2026 MLS season preview: Can Messi’s Miami go back-to-back?
MLS is again this weekend, kicking off Saturday with a full slate headlined by LAFC and Inter Miami assembly on the Coliseum in Los Angeles.
Those two groups specifically are more and more representing what MLS is about. Both are led by worldwide megastars utilizing league play within the US to organize for this summer time’s World Cup right here. Lionel Messi led his Miami workforce to the league title final 12 months, whereas Son Heung-Min arrived in the summertime and, after a sensational half-season, is now hoping to knock Messi and Miami from that throne.
But lining up subsequent to that duo are a bunch of different high gamers, each from North America and overseas, who is probably not as well-known because the Argentina and South Korea stars however who’ve performed for high groups all over the world — or will quickly — after utilizing MLS to launch a bigger league.
– No extra Rivalry Week? Here’s why MLS modified its 2026 calendar
– MLS jersey Power Rankings: Who’s one of the best wearing 2026?
– Minnesota’s James deal is a low-risk marriage of comfort
Of course, there are a good variety of groups not taking part in Saturday’s marquee conflict who will look to show their rosters are pretty much as good or higher than these title favorites.
Will Messi and Miami fend off these fees to repeat? Can Son spur his workforce to a trophy? Or will one other contender emerge over the course of a grueling marketing campaign? Here’s what you may need missed within the winter, together with the storylines that can outline the 2026 season.
Can anybody cease Miami and Messi?
As Messi lifted MLS Cup, the primary home title in Miami’s quick historical past, he additionally bid farewell to a pair of longtime working buddies. Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, teammates at Barcelona who joined him throughout the Atlantic in MLS, had introduced it will be their closing season. They went out on a excessive, and already, Miami’s entrance workplace had a plan to interchange them and go a couple of steps additional.
Sergio Reguilón, who has expertise with Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid, joined because the Herons’ new left again. At the identical time, David Ayala was wooed from the Portland Timbers to compete for the midfield place now open subsequent to world champion Rodrigo De Paul.
Beyond these holes within the beginning XI, the title winners seemed to bolster issues on the again, the place they have been far too inconsistent. Miami signed Dayne St. Clair, the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, from Minnesota United, and are anticipated to start out the Canada worldwide instantly. Micael, a former Houston Dynamo heart again who spent the final season with Palmeiras in his native Brazil, has returned to MLS to bolster Miami’s protection.
With a chosen participant spot nonetheless open, Miami made one other splashy transfer, buying Germán Berterame from Monterrey. A ahead who scored persistently in Liga MX with Stripedhis addition will enable supervisor Javier Mascherano to make use of Luis Suárez as a super-sub and in addition put Messi again into his typical No. 10 function reasonably than asking him to function as a false 9.
The beautiful rebuild provides Miami one of the best roster — on paper, after all — heading into an MLS season in latest reminiscence. And the membership has purpose to push for extra trophies: It is opening up the gleaming new Miami Freedom Park close to the airport in early April.
Still, there is a purpose these video games are performed. Not solely will Miami take everybody’s finest shot because it defends its crown, however it is usually trying to win the Concacaf Champions Cup for the primary time in membership historical past and earn a spot within the subsequent Club World Cup in 2029 after occupying the host workforce’s place in 2025.
Saturday’s opponent, Son’s LAFC, is a high candidate to topple Miami off the perch. In addition to having a rested and prepared Son, the Black and Gold additionally fetched off bids from Brazilian groups and, reportedly, from Miami itself, for Gabon worldwide Denis Bouanga. The dynamic ahead has scored 20 objectives or extra in every of the final three seasons for LAFC and gelled effectively with Son regardless of preliminary considerations about match.
Under new supervisor Marc dos Santos, a Montreal native, LAFC has additionally turn out to be a hotbed for Canada internationals. The most notable is midfielder Stephen Eustáquio, whom the workforce signed solely on a brief mortgage by way of to the World Cup, however has the choice for a full switch. If he can replicate what he does for the Canada nationwide workforce, LAFC will certainly need to lock down the versatile 29-year-old to an extended contract.
Center again Aaron Long’s much-anticipated return from Achilles damage may very well be coming within the first half of the 12 months. He was registered on the membership’s roster for the CCC.
