MLS Teams That Could Win the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup

There will be nine MLS teams vying to make history in the Concacaf Champions Cup in 2026, looking to become just the fourth club from the American top division to claim continental glory.

Over the past two seasons, MLS sides have made deep runs in the tournament, but none have claimed the title since Seattle Sounders won in 2022. Last year, Vancouver Whitecaps lost 5–0 to Liga MX’s Cruz Azul in the final, and the year prior, Columbus Crew suffered a similar fate, losing 3–0 to Pachuca in the championship match.

This season, the tournament features 27 teams, including eight from the United States, all from MLS. The Whitecaps are the lone Canadian team among the MLS contingent, but they are joined by Canadian Premier League sides, Atlético Ottawa, Forge FC and Vancouver FC.

The first round of the 2026 tournament begins on Feb. 3. Both Inter Miami and Seattle have byes through the first round and will join in the round of 16 as MLS Cup and Leagues Cup winners, respectively.

Here, Sports Illustrated ranks the nine MLS clubs by their potential to hoist the trophy in May.

9. Philadelphia Union

The Philadelphia Union were an organized and dominant team through the 2025 MLS regular season, winning the Supporters’ Shield, but entered 2026 significantly worse after splitting with 10 players, including former MLS Defender of the Year nominees Jakob Glesnes and Kai Wagner, as well as leading goalscorer Tai Baribo.

Helping develop players and moving them on at a profit is the club’s model, and it has brought them success in the past, but the Union may be entering a dip year without some of those key performers. While that impact will be felt more significantly in league play, it won’t make a Champions Cup run easy, especially after their likely first-round win over Defence Force FC of Trinidad and Tobago.

After that round, they would likely face Club América before a potential meeting with Inter Miami. Good luck.

8. San Diego FC

Anders Dreyer — Anders Dryer was a finalist for the 2025 MLS MVP award alongside Lionel Messi and several others. | Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

San Diego FC are known for their surprise factor now and come into their debut Champions Cup as a relative unknown for plenty of the teams that stand in their way. Yet, it won’t be an easy start to the tournament, taking on Pumas UNAM in the first round, before a likely matchup with Toluca in the round of 16.

There are plenty of questions around where the team will stand in 2026, considering the split from Hirving “Chucky” Lozano and whether Danish star winger Anders Dreyer can continue the form that won him the 2025 MLS Newcomer of the Year.

While those two factors stand out, they will also integrate new attacking piece Lewis Morgan into the squad through the Champions Cup, with hopes that the Scot can bolster their goalscoring abilities against elite teams.

It won’t be easy for manager Mikey Varas’s side, but if MLS teams and pundits learned anything in 2025, it’s that you can’t underestimate San Diego FC.

7. Nashville SC

Hany Mukhtar (left) and Sam Surridge. — Hany Mukhtar (left) and Sam Surridge (right) could clash with Inter Miami for the 19th time since 2020. | Alex Menendez/Getty Images

Nashville SC faces Atlético Ottawa in the opening round of the tournament, and the first leg will likely be the competitive debut for marquee signing Cristian Espinoza, who the club secured in free agency after his standout career with the San Jose Earthquakes.

With the new 30-year-old midfielder, manager B.J. Callaghan’s group will be confident in the attack reaching a new level, given the 2025 success of Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge, who combined for 40 goals across the regular season.

Their tournament starts against the Canadian Premier League champions and is likely to see them clash with their most familiar foe, Inter Miami in the second round. While they don’t have a stellar record against the Herons, there won’t be any star-stunned factor, leaving them with the potential of an upset and a run deep into the tournament.

6. Seattle Sounders

Obed Vargas. — Seattle’s Obed Vargas topped the 2025 MLS 22 Under 22 List. | Alika Jenner/Getty Images

Seattle Sounders have a challenging road ahead in the Champions Cup, despite having a bye in the first round. Their quarterfinal matchup will likely see them face rivals Vancouver, and they will play their home match several hours away in Spokane, Washington, as Lumen Field undergoes renovations for the 2026 World Cup.

Should they get past Vancouver, it would be Tigres UANL or Cincinnati next, neither of them an easy challenge. However, with Paul Arriola set to return and Jesús Ferreira speaking openly about his World Cup dreams, their elevated presence could be enough to push Obed Vargas, Paul Rothrock and Cristian Roldan to an unexpected run in the tournament.

5. LA Galaxy

Marco Reus will look to lead LA Galaxy to Concacaf Champions Cup success in 2026. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Yes, the LA Galaxy finished second-last in the Western Conference in 2025. It won’t have star midfielder Riqui Puig for a second-straight season after he had a significant setback and additional surgery in his ACL recovery—but could they pull off a miracle Concacaf Champions Cup run?

Led by manager Greg Vanney in the first year of a new contract, the Galaxy will avoid Liga MX and MLS teams until at least the quarterfinals, meeting Panama’s Sporting San Miguelito in Round One, then Jamaica’s Mount Pleasant in the round of 16, two very winnable ties to get to the quarterfinals.

Should they get to there, it would be one of Toluca, Pumas UNAM or San Diego FC, all extremely challenging teams, but not insurmountable, especially given the Galaxy’s penchant for tournament soccer; the club finished third in the 2025 Leagues Cup to qualify for the Champions Cup.

