2026 Major League Soccer season
31st season of Major League Soccer
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The 2026 Major League Soccer season is the ongoing 31st season of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is also the 48th overall season of a national first-division men's soccer league in the United States overseen by the United States Soccer Federation. The league has 30 clubs that are divided into the Eastern and Western conferences, each with 15 teams.
- February 21 – November 7
(regular season) - November 18 – December 18
(playoffs)
| Season | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dates |
|
| Teams | 30 |
| Matches | 449 |
| Goals | 1,460 (3.25 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Lionel Messi (25 goals) |
| Best goalkeeper | Brian Schwake Yohei Takaoka (13 clean sheets each) |
| Biggest home win | Vancouver 6–0 Minnesota (March 15) Los Angeles 6–0 Orlando (April 4) Portland 6–0 Kansas City (May 9) Miami 7–1 Montréal (August 29) |
| Biggest away win | San Diego 0–5 Philadelphia (September 13) |
| Highest scoring | 10 goals: Miami 6–4 Philadelphia (May 24) |
| Longest winning run | 8 matches: Philadelphia (August 29–October 14) |
| Longest unbeaten run | 19 matches: St. Louis (May 9–October 14) |
| Longest winless run | 13 matches: Seattle (May 16–September 19) |
| Longest losing run | 8 matches: Seattle (May 16–August 19) |
| Highest attendance | 75,824 COL 2–3 MIA (April 18)[1] |
| Lowest attendance | 10,115 DC 2–1 CLB (September 9) |
← 2025 2027 →
All statistics correct as of October 17, 2026. | |
The regular season is scheduled to run from February 21 to November 7, with 34 matches for each team, primarily against opponents in the same conference. A six-week break was taken from May 25 to July 16 for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which was hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The playoffs are scheduled to be played during an uninterrupted period in November and December, culminating in MLS Cup 2026, the league's postseason championship,[2] on December 18.[3] The 2026 season will be the final full season played under the spring–autumn format, as MLS plans to transition to a summer–spring format beginning with the 2027–28 season; a shortened season with 14 matches is scheduled to be played in early 2027.[4]
All MLS matches during the regular season and playoffs are planned to be broadcast on Apple TV, an online streaming service operated by Apple Inc. It replaces MLS Season Pass, which was a standalone streaming service by Apple, used from 2023 to 2025.[5]
Inter Miami CF enters the season as reigning MLS Cup champions, while the Philadelphia Union enter as holders of the Supporters' Shield.
Teams
MLS had been expanding at the rate of nearly one team a year since 2005, when Real Salt Lake joined the league, through 2025, with the introduction of San Diego FC.[6][7] Commissioner Don Garber stated that the league would put a pause on expansion once reaching thirty teams until after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[6] As such, the 2026 MLS season represents the first season played without an expansion team added or planned in over twenty years.[6]
Stadiums and locations
Nu Stadium opened on April 4, 2026, as the new home stadium of Inter Miami CF.[8] In addition to their normal home venues, some teams have scheduled matches at other stadiums to increase capacity.
- ^ Non-soccer specific stadium and artificially reduced capacity. Capacity may be increased to full capacity if demand requires.
