It's finally here! The MLS offseason is over, and all 30 clubs will begin the race to MLS Cup this Saturday, February 21.
As we do every season, a panel of SixOneFive Soccer staff has made their picks and predictions for the 2026 season, trying the famously foolish exercise of predicting the final table, trophy winners, and the best individual players in MLS.
Let's dive in!
Western Conference table predictions
1. Los Angeles FC
Last year: 3rd in West | 60 points (17W-9D-8L, +25 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 1.1
Highest positioning: 1 (Ben, Chris, Jeff, Johel, Omari, Ronan, Valair)
Lowest positioning: 2 (Christina)
Ben's breakdown: With Dénis Bouanga and Son Heung-Min leading the attack, LAFC should be among the very best attacking sides in MLS. They're undergoing a bit of transition after the departure of head coach Steve Cherundolo, but they've mitigated it by promoting assistant coach Marc Dos Santos to the role. He knows the club and how to get the best out of them, and this roster is loaded. Anything short of a Western Conference final appearance will be a disappointment.
2. Vancouver Whitecaps
Last year: 2nd in West | 63 points (18W-9D-7L, +28 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 2.4
Highest positioning: 1 (Christina)
Lowest positioning: 3 (Chris, Omari, Ronan, Valair)
Ben's breakdown: The 'Caps might not be able to recreate their 2025 season, in which they made it to the Concacaf Champions Cup final and MLS Cup, but they still look like an elite side. With a full season of Thomas Müller and Jesper Sørensen continuing to be one of MLS's elite coaches, Vancouver should be good on the pitch once again. Off the pitch, there are real concerns about their long-term future in Vancouver.
3. Seattle Sounders
Last year: 5th in West | 55 points (15W-10D-9L, +10 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 3.0
Highest positioning: 2 (Omari, Ronan, Valair)
Lowest positioning: 4 (Chris, Christina, Jeff)
Ben's breakdown: The Sounders are one of the deepest teams on paper in MLS, and they've proven themselves to have a consistently high floor. They added some depth in the offseason and look well-equipped to handle the departure of Obed Vargas. With a healthy season from Jordan Morris and Paul Arriola, they should find themselves towards the top of the Western Conference once again.
4. San Diego FC
Last year: 1st in West | 63 points (19W-6D-9L, +23 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 4.5
Highest positioning: 2 (Chris)
Lowest positioning: 11 (Johel)
Ben's breakdown: San Diego were the surprise of 2025. We picked them to finish last; they won the Western Conference and made it to the conference final, playing some of the best soccer in MLS along the way. They picked up right where they left off this season, taking out Pumas in a convincing 4-2 aggregate win in the Concacaf Champions Cup. It might be a stretch for them to repeat as conference champions, but they'll be towards the top of the table again.
5. Austin FC
Last year: 6th in West | 47 points (13W-8D-13L, -8 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 6.9
Highest positioning: 5 (Chris, Johel)
Lowest positioning: 9 (Ben)
Ben's breakdown: Austin were busy in the transfer window, despite significant cap limitations. They added former Orlando City DP Facundo Torres, as well as shrewd pickups of Joseph Rosales and Jayden Nelson. Their floor in 2025 was fairly high, and they raised the ceiling in the winter. Owen Wolff has emerged as one of the best young players in MLS, and continued development from him this season should make them a playoff team at the worst.
6. Minnesota United
Last year: 4th in West | 58 points (16W-10D-8L, +17 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 7.3
Highest positioning: 4 (Johel)
Lowest positioning: 11 (Jeff)
Ben's breakdown: Minnesota United played anti-soccer last season under Eric Ramsay. They had the lowest average possession of any team in MLS, sitting deep and playing an ultra-direct, set-piece focused style. It was successful, sure, getting them to the Western Conference semifinal, but it also lowered their ceiling. With former assistant Cameron Knowles taking over, as well as Colombian superstar James Rodriguez signed in a shock move, they should at least play with the ball a little more.
