvetti. Now he’ll have a whole season to play around with that while also working in new star striker Germán Berterame. There’ll be some adjusting for the losses of the retired Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, but Miami reloaded in the offseason and, more importantly, got stronger defensively. The only major question is how much the World Cup takes out of Messi (assuming he plays in it, which, for whatever reason, he has yet to publicly confirm) and what shape – physically and mentally – he’s in after it’s over.