Nashville SC will kick off their 2026 season on Tuesday night, venturing into the frigid air of Hamilton, Ontario, to begin their Concacaf Champions Cup campaign, and with it, the 2026 season.
After winning the US Open Cup in 2025, expectations are high for Nashville heading into the new season. The addition of winger Cristian Espinoza has elevated Nashville's attack, and has them poised to challenge for the Eastern Conference title.
Here at SixOneFive Soccer, we'll be covering the season every step of the way. We're kicking off our suite of preview content with an in-depth look at what to expect from the Coyotes in 2026.
Sign up for a new annual membership during our preseason sale and save 25%!
Nashville SC's roster changes
It was an incredibly busy offseason for Nashville. General manager Mike Jacobs overhauled the squad more than ever before, with 13 players departing in the offseason and a new group brought in.
Players out
- Walker Zimmerman: The club captain left at the end of his contract, signing with Toronto FC as a free agent. His absence will take a big adjustment for this club, where he was the unquestioned leader on and off the pitch. On the pitch, though, injuries had begun to take their toll, and it makes sense for Nashville to move towards more dynamic center backs.
- Jacob Shaffelburg: Shaffelburg was sold to Los Angeles FC for $1 million in General Allocation Money. A fan-favorite, it was sad to see him go, but he struggled to adapt to BJ Callaghan's more ball-oriented system. He'll be a great fit in LA.
- Gastón Brugman: Brugman never quite lived up to expectations in Nashville, unable to get on the pitch enough to justify his significant salary. His option wasn't picked up, but he leaves Nashville with a creative void in midfield.
- Tyler Boyd: After coming back from a devastating ACL injury last season, Boyd made seven appearances for Nashville, but never quite looked up to speed. One of the highest earners on the roster, Nashville bought out his contract after he was waived. He's with LAFC now.
- Taylor Washington: The original Boy In Gold retired after eight seasons in Nashville. 2026 will be the first season as a professional club without Washington on the roster.
- Jonny Pérez: The most recent departure, Pérez was expected to compete for starting minutes after joining on a $1.5 million cash transfer last season. His move to Chivas materialized really late, and while selling him for $3 million is fantastic business, Nashville's attacking depth took a big hit.
- Other departures: Teal Bunbury (out of contract), Wyatt Meyer (option declined), Julian Gaines (option declined), Maximus Ekk (option declined), Tate Schmitt (option declined), Isaiah Jones (loaned out)
Players in
- Cristian Espinoza: The arrival of Cristian Espinoza in Nashville was one of the biggest free agent signings in recent memory. A perennial Best XI-caliber player, Espinoza should elevate Nashville's attack into one of the best in MLS.
- Maxwell Woledzi: The Ghanaian center back joins Nashville after two-consecutive Best XI inclusions in Norway's top division. A standout with Fredrikstad, Woledzi should immediately slot into a starting role in Music City.
- Warren Madrigal: Warren Madrigal gives Nashville something they haven't had forever: a reliable scoring option off the bench. The 21-year-old Costa Rican striker has loads of potential and the quality to push for starting minutes.
- Other arrivals: Shak Mohammed, Isaiah LeFlore, Thomas Williams, Charles-Émile Brunet
How will Nashville SC play in year two under BJ Callaghan?
Nashville's identity under BJ Callaghan, who's heading into his second full season in charge, can be described as "controlled aggression". They play on the front foot, both in and out of possession. They want to control the tempo of the game, by moving the ball in possession and pressing aggressively without.
They use repeatable patterns of play to create high-value scoring chances, with their strikers as the main beneficiaries of those chances. And they attack and defend as a collective. "Everyone attacks, everyone defends," Callaghan likes to say. They press as a collective, but they also get their defenders forward into the attack.
Their fullbacks especially play a crucial role in the attack. Andy Nájar was arguably the best right back in MLS last year, getting high up the pitch and playing almost as a No. 10 at times. Dan Lovitz is similarly impactful on the opposite flank. He doesn't push as high, picking out line-breaking passes from a deeper position. The two fullbacks are vital to Nashville's ball progression, largely mitigating deficiencies from the midfield in possession.