7. San Jose Earthquakes
Last year: 10th in West | 41 points (11W-8D-15L, -3 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 7.5
Highest positioning: 4 (Omari)
Lowest positioning: 13 (Christina)
Ben's breakdown: The 'Quakes improved significantly last year, barely missing out on the playoffs and taking their goal difference from -37 in 2024 to -3 in 2025. Head coach and CSO Bruce Arena has begun to overhaul the squad, building a solid midfield foundation on Beau Leroux and Ronaldo Vieira, and bringing in Timo Werner as one of the more high-profile signings this year. They also saw Cristian Espinoza depart in less-than-ideal circumstances, while Chicho Arango and Josef Martínez are also gone. Those three combined for 31 goals and 21 assists last year. They have a solid base, but it's a big ask to replace that level of production all at once.
8. Portland Timbers
Last year: 8th in West | 44 points (11W-11D-12L, -7 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 9.0
Highest positioning: 3 (Ronan)
Lowest positioning: 13 (Chris)
Ben's breakdown: The Timbers made a few big moves in the winter, bringing in Cole Bassett from the Rapids for $2.65 million and signing Australian center back Alex Bonetig. With winger Krisoffer Velde and David Da Costa prime Gass Theorem™ candidates, the Timbers should be functional at the very least, and could even be in the mix for a home playoff spot.
9. LA Galaxy
Last year: 14th in West | 30 points (7W-9D-18L, -30 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 9.1
Highest positioning: 5 (Ben, Ronan)
Lowest positioning: 14 (Valair)
Ben's breakdown: The Galaxy's outlook shifted drastically once news broke that Riqui Puig would miss a second consecutive season, undergoing another surgery to repair a torn ACL. They've made some solid moves this winter, adding Jakob Glesnes, Justin Haak, Erik Thommy and João Klauss. They should be a much more functional team, even fighting for a playoff spot, but without Puig they're significantly less explosive.
10. FC Dallas
Last year: 7th in West | 44 points (11W-11D-12L, -3 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 9.5
Highest positioning: 6 (Chris, Jeff, Ronan)
Lowest positioning: 14 (Johel)
Ben's breakdown: Dallas certainly have some upside, mostly in the form of Petar Musa, who is one of the two or three best No. 9s in MLS. The quality around him, though, is especially lacking. They play a heavily defensive and pragmatic style under head coach Eric Quill, which keeps them competitive but can't quite make up for the lack of a real playmaker.
11. Colorado Rapids
Last year: 11th in West | 41 points (11W-8D-15L, -12 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 10.6
Highest positioning: 7 (Chris)
Lowest positioning: 15 (Omari)
Ben's breakdown: 37-year-old Tottenham assistant Matt Wells is the new head coach, and has the pedigree to raise the Rapids' floor. He'll have his work cut out for him, though. Midfielder Cole Bassett went to Portland in the winter, and there's a real lack of ball-progressing quality in midfield. Paxten Aaronson is a high-energy, fun player, but it remains to be seen if he can run the entire attack for a full season.
12. Houston Dynamo
Last year: 12th in West | 37 points (9W-10D-15L, -13 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 11.1
Highest positioning: 6 (Omari)
Lowest positioning: 14 (Christina)
Ben's breakdown: The Dynamo took some big swings in the offseason, bringing in Mateusz Bogusz and Guilherme as Designated Players, and bringing back Hector Herrera. In theory it's great to show some ambition. In practice, though, none of these are sure things, and there are real questions about if Guilherme has the quality to be a regular scorer in MLS, or if Bogusz can be the focal point of the attack.
13. St. Louis City SC
Last year: 13th in West | 32 points (8W-8D-18L, -14 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 7.4
Highest positioning: 8 (Valair)
Lowest positioning: 14 (Ben, Jeff)
Ben's breakdown: St. Louis are another team in transition. They've got a new sporting director in Corey Wray and head coach in Yoann Damet, and added some real talent in Mamadou Fall, Daniel Edelman and Dante Polvara. They don't have a massively high ceiling, but they've raised their floor and should be at least semi-competent. Damet, especially, is a wildcard who could quickly rise the MLS coaching ranks.
14. Real Salt Lake
Last year: 9th in West | 41 points (12W-5D-17L, -11 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 10.6
Highest positioning: 7 (Johel)
Lowest positioning: 14 (Chris)
Ben's breakdown: Real Salt Lake made some notable improvements to their roster, bringing in DP forward Morgan Guilavogui and left back Juan Manuel Sanabria, and they certainly have the potential to be significantly better than listed here. But they're a long way away from trophy contention, and don't have a proven MLS match winner to lift them through a tough Western Conference.
