What an offseason in MLS.
The MLS roster rules page saw a traffic spike, an international star moved to a team no one expected, and new head coaches across the league said they want their team to play on the front foot with intensity. It was truly an offseason unlike any other.
Now, we’re back to get a very, very general sense of each team’s place in the MLS ecosystem before the season starts on Feb. 21. Surely all of these preseason rankings will prove to be accurate and in no way will be thrown back in our face on Decision Day.
Reminder: The Power Rankings are voted on by, give or take, 15 people associated with MLSsoccer.com. The author does get a little rush out of moving your team in particular down a few spots, though.
Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets are gone, but, uhhhhhh…
DP forward Germán Berterame is here from CF Monterrey, U22 midfielder David Ayala is here from the Portland Timbers, forward Tadeo Allende is back from Celta de Vigo, center back Micael is here from Palmeiras after a standout tenure with Houston, left back Sergio Reguilón is here after last playing for Tottenham Hotspur, and reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair is here from Minnesota United.
So. Yeah. The reigning MLS Cup presented by Audi champs will probably be pretty good.
The big questions now are whether they can finally get over the hump in Concacaf Champions Cup and if time spent in other competitions will limit their ability to win another Supporters’ Shield. Every single trophy is on the table with this group.
Next: 2/21 at LAFC
The roster hasn’t changed a ton other than some smart additions like Canadian national team regulars Jacob Shaffelburg and Stephen Eustáquio. That’s probably not a bad call for a team that earned 60 points last year and went turbo-nuclear after the arrival of Son Heung-Min. LAFC earned 2.00 points per game with him available.
You can expect more of the same this year, but there is an added wrinkle. Marc Dos Santos is the newest LAFC head coach after four years as an LAFC assistant. He previously coached the Whitecaps from 2019-21. For better or worse, the game model will look a little different. Frankly, it shouldn’t matter much with Son and Denis Bouanga on the field.
Next: 2/21 vs. MIA
Vancouver were two victories away from winning Concacaf Champions Cup and MLS Cup in 2025. Was that lightning in a bottle, or can they replicate or better a nearly perfect season?
Midfielder Ali Ahmed left for Norwich City and attacker Jayden Nelson was traded to Austin FC. Otherwise, this is largely the same side. And they’ll get a full year of Thomas Müller this time around. A let-off would be understandable, but the ceiling is still sky high.
Next: 2/21 vs. RSL
San Diego have already made a heckuva statement in the Concacaf Champions Cup. Even with Mexican star Chucky Lozano out of the team (and unlikely to play again with the club), they went out and mollywhopped LIGA MX's Pumas 4-2 across two legs.
It will take a remarkable effort to match the highs of last year’s near-perfect inaugural season, but Anders Dreyer & Co. aren’t going to stop being an elite possession side anytime soon. They’ll rack up plenty of points this year. If they can effectively replace Lozano, they may just grab their first-ever trophy.
Next: 2/21 vs. MTL
Fresh off tying their club record for points, Nashville went out and made the biggest free-agent signing of the offseason. Winger Cristian Espinoza arrives to join DP attackers Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge, who combined for 40g/17a last year, to create one of the most dangerous trios in the league. Espinoza delivered 83 assists across seven seasons after joining San Jose in 2019. He immediately makes an already solid Nashville team a bona fide contender.
They do have a couple of worries, though. Center back Walker Zimmerman is gone after being a linchpin at the back from the club’s very first match. He didn’t stay on the field as often as Nashville would have hoped the last few seasons, but he still made an impact when healthy. Maxwell Woledzi, a 24-year-old Ghanaian, will be the likely successor to Zimmerman after arriving from Norway.
Next: 2/21 vs. NE
Gonna take a wild guess here and say FC Cincinnati will be solid defensively, turn to match-winners like Evander and Kévin Denkey in moments of need, and win a comical amount of games by exactly one goal. That’s been the formula for this team for roughly four years now, and there’s no real reason to expect it to change.
There are still a few questions. Can they make up for the loss of wingback(ish) Luca Orellano? What about missing Yuya Kubo, who played basically every position for them at some point during his Cincy tenure? They aren’t exactly the same side as last year’s 65-point team.
But, also, ya know, it’s FC Cincinnati. Over the last three years, they earned more wins than any other MLS team ever has in a three-year span. Expect a bunch of points and a home Audi MLS Cup Playoffs spot until proven otherwise.