While there's a clear structure in possession, players are also granted plenty of freedom within that structure. The two forwards are free to drift into space, often interchanging with the wide attackers. The two central midfielders often shade towards a flank, and the fullbacks provide central cover to allow this. Even the center backs are given license for the occasional foray up the field. It's a dynamic system of play.
What formation will Nashville SC play?
Nashville spent the bulk of the 2025 season playing out of a base 4-2-2-2 shape. While they've used that same shape for much of preseason, they're going to be more flexibile in 2026.
Ben Wright
Whether they're playing out of a 4-2-2-2, Nashville will look to change their shape in buildout to utilize the 3-2-5 shape that has become the standard for teams around the world. Whether it's a fullback pinching inside to form a back three, a midfielder dropping between the center backs, or the goalkeeper stepping into midfield to form a line of three with the center backs and give a numerical advantage upfield, expect to see a lot of three-man buildouts this season.
Don't be surprised if Nashville switch things up and use more three-man midfields this year, either. Whether it's Alex Muyl pinchign in during the run of play, or starting with out of a 4-3-3 shape, they'll be much less predictable in the shapes they use.
What does Nashville's depth look like?
Nashville have more depth at the striker position than ever before, with Warren Madrigal and Woobens Pacius finally giving them some attacking firepower off the bench. No longer will Nashville have to sacrifice all potential for a goal from their front line when Sam Surridge or Hany Mukhtar comes off the pitch.
Nashville's center back depth is also impressive. Maxwell Woledzi, Jeisson Palacios, Jack Maher and Josh Bauer are all starting-caliber center backs in MLS, with Thomas Williams and Chris Applewhite both showing potential.
Nashville lack depth in a couple key areas, though. In midfield, there's a lot of pressure on Matt Corcoran to fill the creative void left by Gastón Brugman's departure. The 19-year-old has the range and creativity to fill it, and should take major strides forward. Eddi Tagseth, Patrick Yazbek and Bryan Acosta are all similar profiles, all-action box-to-box midfielders who are often better without the ball than with it. And SuperDraft pick Charles-Émile Brunet is a wildcard.
Nashville need another starting-caliber midfielder — preferably a No. 6 — to keep their floor high and afford them the flexibility to change shapes throughout the season without dropoff.
They're also suddenly a bit thin on the wings. Before Jonathan Pérez's sale to Chivas, they had four starting-caliber players for the two wide positions. Cristian Espinoza is elite, while Alex Muyl is ultra-dependable and Ahmed Qasem has been tipped to take a major step forward. With a bevy of games on the calendar, though, they need another player here. They're one injury away from being in a tough spot.
And, of course, fullback. Nájar and Lovitz are both pushing into their mid-30s. Lovitz has historically been an iron man, and Nájar is coming off of the healthiest season of his career. It's risky to count on them being fully available for the entire campaign, though, and the depth behind them is rather uninspiring.
What's Nashville's best starting XI?
Assuming everyone is healthy, here's the strongest Nashville team on paper.
One note: don't be surprised if Matt Corcoran works his way into the starting midfield group pretty quickly.
Who are the key players in attack?
Hany Mukhtar is an obvious answer. With 82 goals and 60 assists from 179 regular-season matches, he's legitimately one of the greatest players in league history. At 30 years old, he's still in his prime, and had a bounce back campaign in 2025. The team still largely revolves around him.
Sam Surridge is the other obvious answer. With 31 goals in all competitions last season, the Englishman broke out as one of the league's best goal scorers. Nashville's system creates consistent chances for him in front of goal, and he should be one of MLS's top scorers again in 2026.
Cristian Espinoza joined this winter as one of the most high-profile free agent signings in recent memory. In seven years with the San Jose Earthquakes, Espinoza logged 36 goals and 83 assists in 218 matches. He'll bring a different dimension to this attack.
As discussed earlier, Andy Nájar is vital to how this team attacks. His ability to carry the ball through pressure and find space in the final third is hugely important. And Matthew Corcoran will also have a key role as the most creative, forward-thinking passer in the midfield group.
Who are the key players in defense?
Jeisson Palacios and Maxwell Woledzi look like they'll be the first-choice pairing in the center of defense. Palacios at his best looked like a Top 10 center back last season, and with a full preseason and a year to settle into Nashville, he should be set for an even better 2026. Woledzi was elite in the Norwegian top flight, and already looks like the most dynamic defender on the roster.
