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The 2026 MLS season will be remembered for …
Messi v Son. The two best players in the league play for the two “glamour” teams on opposite coasts, and each have large and dedicated fanbases. If both stay relatively healthy and perform up to capabilities, there’s no way the race between them for some honor (Golden Boot? MVP? Both?) won’t be fascinating to see unfold. AA
Whatever the league does – or doesn’t do – to capitalize on the World Cup. We’re just months away from arguably the biggest moment in the history of American men’s soccer and it’s still not entirely clear (schedule shift aside) what the league is doing to exploit it. It will be years, probably, before we figure out whether MLS succeeded or not – let’s hope the ad wizards in the boardroom have something figured out. PM
A likely decision on the future of the Vancouver Whitecaps. By and large, 2026 looks like a year for quiet fine-tuning before a schedule change. It feels like the stadium standoff in Vancouver is coming to a head. Will the Whitecaps be around for a fall-to-spring schedule? This writer hopes so, though he can’t afford land in British Columbia. JR
MLS’s response to the World Cup. 2026 was meant to be the year of opportunity. The catalyst American soccer had been waiting for. The boom. So now that it’s here, why does it feel so underwhelming? The league is cutting coverage of itself. Broadcast talent has been chopped. Having waited this long for The Big Plan to be presented to us all, it’s now safe to assume there isn’t one. GR
The MVP will be …
Lionel Messi. The Argentinian has made the MVP conversation boring from the moment he won it in 2024 despite only appearing in half of Inter Miami’s games. That’s about as big a statistical knock you can count on him taking for something like this, and it didn’t matter. Assuming he stays healthy, he’ll be the first three-time MVP. AA
Son Heung-min. It feels incredibly dumb to bet against Messi at this point, but watching Son with Los Angeles FC in the back half of 2025 gave me hope that the Argentinian may get a run for his money this year. Messi is also seemingly growing more injury-prone by the minute, which would leave just a bit of daylight for Son to wrap his hands around this award. PM
Son Heung-min. There’s potential for voter fatigue on Messi, but if Son (or anyone other challenger) wins MVP, it’ll be entirely deserved. Son projects as more likely to play 30-plus games this year, and he should be front and center for the next era of LAFC. Keep an eye on Cristian Espinoza, one of the league’s best chance creators, who moved from overlooked San Jose to a very strong Nashville side. JR
Lionel Messi. Even if it shouldn’t be, it’ll be Messi because of the way these things work. The World Cup will probably disrupt his 2026 campaign, but the greatest of all-time remains the best in MLS and a third-straight MVP award will underline that fact. GR
The Golden Boot winner will be …
Kévin Denkey. The scorer of 15 regular-season goals last year, FC Cincinnati’s Togolese striker has very little internal competition and one of the league’s best playmakers behind him in Evander. If recent transfer interest results in a summer move away, though, I’ll revert to Son. AA
Son Heung-min. For many of the same reasons he’ll be the league’s MVP. The idea of a full year of Son and Denis Bouanga has me salivating, respectfully, and Messi will probably score fewer goals in a retooled Miami XI that will probably see him sitting a bit deeper. PM
Sam Surridge. The former Bournemouth striker nearly won this award last year, bagging 24 goals to finish joint-second with Bouanga behind Messi. He’ll enjoy even better service this time around with Espinoza joining Andy Najar along Nashville’s right flank, and his interplay with 2022 MVP Hany Mukhtar is well established at this stage. Helps to play Montréal and DC twice a year, too. JR
Denis Bouanga. The World Cup could impact Messi’s output assuming he misses some games over the summer. The same could be true for Son. Bouanga, however, will be World Cup-free and he’s already started fast with a hat-trick in the Concacaf Champions League. GR
The Newcomer of the Year will be …
Tidy, efficient central midfielders are never in a great position to win awards like this one, so this is more of a “who I’d give it to” than a real prediction. Nonetheless, I’m going to go with Stephen Eustáquio from LAFC. The on-loan Porto man will provide some essential balance and tempo to allow Bouanga and Son to do their thing up top. AA
I feel a little dumb suggesting new San Jose signing Timo Werner can quickly find his form and footing in MLS after barely seeing the pitch for Leipzig this season, but he feels a decent bet to be the latest European castaway to find a second life in the US. PM
A late signing by Real Salt Lake, Juan Manuel Sanabria could assume Kai Wagner’s ceded throne as MLS’s best left-back. The 25-year-old Uruguay international offers considerable chance creation and captained Atlético de San Luis in last fall’s Liga MX Apertura. A viable World Cup hopeful, and necessary creative support for Diego Luna to boot. JR
Timo Werner. The German forward has gone a long way all the way to California to revive his career and San Jose could be the perfect place for him to get rid of the Tottenham Hotspur stink. Werner’s pace will be a problem for MLS defences. GR
Playoff teams (in order of standings):
East: Inter Miami, FC Cincinnati, Columbus Crew, Nashville SC, Chicago Fire, Atlanta United, Philadelphia Union, Charlotte FC, Orlando City.
West: LAFC, Seattle Sounders, LA Galaxy, Vancouver Whitecaps, San Diego FC, Minnesota United, San Jose Earthquakes, Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake. AA
East: Inter Miami, FC Cincinnati, Orlando City, Columbus Crew, Philadelphia Union, Charlotte FC, Chicago Fire, Nashville SC, New York City FC.
