Nashville SC on historic pace heading into World Cup break

NASHVILLE, TN – Nashville SC head into the World Cup break as the best team in MLS, leading the Supporters' Shield race after the first phase of the season.

Nashville's 2-1 win over New York City FC on Saturday night capped off a historic start to the MLS season. Through 14 matches, Nashville have 10 wins, three draws, and one loss. They've outscored their opponents 31-11 in league play, and their 33 points are tied for the third-most in league history through the first 14 matches of a season.

Only five other teams in league history have taken at least 33 points from their first 14 matches. All five went on to win the Supporters' Shield, the trophy given to the team with the best regular-season record. One, the 2000 Kansas City Wizards, also won MLS Cup.

The start is impressive on its own, but doing it while navigating a run to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals is even more impressive. Only one other team in MLS history, the 2025 Vancouver Whitecaps, reached the semifinals while in first place in their conference.

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Nashville have also avoided the post-Concacaf dropoff that has plagued other teams. In their four matches since their elimination from the tournament against Tigres, they've won three and drawn one, outscoring their opponents 10-5. They're currently two points ahead of Inter Miami in the Eastern Conference with a game in hand.

Perhaps most impressive, Nashville lead MLS with just nine points dropped, taking 33 points from a potential 42.

Nashville's historic pace

There's a lot of soccer left to play. Teams will fine-tune and correct over the World Cup break. The summer transfer window is set to open on July 13, giving teams the ability to sign players before the league re-starts on July 17. In past seasons, players signed in the summer transfer window could really only participate in the final third of the season. This year, over half the season will be played after the transfer window opens.

The league will look very different post-World Cup, and it would be foolish to assume that form will stay the same. But if Nashville are able to maintain their pre-World Cup pace for the full season, they're on track for one of the best seasons in league history.