15. Sporting Kansas City
Last year: 15th in West | 28 points (7W-7D-20L, -24 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 11.9
Highest positioning: 8 (Johel)
Lowest positioning: 15 (everyone else)
Ben's breakdown: It's going to be a long season for Sporting KC. They hired former NYCFC general manager David Lee to right the ship, and he has stripped the roster down to the bare bones in his rebuild. At the time of publication, Sporting have just 21 players signed to their senior roster. They look like a Wooden Spoon favorite.
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Eastern Conference table predictions
1. Inter Miami CF
Last year: 3rd in East | 65 points (19W-8D-7L, +26 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 1.1
Highest positioning: 1 (Everyone except Christina)
Lowest positioning: 2 (Christina)
Ben's breakdown: I mean, do we really need to explain this? Miami have the deepest roster in MLS history, the best player in the history of the sport, and are the most ambitious club MLS has seen to date. 2026 could be a record-setting season for the Herons.
2. Nashville SC
Last year: 6th in East | 54 points (16W-6D-12L, +13 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 2.0
Highest positioning: 1 (Christina)
Lowest positioning: 3 (Chris)
Ben's breakdown: Nashville were already trending up after their 2025 campaign, with Sam Surridge and Hany Mukhtar proving to be one of the deadliest attacking duos in the league. Adding Cristian Espinoza into the mix elevates them into true contender status.
3. FC Cincinnati
Last year: 2nd in East | 65 points (20W-5D-9L, +12 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 4.0
Highest positioning: 2 (Chris)
Lowest positioning: 7 (Ben, Jeff)
Ben's breakdown: Under Pat Noonan, Cincinnati have been one of the grittiest teams in MLS, and they have one of the league's truly elite playmakers in Evander. They've heavily overperformed their underlying numbers for the last few seasons, though, and have won an abnormal amount of one-goal games. Is that really sustainable?
4. Philadelphia Union
Last year: 1st in East | 66 points (20W-6D-8L, +22 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 5.3
Highest positioning: 3 (Jeff)
Lowest positioning: 7 (Chris)
Ben's breakdown: The Union were a shock Supporters' Shield winner last year, returning to their high-pressing roots under Bradley Carnell. They added some real talent in the winter, reinforcing their attack and their backline after the departures of Tai Baribo and Jakob Glesnes. They also lost Kai Wagner in the winter, transferring him to English Championship side Birmingham City for $2 million. They should be good once again, but it's hard not to think their floor has dropped a bit.
5. New York City FC
Last year: 5th in East | 56 points (17W-5D-12L, +6 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 6.8
Highest positioning: 4 (Ronan)
Lowest positioning: 11 (Ben, Jeff)
Ben's breakdown: NYCFC certainly weren't expected to make the Eastern Conference final last season, but they put together an impressive campaign led by Alonso Martinez, who emerged as one of MLS's most dangerous No. 9s. He's out for the year with a torn ACL, though, and they didn't replace him over the winter. In fact, their roster got worse. They could fall down the table quickly.
6. Chicago Fire
Last year: 8th in East | 53 points (15W-8D-11L, +8 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 6.8
Highest positioning: 3 (Ben, Johel)
Lowest positioning: 12 (Christina)
Ben's breakdown: Under former USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter, the Fire improved rapidly last season. They got better in the winter, adding Robin Lod in free agency and signing South African international Mbekezeli Mbokazi. If they can figure out how to shore up their defense, their attack has the potential to be elite.
7. Orlando City
Last year: 9th in East | 53 points (14W-11D-9L, +12 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 6.9
Highest positioning: 4 (Omari)
Lowest positioning: 11 (Ronan)
Ben's breakdown: Orlando had a ton of turnover this winter, losing players like Pedro Gallese, Cesar Araujo and Alex Freeman. They also made some fascinating moves, like signing Brazil U20 captain Iago, or adding midfielder Braian Ojeda from Real Salt Lake. Under head coach Oscar Pareja, they've consistently been in the playoff mix, but haven't quite lived up to their potential. Does that change in 2026?