Next: 2/21 vs. ATL
It looked like extreme continuity would be the theme of Seattle’s offseason until Atlético Madrid swooped in with an offer for homegrown midfielder Obed Vargas. Still, the roster is virtually the same with an added boost from signing longtime Minnesota United midfielder Hassani Dotson.
Per Eliot McKinley, they have more returning minutes than any other side. So, like last year, this team is remarkably deep and the floor is higher than anyone’s in the Western Conference. All that’s left to worry about is whether their top talent produces enough (and stays healthy enough) to push the Sounders to their ceiling. After last year’s Leagues Cup title, the expectation should be to get at least one trophy out of 2026.
Next: 2/22 vs. COL
It’s been an offseason of significant change for last year’s Supporters’ Shield winners. Starting forwards Mikael Uhre and Tai Baribo both left, starting center back Jakob Glesnes went to the Galaxy, and Best XI left back Kai Wagner finally got a move abroad to England.
Those are massive losses. And yet, because it’s the Union, you kind of just expect them to pull some kids from the academy, sign some guys you’ve never heard of, and roll to 55+ points anyway. Maybe this year will be different. But betting against Philly has only paid off once since 2018.
Next: 2/21 at DC
Expectations are as high as they’ve been in Chicago since… um… whatever was happening in 2009 was going on? I genuinely don’t remember. I was a child, and a lot of you probably were too.
Last year, head coach Gregg Berhalter and star additions like attackers Philip Zinckernagel (15g/15a) and Jonathan Bamba (5g/10a) turned this side into one of the best attacking teams in the league. A leap forward from last year’s 53-point output will require more stability defensively, though. Chicago scored 68 goals last year, but allowed 60. Only Atlanta United and D.C. United were worse in the Eastern Conference.
Next: 2/21 at HOU
Charlotte put up a club-record 59 points in 2025 and will largely bring back all of their key contributors. However, standout center back Adilson Malanda officially joined Middlesbrough. It’s fair to wonder if the defense will take a step backward for the second straight season.
Meanwhile, 21-year-old striker Idan Toklomati will lead the line from the jump this season after putting up 11 goals in just over 1,800 minutes last year. He did an impressive job stepping in after the departure of Patrick Agyemang. He’ll need to replicate that performance (or maybe better it) if Charlotte are going to reach the same heights in 2026.
Adding to the mix, Charlotte are getting playmaker Pep Biel back healthy, added USMNT midfielder Luca de la Torre and have Wilfried Zaha chasing a World Cup spot with the Ivory Coast. There are some solid pieces for coach Dean Smith to work with.
Next: 2/21 at STL
The Lions said goodbye to a few longtime starters this offseason. Midfielder César Araújo and goalkeeper Pedro Gallese were both key pieces of the most successful stretch in club history. Both are gone. Orlando also got a bailout move for underperforming DP striker Luis Muriel.
But their biggest loss might have been homegrown right back Alex Freeman’s $7 million move to Villarreal. The 2025 MLS Young Player of the Year put in an all-time great season for a fullback in just his first year as a starter.
That leaves a lot of wiggle room for roster building and a lot of questions for a side that couldn’t build off their Eastern Conference Final appearance in 2024. They’ll turn to longtime MLSer Maxime Crépeau in goal and a few newcomers to the league to make up for their losses. It will either be a breath of fresh air or a step backward.
Next: 2/21 vs. RBNY
New York City FC quietly put up 56 points in a stacked Eastern Conference last year. Returning to or bettering that number feels like an uphill climb right now, though.
Star forward Alonso Martínez (33 goals in 48 starts for NYCFC) went down with an ACL injury at the end of their season and won’t be back for a while. They attempted to replace him with Schalke's Moussa Sylla, but the deal collapsed at the very last moment.
It’s NYCFC, so the floor is always high. But their ceiling will be determined by how well they can make up for Martínez’s absence and the departure of center back Justin Haak after a breakout season. Maybe the return of DP attacker Talles Magno can at least save the attack. At the very least, USMNT goalkeeper Matt Freese will bail them out when needed.
Next: 2/22 at LA
Wilfried Nancy is no longer in charge. Who knows where he’ll end up next after the xG Gods were comically unkind to him at Celtic, but we know his departure has signaled a shift for the Crew and for the MLS landscape as a whole.
