MLS is back this weekend, kicking off Saturday with a full slate headlined by LAFC and Inter Miami meeting at the Coliseum in Los Angeles.
Those two teams in particular are increasingly representing what MLS is about. Both are led by international megastars using league play in the U.S. to prepare for this summer’s World Cup here. Lionel Messi led his Miami team to the league title last year, while Son Heung-Min arrived in the summer and, after a sensational half-season, is now hoping to knock Messi and Miami from that throne.
But lining up next to that duo are a bunch of other top players, both from North America and abroad, who may not be as famous as the Argentina and South Korea stars but who have played for top teams around the world — or will soon — after using MLS to launch to a larger league.
– No more Rivalry Week? Here’s why MLS changed its 2026 calendar
– MLS jersey Power Rankings: Who’s the best dressed in 2026?
– Minnesota’s James deal is a low-risk marriage of convenience
Of course, there are a fair number of teams not participating in Saturday’s marquee clash who will look to prove their rosters are as good or better than those title favorites.
Will Messi and Miami fend off those charges to repeat? Can Son spur his team to a trophy? Or will another contender emerge over the course of a grueling campaign? Here’s what you might have missed in the winter, along with the storylines that will define the 2026 season.
Can anyone stop Miami and Messi?
As Messi lifted MLS Cup, the first domestic title in Miami’s short history, he also bid farewell to a pair of longtime running buddies. Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, teammates at Barcelona who joined him across the Atlantic in MLS, had announced it would be their final season. They went out on a high, and already, Miami’s front office had a plan to replace them and go a few steps further.
Sergio Reguilón, who has experience with Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid, joined as the Herons’ new left back. At the same time, David Ayala was wooed from the Portland Timbers to compete for the midfield place now open next to world champion Rodrigo De Paul.
Beyond those holes in the starting XI, the title winners looked to bolster things at the back, where they were far too inconsistent. Miami signed Dayne St. Clair, the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, from Minnesota United, and are expected to start the Canada international immediately. Micael, a former Houston Dynamo center back who spent the last season with Palmeiras in his native Brazil, has returned to MLS to bolster Miami’s defense.
With a designated player spot still open, Miami made another splashy move, acquiring Germán Berterame from Monterrey. A forward who scored consistently in Liga MX with Rayados, his addition will allow manager Javier Mascherano to use Luis Suárez as a super-sub and also put Messi back into his typical No. 10 role rather than asking him to operate as a false 9.
The stunning rebuild gives Miami the best roster — on paper, of course — heading into an MLS season in recent memory. And the club has reason to push for more trophies: It is opening up the gleaming new Miami Freedom Park near the airport in early April.
Still, there’s a reason these games are played. Not only will Miami take everyone’s best shot as it defends its crown, but it is also looking to win the Concacaf Champions Cup for the first time in club history and earn a place in the next Club World Cup in 2029 after occupying the host team’s place in 2025.
The opponent Saturday, Son’s LAFC, is a top candidate to topple Miami off the perch. In addition to having a rested and ready Son, the Black and Gold also fended off bids from Brazilian teams and, reportedly, from Miami itself, for Gabon international Denis Bouanga. The dynamic forward has scored 20 goals or more in each of the last three seasons for LAFC and gelled well with Son despite initial concerns about fit.
Under new manager Marc dos Santos, a Montreal native, LAFC has also become a hotbed for Canada internationals. The most notable is midfielder Stephen Eustáquio, whom the team signed only on a short loan through to the World Cup, but has the option for a full transfer. If he can replicate what he does for the Canada national team, LAFC will surely want to lock down the versatile 29-year-old to a longer contract.
Center back Aaron Long‘s much-anticipated return from Achilles injury could be coming in the first half of the year. He was registered on the club’s roster for the CCC.