Eddi Tagseth and Patrick Yazbek play a key role in the center of the pitch, covering tremendous amounts of ground in and out of possession. Their ability to recover quickly and provide cover during transition allows Nashville to commit numbers forward, but it also puts a lot of emphasis on their role in defense.
And Brian Schwake looks set for the starting job in goal. The 24-year-old was the backup to Joe Willis all last year, but has held down the bulk of minutes in goal during preseason. His primary strength is with the ball at his feet, and he'll allow Nashville to be more aggressive in buildup. Whether he can be a consistent shot-stopper remains to be seen.
What's Nashville SC's floor and ceiling?
Matt Doyle of TacticsFreeZone has set Nashville's points over/under at 60.5 points. That's a really tough line to pick against, and I'm probably right around 60 points.
Matthew Doyle
I think their floor is what we saw from this team last year - occasionally inconsistent, but good enough to be a playoff team without too much concern. I think that's probably the worst-case outlook for them.
Their ceiling, though, is right up at the top of the MLS table. They may need to add a bit more depth to hit it, but they have room to make moves. With one or two more shrewd depth signings and an injury-free season from their key players, they look capable of hanging with Inter Miami deep into the season and challenging for MLS Cup.
Nashville SC will be good in 2026 if...
- ... they continue building on the foundations built in 2025.
- ... Hany Mukhtar, Sam Surridge, and Cristian Espinoza are as good as advertised
- ... young players like Matt Corcoran and Ahmed Qasem take a step forward in their development
- ... they're able to improve in possession and create consistent, high-quality chances, even against a low block
- ... they win consistently at Geodis Park. Nashville won 11 of 17 regular-season games in 2025. That has to be the standard again.
- ... they improve on the road. The 'Yotes only won five MLS matches away from home last year, a record that significantly dropped their ceiling.
- ... Maxwell Woledzi, Jeisson Palacios and Jack Maher are able to form an elite center back corps that can handle the demands of playing a high line and distributing the ball in buildup
- ... Brian Schwake is a legitimate starting-quality 'keeper in MLS
- ... key players stay healthy
Nashville SC will struggle in 2026 if...
- ... Andy Nájar or Dan Lovitz misses significant time. The fullbacks are crucial to how Nashville play, and they're 33 and 34 years old. They need depth here quickly.
- ... they concede more in transition than they score. Nashville are going to play a high line, and it will leave them open at the back. Getting the balance right will be crucial.
- ... production from their DPs drops off. The attack was entirely Mukhtar and Surridge-centric last season. If those two see a dip in production without anyone else stepping up, things could turn sour.
- ... road form remains poor. It's hard to be an elite MLS team when you average barely a point per game away from home.
- ... they can't break open a low block. Especially with a full year of tape on how this team wants to play, it's a real possibility that teams will come to Geodis Park content to sit deep and deny Nashville space. Can they deal with that?
- ... depth becomes an issue. With Pérez gone and no major reinforcements in midfield arriving, Nashville suddenly feel a bit thin in a few key areas. If they can stay healthy or add a couple players, it's less of a concern. As is, one or two injuries could be devastating. Such is life for every MLS club, though.
What should Nashville SC's goals be for 2026?
I answered a lot of these questions in a New Year's resolution story back in January:
Ben Wright
Here are some of the key points:
- Avoid another midseason slump
- Beat Inter Miami in a knockout competition
- Play the kids
- Win silverware
What's your prediction for Nashville SC in 2026?
I have Nashville currently tabbed for 63 points, good for second place in the Eastern Conference.
This is nine points above where they finished in 2025, when they won 16 of their 34 matches. I don't think it's a stretch to think that adding a piece like Espinoza, increasing their attacking depth, and refining an already-effective game model should be enough for an additional three wins.
Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup will pose challenges and test their depth, but the World Cup break over the summer should provide some relief. With just 14 league matches before MLS pauses from late-May to mid-July, they have room to go all out in the first half of the year and add reinforcements before picking up the second half of the season. I think this could be a major boost.
They're firmly a playoff team, and they've reshaped their roster to be much more in line with their new tactical vision. The expectation for them is to be one of MLS's elite teams.
Play in our 2026 MLS fantasy league on the new Fantasy Utd app!