Former Malmö FF manager Henrik Rydström will take on the unenviable task of replacing Nancy. We won’t know exactly how it will look until Matchday 1, but Rydström seems to have a Nancy-esque game model with some slight tweaks.
He’ll be working with largely the same roster as last year’s 54-point side, sans MLS legend Darlington Nagbe. Can Rydström build on what Nancy left behind?
Next: 2/21 at POR
Welp.
Star attacker Riqui Puig’s long-awaited return has been delayed another year. However, the Galaxy have seemingly done a nice job of pivoting from a disaster scenario.
They brought in former St. Louis DP forward João Klauss and made big moves in the free agent market. Former Union standout Jakob Glesnes and 2025 breakout player Justin Haak should solidify things defensively. And former SKC midfielder Erik Thommy may provide a boost to the attack. They appear to be much more prepared to take on a Puig-less season in 2026.
Next: 2/22 vs. NYC
Cameron Knowles is in charge now after Eric Ramsay left to manage West Brom. It’s fair to assume that means Minnesota will try to play a little more soccer this year. The set-piece aggressiveness should still be a part of their identity. It will just be accompanied by more possession and fewer games spent camping out in a low block.
They’ll probably be more aesthetically pleasing. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll improve on last year’s 58-point performance. Losing Dayne St. Clair and midfield mainstay Robin Lod looms large for the Loons.
But, hey, James Rodríguez is here. No, really, James Rodríguez. The Colombian superstar plays for Minnesota now. At least through June anyway.
Next: 2/21 at ATX
Former LAFC attacker Mateusz Bogusz is back in MLS as a Designated Player after a $10 million transfer from Cruz Azul, and former Santos FC captain Guilherme is a DP attacker arriving in MLS for the first time. The Dynamo will be banking on that duo to elevate an attack that sputtered more often than not last season in a 37-point year.
On paper, they should definitely score more goals. But there are concerns along the back line for a team that conceded 56 goals last season.
Next: 2/21 vs. CHI
Austin swapped underperforming DP forward Osman Bukari in exchange for former Orlando City DP forward Facundo Torres. On paper, it’s a step in the right direction for a team that only scored 37 goals last season. That was the lowest mark in the Western Conference.
The last time we saw Torres in MLS, he put up 14 goals in back-to-back seasons in Orlando. Can the Uruguayan star's arrival – and the eventual return of DP striker Brandon Vázquez from an ACL tear – charge the attack?
Next: 2/21 vs. MIN
Tata Martino has returned to save Atlanta United. But this roster is in a far different state than the one he helped craft in Atlanta’s first two seasons. There are still real questions at nearly every spot on the pitch. All three DPs will be under heavy scrutiny this year. And yet…
It still feels like they could end up challenging for a home playoff spot. There’s still talent everywhere on this team, and the shift from Ronny Deila to Martino is… we’ll politely call it a step in the right direction. At the very least, the bottom shouldn’t fall out again.
Next: 2/21 at CIN
2025 FC Dallas with Lucho Acosta: 1.04 points per game over 24 games.
2025 FC Dallas after Lucho Acosta left on Aug. 8: 1.90 points per game over 10 games.
Safe to say they needed a change. But can Petar Musa & Co. carry that momentum into 2026? It’s mostly the same side heading into head coach Eric Quill’s second year. They’ll be banking on last year’s excellent homestretch as more than just a flash in the pan.
Next: 2/21 vs. TOR
Marko Mitrović is taking the reins following a disappointing 2025 for the Revs and former head coach Caleb Porter. Mitrović, the former US U-20 and Olympics coach, takes over a side that went through a ton of turnover last offseason.
Maybe some stability with the roster, plus a full year of goalkeeper Matt Turner, can help level things out.
Next: 2/21 at NSH
The Quakes started the offseason by not retaining DP winger Cristian Espinoza.
But, hey, at least they’ve seemingly made up for it by winning the race to bring in longtime German star Timo Werner to MLS. Werner has the pedigree to be a Best XI-caliber attacker in MLS and, at the very least, will continue to be a high-level contributor defensively.
But is that enough to make up for the loss of Espinoza, Josef Martínez and DP striker Chicho Arango? Well… that’s a big ask.
Next: 2/21 vs. SKC
Michael Bradley will begin his first head coaching gig at the start of a new era for New York. Last year, they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2009. This year, they’re indicating the ultra-direct Energy Drink Soccer game model (that’s been fading away for a while now anyway) is on its way out.