The questions are about how Dos Santos will handle the star-studded workforce. While he has MLS managerial expertise, he is been working as an assistant beneath Steve Cherundolo. The former Bundesliga professional opted to depart the workforce for private causes and transfer again to Germany together with his household. Rather than bringing in an unknown, LAFC opted for Dos Santos, however expectations are excessive and the strain will likely be on if issues do not go effectively from the beginning.
Big stars proceed to shine even exterior South Florida and Hollywood
The Vancouver Whitecaps may also take pleasure in a full season of their summer time signing, with Thomas Müller getting ready for a full 12 months in MLS. The Caps managed to make the ultimate of each the CCC and MLS final season, solely to fall quick in each video games. Most key gamers have returned, although attacking gamers Ali Ahmed (to English membership Norwich City) and Jayden Nelson (to Austin FC) did transfer on. They’ll look to recover from the hump after a robust 2025.
Familiar names proceed to see MLS as a vacation spot. Most notably, James Rodríguez has joined the Minnesota United workforce in transition after supervisor Eric Ramsay left for West Bromwich Albion of the EFL Championship. The Colombian ace will hope the set-piece pleased workforce is the right place for him to organize for the World Cup.
Timo Werner will not burst again into the Germany image, however at the least he will likely be enjoying for the San Jose Earthquakes after a turbulent closing interval with RB Leipzig and on mortgage to Tottenham Hotspur. The Quakes misplaced winger Cristian Espinoza to Nashville in free company and wanted Werner to assist shoulder a number of the attacking duties.
A well-recognized face is again in MLS as Austin FC splashed out to carry Facundo Torres again to the league. The Uruguay winger had moved from Orlando City to Palmeiras, however signed a long-term deal this winter as a chosen participant with the Verde and Black.
Even groups with out a lot latest success want to bolster with internationals. DC United signed Romania ahead Louis Munteanu, who will work to jolt DC’s assault and hopefully push Romania by way of the World Cup playoff and into the match this summer time.
Intra-league market additionally continues to develop
It’s not solely gamers arriving from overseas who’re making MLS a extra aggressive league. The loosening of guidelines on utilizing money to signal gamers from different golf equipment has seen much more intra-league strikes than ever earlier than in MLS’ three-decade historical past. Most of the names aren’t as well-known as James or Werner, however they’re gamers whose new golf equipment hope will present constant manufacturing.
DC United pried Tai Baribo from the Philadelphia Union after he scored 18 objectives final season. That’s solely a dozen lower than DC United scored as a workforce final season.
The LA Galaxy seemed to bolster their assault after one other damage suffered by Riqui Puig and introduced in João Klauss from St. Louis City. And after they moved midfielder Ayala to Miami for money, the Portland Timbers rotated and bought Cole Bassett from the Colorado Rapids to interchange him. A pair of US youth internationals additionally modified squads, with Brooklyn Raines heading to the New England Revolution from Houston and Reed Baker-Whiting becoming a member of Nashville SC from Seattle Sounders.
It’s a method for groups to get gamers who’ve confirmed themselves in MLS, but additionally frees up gamers who is perhaps caught behind others for taking part in time at one membership to move elsewhere and earn minutes.
World Cup, worldwide duties will check managers in new methods
MLS will break for nearly the entire World Cup, releasing gamers to their worldwide groups in late May and resuming play the weekend earlier than the ultimate match in July. Several MLS stadiums are in use for the game’s greatest match, some as match venues like Atlanta, Seattle, Vancouver and New England, and plenty of others as coaching websites.
Plus, dozens of gamers will likely be collaborating, from Messi and De Paul becoming a member of defending champs Argentina to a trio of gamers representing match underdogs Haiti. MLS managers will need to work with these gamers to ensure they arrive in optimum circumstances in the summertime. Then, they will hope that no matter these gamers’ destiny on the largest stage of their lives, they’re in a position to flip round and give attention to the again stretch of the season and the Leagues Cup match that comes proper after.
Plus, managers will likely be keen to ensure their gamers who aren’t collaborating within the World Cup — possible the overwhelming majority of most squads — are nonetheless staying sharp forward of the league summarizing.
Whether it is determining how you can knock off one of many deepest groups in reminiscence, scheming on one of the simplest ways to have gamers able to chase one trophy or one other, or making an attempt to interrupt into the favorites class with a superb run of outcomes, it is set to be an enchanting season that calls for lots of managers and the gamers they’re main.