If Puig were on this team, they could be legitimate contenders. Instead, they will hope for improved campaigns from Marco Reus, Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil, as well as a quick adaptation from their Puig replacement, João Klauss, who was recently added from St. Louis CITY SC.

4. FC Cincinnati

FC Cincinnati are searching for any type of trophy in 2026, after flaming out in the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs and 2025 Champions Cup. With a superstar midfielder like Evander and forward Kévin Denkey coming off a16-goal debut season in MLS, they could be suited to do some damage in continental competition.

Led by manager Pat Noonan, Cincinnati will hope that Evander and Denkey can improve their link-up play throughout the preseason. The two are outstanding attacking talents on their own, but rarely set up one another for goals in 2025, which, if they can navigate, makes them a refreshed, dynamic threat.

Cincinnati’s Champions Cup starts relatively simply against Dominican Republic side O&M FC, before a likely meeting with Tigres in the second round. If they get past Tigres, they’ll have outstanding belief that they can win the whole tournament.

3. LAFC

Denis Bouanga (left) and Son Heung-min. — Denis Bouanga (left) formed a formidable partnership with Son Heung-min. | David Buono/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

LAFC enters their first full season with the “Heung-Bu Duo” of Son Heung-min and Denis Bouanga and will have relative tactical consistency, following the club's elevation of former assistant coach Marc Dos Santos to the managerial role after Steve Cherundolo’s departure.

While they will face a challenging road of navigating an MLS season under Dos Santos and they could face questions of roster depth throughout the 34-game grind, they have an easier path to start the Champions Cup, avoiding MLS and Liga MX opponents until at least the quarterfinals.

It has been a relatively calm offseason for LAFC. Still, they could adjust their transitional approach with the signings of Canadian winger Jacob Shaffelburg from Nashville SC and 21-year-old midfielder Amin Boudri, who arrives as a highly rated young player from Sweden’s GAIS.

The Black and Gold are overwhelming favorites against Honduras’ Real España in the first round. They would likely meet Costa Rica’s Alajuelense in the second round—a challenging opponent, but not at the same level as an elite Liga MX or MLS side.

2. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Thomas Müller will look to lead Vancouver Whitecaps to Concacaf Champions Cup glory in 2026. | Rich Storry/Getty Images

Vancouver Whitecaps reached three finals in 2025, but came away as champions in only one, winning their fourth-straight Canadian Championship, while losing the 2025 MLS Cup and Champions Cup finals. That Champions Cup final, though, will still sting after they fell 5–0 to Cruz Azul in Mexico City.

This year, they’re out for revenge, qualifying not as Canadian Championship winners, but as one of the best teams in the 2025 MLS regular season, where they finished second in the Western Conference with a club-record 63 points, before advancing to MLS Cup.

While there has been movement in the offseason, the Canadian side is set to return with a similar group that led them to success in 2025. Headed by MLS Coach of the Year finalist Jesper Sørensen, the Whitecaps have only split with two critical players in the winter: Ali Ahmed left for Norwich City and Jayden Nelson departed for Austin FC.

Outside of those two, though, they’ve managed to retain key talents, including fending off an Inter Miami pursuit of MLS Defender of the Year, Tristan Blackmon. They will have veteran Bundesliga legend Thomas Müller and DP midfielder Ryan Gauld both back at full health and will hope that Peruvian youngster Kenji Cabrera can fill the left midfield void.

The Whitecaps will look very similar to 2025 and will have a similar approach to the Champions Cup, starting in Costa Rica as they did last season, facing C.S. Cartaginés in the first round.

Should they advance, a second-round clash would see them face Cascadia rivals Seattle Sounders before a potential third-round meeting with Tigres UANL or Cincinnati.

1. Inter Miami

Inter Miami vs. Alianza Lima — Lionel Messi (left) and Rodrigo de Paul (right) will lead one of the strongest MLS teams ever assembled into the Concacaf Champions Cup. | Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

When Inter Miami lifted the MLS Cup in December, it took mere moments before co-owner Jorge Mas highlighted his next dream with the club—winning the Champions Cup.

Since then, every move Miami have made has been with the Champions Cup in mind. Not only do they have the experience of winning MLS Cup and a run to the 2025 Champions Cup semifinal, but they signed the 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair, as well as former Premier League and La Liga fullback Sergio Regulión.

Their most important signing of all, though, is likely Mexico international Germán Berterame, who has found immense success in the continental competition, including against Inter Miami. In 10 Concacaf matches, he tallied four goals and two assists with former club Monterrey.

Even with eventual MLS MVP Lionel Messi, the Herons were overwhelmed by Vancouver’s unrelenting high pressure in the 2025 semifinal, before finding revenge in MLS Cup. Still, with the experience of navigating a busy schedule, the rigors of the Champions Cup and the new signings, they aren’t just the MLS favorites in the competition, but the outright favorites above every Liga MX side as well.

The Herons get a bye through to the round of 16 as MLS Cup champions, where they will either meet Nashville SC for the 19th time since both entered the league in 2020 or Canadian Premier League champions, Atlético Ottawa, who scored one of the top goals of 2025 in a blizzard.

MLS Teams That Could Win the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup—Ranked