The questions are about how Dos Santos will handle the star-studded team. While he has MLS managerial experience, he’s been working as an assistant under Steve Cherundolo. The former Bundesliga pro opted to leave the team for personal reasons and move back to Germany with his family. Rather than bring in an unknown, LAFC opted for Dos Santos, but expectations are high and the pressure will be on if things don’t go well from the start.
Big stars continue to shine even outside South Florida and Hollywood
The Vancouver Whitecaps will also enjoy a full season of their summer signing, with Thomas Müller preparing for a full year in MLS. The Caps managed to make the final of both the CCC and MLS last season, only to fall short in both games. Most key players have returned, though attacking players Ali Ahmed (to English club Norwich City) and Jayden Nelson (to Austin FC) did move on. They’ll look to get over the hump after a strong 2025.
Familiar names continue to see MLS as a destination. Most notably, James Rodríguez has joined a Minnesota United team in transition after manager Eric Ramsay left for West Bromwich Albion of the EFL Championship. The Colombian ace will hope the set-piece happy team is the perfect place for him to prepare for the World Cup.
Timo Werner won’t burst back into the Germany picture, but at least will be playing for the San Jose Earthquakes after a turbulent final period with RB Leipzig and on loan to Tottenham Hotspur. The Quakes lost winger Cristian Espinoza to Nashville in free agency and need Werner to help shoulder some of the attacking responsibilities.
A familiar face is back in MLS as Austin FC splashed out to bring Facundo Torres back to the league. The Uruguay winger had moved from Orlando City to Palmeiras, but signed a long-term deal this winter as a designated player with the Verde and Black.
Even teams without much recent success are looking to bolster with internationals. D.C. United signed Romania forward Louis Munteanu, who will work to jolt D.C.’s attack and hopefully push Romania through the World Cup playoff and into the tournament this summer.
Intra-league market also continues to grow
It’s not only players arriving from abroad who are making MLS a more competitive league. The loosening of rules on using cash to sign players from other clubs has seen far more intra-league moves than ever before in MLS’ three-decade history. Most of the names aren’t as famous as James or Werner, but they are players whose new clubs hope will provide consistent production.
D.C. United pried Tai Baribo from the Philadelphia Union after he scored 18 goals last season. That’s only a dozen less than D.C. United scored as a team last season.
The LA Galaxy looked to reinforce its attack after another injury suffered by Riqui Puig and brought in João Klauss from St. Louis City. And after they moved midfielder Ayala to Miami for cash, the Portland Timbers turned around and acquired Cole Bassett from the Colorado Rapids to replace him. A pair of U.S. youth internationals also changed squads, with Brooklyn Raines heading to the New England Revolution from Houston and Reed Baker-Whiting joining Nashville SC from Seattle Sounders.
It’s a way for teams to get players who have proved themselves in MLS, but also frees up players who might be stuck behind others for playing time at one club to head elsewhere and earn minutes.
World Cup, international duties will test managers in new ways
MLS will break for almost all of the World Cup, releasing players to their international teams in late May and resuming play the weekend before the tournament final in July. Several MLS stadiums are in use for the sport’s biggest tournament, some as match venues like Atlanta, Seattle, Vancouver and New England, and many others as training sites.
Plus, dozens of players will be taking part, from Messi and De Paul joining defending champs Argentina to a trio of players representing tournament underdogs Haiti. MLS managers will want to work with those players to make sure they arrive in optimal conditions in the summer. Then, they’ll hope that whatever those players’ fate on the biggest stage of their lives, they’re able to turn around and focus on the back stretch of the season and the Leagues Cup tournament that comes right after.
Plus, managers will be eager to make sure their players who aren’t taking part in the World Cup — likely the vast majority of most squads — are still staying sharp ahead of the league resuming.
Whether it’s figuring out how to knock off one of the deepest teams in memory, scheming on the best way to have players ready to chase one trophy or another, or trying to break into the favorites category with a good run of results, it’s set to be a fascinating season that demands a lot of managers and the players they’re leading.