8. Charlotte FC
Last year: 4th in East | 59 points (19W-2D-13L, +9 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 7.8
Highest positioning: 4 (Chris)
Lowest positioning: 12 (Omari)
Ben's breakdown: Charlotte strung together a solid 2025 campaign, with Idan Toklomati breaking out as one of the best young players in the league. With Pep Biel back and healthy, and a hopeful second-year improvement from Wilfried Zaha, Charlotte should be a playoff team once again.
9. Columbus Crew
Last year: 7th in East | 54 points (14W-12D-8L, +4 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 8.1
Highest positioning: 4 (Ben)
Lowest positioning: 12 (Chris)
Ben's breakdown: Wilfried Nancy is gone. One of MLS's best-ever managers, he left the Crew this winter for a disastrous tenure with Celtic that only lasted a month. In his place, the Crew brought in Henrik Rydstrom, a Danish manager who shares a lot of tactical similarities. Their roster hasn't had a ton of turnover, although they did lose midfielder Darlington Nagbe to retirement. It's a lot of transition for the Crew, and it has as much potential to be spectacular as it does to go south.
10. Atlanta United
Last year: 14th in East | 28 points (5W-13D-16L, -25 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 9.8
Highest positioning: 8 (Chris, Johel, Valair)
Lowest positioning: 13 (Omari)
Ben's breakdown: Atlanta can't have another disaster season, can they? Tata Martino is back in charge, and he seems like a good bet to figure out how to right the ship. Miguel Almiron and Alexey Miranchuk haven't proven to be above-average starters, let alone focal points of a contender, and Emmanuel Latte-Lath looked like a bust of epic proportions in his first season. Can it really get that much better?
11. Red Bull New York
Last year: 10th in East | 43 points (12W-7D-15L, +1 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 10.4
Highest positioning: 7 (Christina, Ronan)
Lowest positioning: 11 (Ben, Jeff)
Ben's breakdown: The Red Bulls should be intriguing in 2026. USMNT legend Michael Bradley has taken charge in his first senior head coaching job, and alongside new CSO Julian de Guzman, they've made some intriguing signings, like DP Jorge Ruvalcaba and former San Jose Earthquake Cade Cowell. There are real questions about their defense, though, after losing Noah Eile and Sean Nealis in the offseason, and their depth on the backline is a concern. Bradley should elevate them, but it's hard to make up for a poor roster.
12. Toronto FC
Last year: 12th in East | 32 points (6W-14D-14L, -7 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 11.3
Highest positioning: 9 (Jeff)
Lowest positioning: 14 (Christina, Ronan)
Ben's breakdown: Toronto overhauled things in the offseason, bringing in former Nashville captain Walker Zimmerman and churning a lot of the bottom end of the roster. They've also been widely reported to be in the market for Josh Sargent from Norwich, although that move hasn't materialized yet. They've made early moves of a successful rebuild, but this feels like a team too early in the process to be a real contender.
13. New England Revolution
Last year: 11th in East | 36 points (9W-49D-16L, -7 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 11.8
Highest positioning: 9 (Ben, Omari)
Lowest positioning: 14 (Valair)
Ben's breakdown: The Revs brought in US U20 head coach Marko Mitrovic after Caleb Porter's disastrous tenure, and they've targeted young Americans in the transfer market like Brooklyn Raines and Griffin Yow. While the tactical approach should be much better, there is still a distinct lack of high-end talent around Carles Gil, and this doesn't look like a playoff-caliber roster.
14. DC United
Last year: 15th in East | 26 points (5W-11D-18L, -36 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 13.5
Highest positioning: 10 (Christina)
Lowest positioning: 15 (Ben, Jeff)
Ben's breakdown: DC United were dreadful last season, winning the Wooden Spoon as one of the worst teams ever in MLS. Under new CSO Erkut Sogut (seriously, check him out on Linkedin) they've made some promising moves, as well as some headscratchers. They should be better than they were in 2025, if for no other reason than it's almost impossible to be worse.