That change arrives as multiple new faces enter the fold. Among them, USMNT goalkeeper Ethan Horvath will likely take over for Carlos Coronel. And former San Jose Earthquakes winger Cade Cowell returns to MLS after a stint at Chivas. And attacker Jorge Ruvalcaba arrives from Pumas with relatively high expectations. Oh, and standout center back Noah Eile is gone after a reported $4 million transfer to Bristol City.
There’s even more to get to than that, but the bottom line is that there will be a significant amount of change for a team that finished with 43 points last year.
Next: 2/21 at ORL
As it stands, RSL are asking for a ton from star attacker Diego Luna. There are several new signings here, though, that could lighten the burden. That includes new DP attacker Morgan Guilavogui and wingback Juan Manuel Sanabria.
Regardless, RSL tend to find a way no matter what lately. They’ve made the playoffs each of the last five seasons. Head coach Pablo Mastroeni doesn’t get nearly enough credit.
Next: 2/21 at VAN
The Timbers traded David Ayala to Inter Miami and then were pretty much forced to cut DP forward Jonathan Rodríguez due to injury. Portland did add midfielder Cole Bassett from Colorado in a trade that, on paper, should pay dividends. But otherwise, there haven’t been many significant signings.
It’s largely the same team that earned just 44 points and a -7 goal differential last year. Head coach Phil Neville will be under real pressure to get the most out of them.
Next: 2/21 vs. CLB
Toronto are one of the most intriguing teams in the league. They made an excellent move to bring in DP attacker Djordje Mihailovic at the end of 2025 and added Walker Zimmerman, a former Defender of the Year, in free agency. They still have plenty of room to work with, too.
They’re finally out of the rubble of a rough start to the decade and can begin truly reshaping this roster. Maybe that process will include Norwich and USMNT striker Josh Sargent?
Either way, plenty of moves should be on the way. Although we should note that they’re taking longer to arrive than most Toronto fans were hoping.
Next: 2/21 at DAL
After sweeping changes following a disappointing 2025, St. Louis tabbed former Columbus Crew front office member Corey Wray for their open sporting director position and then hired former Crew assistant Yoann Damet to his first head coaching gig after three years under Nancy. It’s safe to say their game model will look a lot different and likely a lot more possession-based.
João Klauss won’t be a part of that model after Wray traded him to the Galaxy, but they will likely have a DP replacement eventually. Meanwhile, they bolstered their back line by bringing former LAFC standout Mamadou Fall back to MLS from Barcelona.
Next: 2/21 vs. CLT
Former Tottenham Hotspur assistant coach Matt Wells is in charge following Chris Armas’ departure last season. It’s the 37-year-old’s first-ever head coaching gig.
He’ll take over a side that finished with 41 points last season and, so far this offseason, has seen more outgoings than incomings. Per Eliot McKinley, the Rapids currently have the third-lowest rate of returning minutes in MLS. That’s not inherently a bad thing, but losing guys like midfielder Cole Bassett (beloved homegrown) and center back Andreas Maxsø (definitely played a lot of minutes) means there are serious questions at those spots. And they’ve only added a small handful of players so far this offseason.
The Rapids have a lot to prove this year.
Next: 2/22 at SEA
It seems probable that CF Montréal will end up as one of the youngest teams in the league again. And with just one DP on the team – No. 10 Iván Jaime from FC Porto – no one is projecting a title in coach Marco Donadel’s first full year in charge. It does mean there’s a lot of room for growth, though.
Next: 2/21 at SD
Erkut Sogut took over as managing director – his first front office role – and has, so far, brought in a handful of proven MLS Guys™ like Tai Baribo up front, defender Sean Nealis, and goalkeeper Sean Johnson.
It’s not clear if that will be enough to pull last year’s Wooden Spoon winners out of the cellar – especially with Christian Benteke gone and replaced by Louis Munteanu – but, on paper, it seems like a step in the right direction.
Still, expectations aren’t exactly “Supporters’ Shield or bust” in head coach René Weiler’s first full season.
Next: 2/21 vs. PHI
Your guess at what this team will actually look like is as good as any here.
In their first year without Peter Vermes in charge of basically everything, their roster isn't yet complete. New sporting director David Lee (formerly of NYCFC) and new head coach Raphael Wicky (formerly of Chicago) have a ton of work to do.
Anyway, it would be extremely MLS for none of this to matter and for this team to make the playoffs.
Next: 2/21 at SJ