West: LAFC, Vancouver Whitecaps, Seattle Sounders, Minnesota United, LA Galaxy, Austin FC, Portland Timbers, Houston Dynamo, San Jose Earthquakes. PM
East: Inter Miami, Nashville SC, Chicago Fire, FC Cincinnati, Charlotte FC, Columbus Crew, Philadelphia Union, Orlando City, Toronto FC.
West: LAFC, Seattle Sounders, San Diego FC, Vancouver Whitecaps, Minnesota United, Austin FC, Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes, LA Galaxy. JR
East: Inter Miami, Nashville SC, Chicago Fire, Charlotte FC, Columbus Crew, FC Cincinnati, Orlando City, Philadelphia Union, New York City FC.
West: LAFC, Vancouver Whitecaps, San Diego, Seattle Sounders, Minnesota United, LA Galaxy, Austin FC, Houston Dynamo, Real Salt Lake. GR
The MLS Cup winner will be …
LAFC. They could easily have won it last year and still improved on every line. They also have the best 1-2 attacking punch in the league (unless you count Messi + anyone else), and a new coach in Marc Dos Santos who appears willing to let them go out and attack games when needed. Knockout competitions are weird and a lot will happen between now and then, but LAFC seem to have that special something, for now. AA
Inter Miami. Writing the same thing over and over again is starting to get old. Miami just put together arguably the most prolific offseason in MLS history and are fundamentally better at almost every position. This is MLS, and anything can happen, but I’m not betting against the deepest team the league has ever seen. PM
In a rematch of last year’s Leagues Cup final, the Seattle Sounders will do Sounders things and ramp up to be in peak form come playoff time. With a squad boasting considerable depth and impressive continuity, they’re built to match up against any opponent – and already have beaten Messi’s Miami in one cup final, should he be the final boss in wait. JR
Inter Miami. Boring, I know. But Inter Miami’s depth might be unlike anything ever seen before in MLS history. They have second- or third-string players who would be stars for other teams. Plus, y’know, that Messi guy. It’s been 12 years since an MLS Cup winner went back-to-back. I predict Inter Miami will do it in 2026. GR
The Supporters’ Shield winner will be …
LAFC. I think they’ll get more points overall against the West’s ocean of “meh” than Inter Miami will against the top-heavy East. AA
Inter Miami. Let’s not waste time here, just see my comments above. PM
I have my concerns about Inter Miami, but even if Messi needs a post-World Cup breather, there’s ample talent for Javier Mascherano’s side to control the proceedings of every match. I don’t see an extension of their 2024 points record, but they’re constructed to reclaim the Shield. JR
Inter Miami. Doubly boring, but this is a team that plugged all its gaps over the off-season. Inter Miami set a regular-season points record in 2024 with a squad that wasn’t as stacked as this one. Their season won’t be defined by whether or not they win a trophy, but by how many they win. GR
The Wooden Spoon ‘winner’ will be …
Sporting Kansas City. It’s hard to predict anything else for a team that had a mere 16 field players (and four goalkeepers) signed to first-team contracts a week before the start of the season. There are a couple decent players in that group, but not nearly enough. AA
DC United. DC have only marginally improved a roster that was downright unwatchable last season. Led by a journeyman head coach and a first-time sporting director plucked straight from the boardroom, it’s easy to imagine United repeating as bearers of the spoon. If they manage to make the playoffs, they can tape this blurb up in the locker room. PM
Sporting KC’s issue isn’t just that they lack enough players to field a full squad; it’s that they lack the top-end talent needed to compete in MLS these days. The West’s mid-table teams largely improved this winter, which doesn’t bode well for a team slowly coming together. JR
Sporting KC. Do they even have a team to field? A rebuild couldn’t come quickly enough after 2025 and David Lee has done a good job of clearing the decks since then, but SKC haven’t gotten round to actually replacing the players they allowed to leave. Some of their players don’t even have Wikipedia pages. GR
The biggest impact the 2026 World Cup will have on this season specifically will be …
Fatigue. You know the Concacaf Champions Cup effect? How MLS teams that make a run in that tournament often suffer from a severe hangover that can tank their season? Imagine that times 1000, but for most of the league’s best players. I think that could make the end of season and playoffs as unpredictable a period as we’ve ever seen. AA
Its lack of an impact. For years, MLS has touted the power of the “World Cup bump,” but none of us have any idea what that even means. The league’s revenues are largely kept under lock and key (as are its TV ratings), which makes it largely impossible to judge any real impact. It’s hard to imagine the tournament changing the league’s fundamental reality in any tangible way. PM
MLS has always struggled to stay front-of-mind during its regular season, where jeopardy and stakes vary wildly by the matchup. Throw in a scene-stealing headliner in the middle of the season, it will be very difficult to sustain momentum from phase to phase. JR
Igniting the summer transfer market. Hype around World Cup players who have caught the eye on home soil. Sporting directors and GMs preparing for the schedule shift in 2027. Several teams rebuilding to capitalize on a potential league-wide post-Messi lull. All of it will combine for a blockbuster summer window. GR
