2026 MLS Season Preview: LAFC, Vancouver Whitecaps to Challenge Inter Miami

All 30 MLS teams are gearing up for what promises to be an action-packed, rivalry-filled season.

The stage for the 2026 MLS season is set. | Elsa/Getty Images, Rich Storry/Getty Images, Aaron Baker/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images, Rich Lam/Getty Images

Powerhouse teams, big name signings and 2026 FIFA World Cup hype all serve as the backdrop to the 2026 Major League season, that kicks off this Saturday.

Less than three months ago, Inter Miami lifted the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy to claim MLS Cup glory for the first time in club history. Celebrations barely ceased in south Florida before preparations began for 2026 as the Herons—and the league’s 29 other clubs—started anew in the offseason, with their sights set on silverware.

The added pressure of performing throughout the United States and Canada in the same year as the two countries, along with Mexico, host this summer’s World Cup sets the stage for the biggest and most competitive MLS season yet ... and that’s before any more blockbuster signings potentially join the league after the sport’s biggest tournament.

The lofty expectations show just how much the league has grown over the last decade, continuing to reach new heights some observers thought impossible for MLS. The 2026 season will be no exception, especially when the entire league is vying to steal the Herons’ crown.

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The Favorites to Win MLS Cup

Rodrigo De Paul helped Inter Miami win their first-ever MLS Cup. | Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Is there any point in going against Inter Miami? Sure, the Herons might have bid farewell to the legendary Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba in December, but they still have Lionel Messi, whose presence alone is often enough to will his team to victory thanks to his generational left foot and world-class playmaking, even at 38 years old.

But unlike his early days in a pink shirt, Messi now has a wealth of talent surrounding him, a lethal blend of experienced players, like Rodrigo De Paul and new DP signing Germán Berterame, and exciting young stars in Mateo Silvetti and Telasco Segovia. With the added boost of finally reaching the mountaintop last season, Inter Miami come into 2026 with a squad, confidence and swagger not many—if any—teams in MLS can contend with, especially in big-time moments.

Son Heung-min has what it takes to lead LAFC to MLS Cup glory. | Chris Gardner/Getty Images

The Concacaf Champions Cup and 2026 World Cup could distract the Herons from their domestic goals, though, leaving the door open for LAFC to challenge for their crown. The Black & Gold were two penalties away from facing off with Inter Miami in last season’s MLS Cup final, and Son Heung-min will have nothing but redemption on the mind this season.

The former Tottenham Hotspur talisman also has the added benefit of playing alongside Denis Bouanga, who remained in Los Angeles despite links to Brazilian side Fluminense. The two players made MLS history last season after they combined to score 18 straight goals, and that was when they hardly knew each other. Their chemistry is bound to be even better in 2026, which makes LAFC all the more dangerous.

Thomas Müller (left) will hope to right last season’s wrongs for Vancouver. | Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Counting out 2025 MLS Cup runners-up Vancouver Whitecaps would be foolish. After all, they were simply dominant last season, coming within three points of winning the Supporters’ Shield. The Canadian outfit also made the MLS Cup final, Concacaf Champions Cup final and the Canadian Championship final.

They only actually took home the Canadian Championship, though, prompting some questions about the team’s ability to get over the finish line against top opponents, even with the addition of Thomas Müller. The Western Conference side also might be forced to relocate in the near future, an on-going distraction that could bleed onto the pitch if the Whitecaps once again lose their home-field advantage for important games.

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Three Players to Watch in 2026

MLS is overflowing with talent in 2026. | Sergio Mejia/Getty Images, Minnesota United FC/MLS/Getty Images, Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images

It’s easy to point to the big names stealing headlines across MLS. Of course, Messi, Son and Müller are must-see week in and week out, but there are other stars set to take center stage in 2026 that fans won’t want to miss.

Berterame is gearing up for his first season in MLS after his blockbuster transfer from Monterrey to Inter Miami. The 27-year-old lit up Liga MX during his days representing Los Rayados, scoring 68 goals in 153 appearances. Now, the No. 9 gets to play alongside the back-to-back MLS MVP, an opportunity that could propel the DP to the forefront of the Golden Boot race.

James Rodríguez is another new face coming to the United States in 2026. The former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich standout joined Minnesota United, becoming the club’s first-ever high profile signing. Even at 34 years old, the Colombian talisman is sensational from set pieces and can carve apart a defense with one perfectly timed through ball. James probably won’t score a lot of goals, but he will without a doubt create them.

Unlike the two new signings, Anders Dreyer knows exactly what it takes to thrive in MLS. In his debut season, the Danish winger was named a 2025 MLS All-Star and took home the 2025 MLS Newcomer of the Year award. His club-best 19 goals and 19 assists led San Diego FC to the Western Conference summit, and who’s to say he won’t be better in his sophomore season?

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2026 World Cup Brings Unique Buzz and Challenges to MLS

MLS must pause for the 2026 World Cup. | Mandel NGAN/Pool/Getty Images

In the middle of the upcoming season, all 30 teams will have to take a seven-week break from domestic action, beginning on May 25 through July 16, due to the 2026 World Cup. Three decades after MLS was founded as part of the United States’s bid to host the 1994 World Cup, the biggest tournament in soccer is back on American soil.

The feverish excitement sweeping across the country in the build-up to the competition will only bring more eyes to MLS, further boosting the league after it saw record-growth in 2025. After all, those looking to watch the likes of Messi, Son, De Paul and several important U.S. men’s national team players, including expected starters Matt Freese and Tim Ream, ahead of this summer’s World Cup must tune in to MLS.

Taking such a lengthy break mid-season for a grueling international tournament is a challenge, though, one that will need to be managed. Plus, MLS teams will be holding their breath that none of their World Cup stars suffer injury at the tournament—like Messi did at 2024 Copa América—ruling them out of action for the crucial second half of the season.

Plus, with the league resuming three days before the World Cup final, MLS teams will likely hope all their stars have safely returned rather than force them to choose between an important club game and the sport’s biggest match of the last four years.

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Who Won the 2026 MLS Offseason?

Dayne St. Clair left Minnesota United to join Inter Miami. | David Berding/Getty Images

Before teams could even start thinking of MLS Cup glory or World Cup obstacles, they first had to reinforce a squad capable of hoisting silverware in 2026. With prominent stars from across the globe up for grabs, the powerhouses of the league went head-to-head to bring in the best talent.

Several head-turning moves stole headlines in the months following the 2025 MLS Cup final, but none more so than those made by reigning champions Inter Miami. In addition to Berterame’s arrival in south Florida, the Herons also signed 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, Dayne St. Clair.

The team brought in Brazilian center back Micael from Palmeiras as well, along with Sergio Reguilón, Alba’s replacement on the left flank. Plus, Inter Miami warded off other suitors to lock down the versatile Tadeo Allende, who bagged 24 goals last season, through June 2030.

The new faces combined with the already well-established stars in Miami give Javier Mascherano a more balanced team, with the necessary depth to both defend his side’s MLS Cup and make a deep run in the Concacaf Champions Cup. The club’s weaknesses at the back and between the posts should be a thing of the past, making the Herons even more lethal than they were last season.

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