15. CF Montréal
Last year: 13th in East | 28 points (6W-10D-18L, -26 GD)
Average predicted positioning: 14.6
Highest positioning: 13 (Ben)
Lowest positioning: 15 (Chris, Christina, Johel, Omari, Ronan, Valair)
Ben's breakdown: Montréal are more reticent to spend money than any team in MLS, and this window was no exepction. They spend $1.2 million in GAM on defender Brayan Vera, but have otherwise grabbed young castoffs from around MLS to try and assemble a patchwork XI that doesn't look like it'll be able to compete for much of anything, let alone a playoff spot.
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Team awards
MLS Cup winner
Ben: Inter Miami
Chris: Inter Miami
Christina: Nashville SC
Jeff: LAFC
Johel: Nashville SC
Omari: Nashville SC
Ronan: Inter Miami
Valair: Inter Miami
Supporters' Shield winner
Ben: LAFC
Chris: Inter Miami
Christina: Inter Miami
Jeff: Inter Miami
Johel: Inter Miami
Omari: Inter Miami
Ronan: Inter Miami
Valair: LAFC
Concacaf Champions Cup Winner
Ben: Toluca
Chris: Cruz Azul
Christina: Inter Miami
Jeff: Toluca
Johel: Inter Miami
Omari: CF Monterrey
Ronan: Toluca
Valair: Club América
Leagues Cup Winner
Ben: Nashville SC
Chris: LAFC
Christina: Seattle Sounders
Jeff: Nashville SC
Johel: Nashville SC
Omari: LAFC
Ronan: LAFC
Valair: Nashville SC
US Open Cup Winner
Ben: Chicago Fire
Chris: Red Bull New York
Christina: LAFC
Jeff: Chicago Fire
Johel: Chicago Fire
Omari: Austin FC
Ronan: Columbus Crew
Valair: Chicago Fire
Surprise Team of the Year (Positive)
Ben: Chicago Fire
Chris: Colorado Rapids
Christina: Orlando City
Jeff: Chicago in the East, San Jose in the West
Johel: Real Salt Lake
Omari: Houston Dynamo
Ronan: Portland Timbers
Valair: San Jose Earthquakes
Surprise Team of the Year (Negative)
Ben: FC Cincinnati
Chris: Columbus Crew
Christina: San Diego FC
Jeff: Cincinnati in the East, Minnesota in the West
Johel: San Diego FC
Omari: Charlotte FC
Ronan: Philadelphia Union
Valair: Columbus Crew
Individual awards
MLS Golden Boot
Ben: Son Heung-Min
Chris: Lionel Messi
Christina: Son Heung-Min
Jeff: Dénis Bouanga
Johel: Dénis Bouanga
Omari: Lionel Messi
Ronan: Lionel Messi
Valair: Lionel Messi
MLS Defender of the Year
Ben: Jeisson Palacios
Chris: Matt Miazga
Christina: Miles Robinson
Jeff: Micael
Johel: Miles Robinson
Omari: Andy Nájar
Ronan: Miles Robinson
Valair: Jackson Ragen
MLS Goalkeeper of the Year
Ben: Dayne St. Clair
Chris: Matt Freese
Christina: Dayne St. Clair
Jeff: Chris Brady
Johel: Dayne St. Clair
Omari: Dayne St. Clair
Ronan: Dayne St. Clair
Valair: Dayne St. Clair
MLS Young Player of the Year
Ben: Ronald Donkor
Chris: Nathan Ordaz
Christina: Osaze De Rosario
Jeff: Mbekezeli Mbokazi
Johel: Ahmed Qasem
Omari: Idan Toklomati
Ronan: David Martínez
Valair: Luca Bombino
MLS Newcomer of the Year
Ben: Stephen Eustaquio
Chris: Germán Berterame
Christina: James Rodríguez
Jeff: Timo Werner
Johel: Germán Berterame
Omari: Timo Werner
Ronan: Germán Berterame
Valair: Timo Werner
MLS Coach of the Year
Ben: Javier Mascherano
Chris: Javier Mascherano
Christina: BJ Callaghan
Jeff: BJ Callaghan
Johel: BJ Callaghan
Omari: BJ Callaghan
Ronan: BJ Callaghan
Valair: BJ Callaghan
MLS MVP
Ben: Lionel Messi
Chris: Lionel Messi
Christina: Son Heung-Min
Jeff: Dénis Bouanga
Johel: Lionel Messi
Omari: Lionel Messi
Ronan: Lionel Messi
Valair: Lionel Messi
