So, the United States is out of the 2026 World Cup. You're sad their run is over, but you've caught the soccer bug and want to keep following the sport?
Good news! There's plenty of soccer out there. Obviously, there's European soccer, with the best leagues in the world readily available to watch on TV. There are also plenty of local options, with leagues and teams all across the United States allowing you to find in-person soccer easily.
Honestly, we all watch the Premier League. There's nothing quite like waking up early on a Saturday, putting on a pot of coffee, and watching Ipswich Town FC pull off a shock win over Tottenham. But there's also nothing like going to your local stadium, watching your local team, and experiencing the game as it was meant to be watched: in person.
Now that the USMNT are out of the World Cup, I'd encourage you to do both. Watch all the soccer you can on TV, while also finding your local team and regularly watching them in person. If you're in Middle Tennessee, you're in luck: Nashville SC are the best team in MLS right now, and the bandwagon doors are wide open for you to jump on.
Here are six reasons why you should stick around, keep feeding your new soccer obsession, and follow Nashville SC.
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They're good... really good!
Since Nashville SC joined MLS in 2020, they've made the playoffs in all but one season. They have the seventh-most points per game of any team in MLS history, and have consistently finished towards the top of the table, although they've never quite been able to turn that into silverware.
They came close in 2023, making a magical run to the Leagues Cup final and losing to Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in an eleven-round penalty shootout. Since former United States interim head coach BJ Callaghan took over in 2024, they've reached a new level.
They won the US Open Cup in 2025, becoming the first professional sports team in Tennessee history to win a championship trophy. This year, they became just the 14th MLS team to make it to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals, a tournament that pits the best teams from North America in a knockout competition. In the process, they became the first MLS team to ever win a match at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium (yeah, the same stadium that hosted England's 3-2 win over Mexico at the World Cup).
Ben Wright
Nashville are currently on top of the Eastern Conference table, as well as leading the entire league with 33 points from their first 14 games. In league history, no team has ever earned 33 points from 14 games and failed to win the Supporters' Shield, the trophy given to the team with the best regular-season record.
Winning the Shield would also set Nashville up for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, giving them a leg up in their attempt to win MLS Cup. This is a team poised for silverware.
They're fun to watch
If you've fallen in love with the free-flowing attacking teams at the World Cup, the teams who can slice through an opposing defense regularly and score two, three, four goals a game, you'll love Nashville SC.
That passing sequence 😮💨🔗 https://t.co/o2Pf28ojTR pic.twitter.com/IAVW6yskot
— Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) May 18, 2026
In 2026, Nashville have averaged 2.21 goals per game, the fifth-most in Major League Soccer. They've played 22 matches so far in all competitions, and have scored three or more goals in seven of those. You're not going to watch a team park the bus and grind out results, but instead play proactive, attacking soccer, no matter who they play.
They have stars
You like watching star players put on a show every week? Cool! Nashville SC have stars.
There's Hany Mukhtar. The 31-year-old German midfielder is one of the best players MLS has ever seen. He won the MLS MVP award in 2022. Just before the World Cup break, he scored his 100th goal in a Nashville shirt. Since 2020, no player has logged more goals than Mukhtar's 87 goals.
HANY MUKHTAR HAT TRICK
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 18, 2026
Banger of a free kick to cap it off. 🎩 pic.twitter.com/WJ1HVyia3i
There's also Sam Surridge. The 27-year-old English striker cut his teeth in the Premier League and the Championship, and has been one of the premier goal-scorers in America. He bagged 31 goals in all competitions last season, the most ever in a single Nashville SC season, and finished behind only Messi in the MLS Golden Boot race.
There's Cristian Espinoza, a dynamic Argentine winger who's one of the best playmakers in league history. There's Patrick Yazbek, an all-action Australian midfielder who keeps things ticking. Andy Nájar is the best right back in the league, one of the most creative and tricky players you'll see. Maxwell Woledzi and Jeisson Palacios form the best center back duo in MLS, and while they're both elite defenders, they're also elite entertainers.
And then there's Brian Schwake. The 24-year-old goalkeeper has been the best in MLS in his first season as a starter, equally good with the ball at his feet as he is at stopping shots. If you're wanting to follow USMNT players, he should break into the US roster before too long.
They're young
Nashville SC have only existed as an MLS club since 2020. Seven years is nothing in soccer terms. They're still building their history as a club, and you can be a part of that!
One of the upsides of European teams is their history; many of these teams have been around for a century, and they're fully ingrained in the fabric of their local communities.
MLS clubs don't have that. The league has only been around since 1996. But that also means that you can be a part of creating their history.
Christina Moore
For a club like Nashville, who are young even in MLS terms, there are a lot of firsts left to experience – first Supporters' Shield, first MLS Cup, and more.
They have an elite stadium
Opened in 2022, Geodis Park is the largest soccer-specific stadium in the United States and Canada. With a capacity of 30,109, it's both large and intimate at the same time. There's not a bad seat in the house, and it provides a fantastic atmosphere in which to watch a match.
Nashville are also pretty darn good at home. Under BJ Callaghan, they've won 23 of the 37 matches they've played at Geodis, outscoring their opponents 80-41. In 2026, they've lost just one of 11 games at home, a tight 1-0 loss to Mexican giants Tigres in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Watching soccer in person is always better, and watching at Geodis is unmatched.
They have one of the best young managers in American soccer
BJ Callaghan was an assistant to Gregg Berhalter at the 2022 World Cup, and led the USMNT to the 2023 Nations League as an interim head coach. Since 2024, he's been in charge of Nashville SC, and has quickly climbed the ranks as one of the best American managers in his first full-time head coaching role.
BJ Callaghan takes on his first head coaching job in MLS 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/JbwKxLVtEG
— Golazo America (@GolazoAmerica) July 3, 2024
Through 75 matches in all competitions, Callaghan has compiled 38 wins and a +36 goal differential. He led Nashville to their best-ever season in 2025, winning the US Open Cup and a club-record 75 goals.
Given his history with the USMNT, he'll always be in the conversation for head coaching vacancies with the program. For now, he's locked in to Nashville SC, and will look to lead them to their first-ever MLS Cup trophy.
Nashville SC will be back in action in just 10 days, taking on Atlanta United at Geodis Park on July 17. Our staff has covered this team day in and day out since before they took the field in MLS, and we'll continue to be here to provide the most in-depth, informed coverage of this squad as they continue to push for silverware.
If you'd like to follow along, we're offering 30% off new yearly subscriptions. If you're looking for a way to get into Nashville SC and MLS, we've got you covered.
Nashville SC and Major League Soccer are back in action, and we're here to cover it all in-depth. Sign up for a new annual membership and save 30% on your first year!