Personnel and sponsorships
Note: All teams use Adidas as universal kit manufacturer. As part of Apple's broadcast contract, all MLS kits include Apple TV+ as a sleeve sponsor.[10]
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota sponsors training and special event jerseys
- Vanderbilt Health sponsors training and special event jerseys
- Montefiore Einstein sponsors training and special event jerseys
- Dutch Bros. Coffee sponsors training and special event jerseys
- Providence Swedish sponsors training and special event jerseys
- Bank of Montreal sponsors training and special event jerseys
Coaching changes
| Team | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming coach | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta United FC | Fired[15] | October 19, 2025 | Pre-season | November 6, 2025[16] | ||
| Colorado Rapids | End of contract[17] | October 27, 2025 | December 23, 2025[18] | |||
| New York Red Bulls | Mutual consent[19] | December 15, 2025[20] | ||||
| New England Revolution | End of interim period | November 7, 2025 | November 7, 2025[21] | |||
| Los Angeles FC | Mutual consent[a] | December 1, 2025 | December 5, 2025[22] | |||
| Columbus Crew | Signed by Celtic[23] | December 3, 2025 | December 31, 2025[24] | |||
| St. Louis City SC | End of interim period | December 16, 2025 | December 16, 2025[25] | |||
| Sporting Kansas City | End of interim period | January 5, 2026 | January 5, 2026[26] | |||
| Minnesota United FC | Signed by West Bromwich Albion[27] | January 11, 2026 | January 12, 2026[28] | |||
| Orlando City SC | Mutual consent[29] | March 11, 2026 | 15th in East, 30th overall | March 11, 2026[29] | ||
| CF Montréal | Fired[30] | April 12, 2026 | 15th in East, 29th overall | April 12, 2026[30] | ||
| Inter Miami CF | Resigned[31] | April 14, 2026 | 3rd in East, 10th overall | April 14, 2026 | ||
| Columbus Crew | Fired[32] | May 17, 2026 | 13th in East, 26th overall | May 17, 2026 | ||
| Austin FC | Fired[33] | May 18, 2026 | 13th in West, 24th overall | May 18, 2026 | ||
| Portland Timbers | Mutual consent[34] | May 25, 2026 | 13th in West, 23rd overall | June 5, 2026[35] | ||
| Philadelphia Union | Mutual consent[36] | May 27, 2026 | 15th in East, 30th overall | May 27, 2026 | ||
| Portland Timbers | End of interim period[b][37] | August 11, 2026 | 8th in West, 16th overall | August 11, 2026[38] | ||
| Inter Miami CF | End of interim period[c][39] | September 15, 2026 | 2nd in East, 3rd overall | September 15, 2026[40] | ||
| Los Angeles FC | Fired[41] | September 27, 2026 | 6th in West, 11th overall | October 1, 2026[42] |
Regular season
Conference standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville SC (Q) | 30 | 20 | 3 | 7 | 64 | 23 | +41 | 67 | Qualification for round one and the CONCACAF Champions Cup round one |
| 2 | Inter Miami CF (Q) | 30 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 73 | 51 | +22 | 55 | Qualification for round one |
| 3 | New England Revolution (Q) | 30 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 49 | 41 | +8 | 52 | |
| 4 | Chicago Fire FC (T) | 30 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 52 | 44 | +8 | 48 | |
| 5 | Charlotte FC | 30 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 53 | 45 | +8 | 47 | |
| 6 | Philadelphia Union | 30 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 61 | 48 | +13 | 46 | |
| 7 | Orlando City SC | 30 | 12 | 13 | 5 | 58 | 70 | −12 | 41 | |
| 8 | New York Red Bulls | 30 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 39 | 56 | −17 | 36 | Qualification for the wild card round |
| 9 | FC Cincinnati | 28 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 60 | 68 | −8 | 36 | |
| 10 | Toronto FC | 30 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 46 | 55 | −9 | 36 | |
| 11 | New York City FC | 30 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 43 | 41 | +2 | 34 | |
| 12 | D.C. United | 29 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 37 | 51 | −14 | 33 | |
| 13 | Columbus Crew | 29 | 9 | 15 | 5 | 44 | 47 | −3 | 32 | |
| 14 | Atlanta United FC | 30 | 8 | 16 | 6 | 37 | 51 | −14 | 30 | |
| 15 | CF Montréal | 30 | 6 | 17 | 7 | 36 | 60 | −24 | 25 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
(Q) Qualified for the phase indicated; (T) Qualified, but not yet for the particular phase indicated
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC (T) | 30 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 63 | 31 | +32 | 55 | Qualification for round one and the CONCACAF Champions Cup round one |
| 2 | St. Louis City SC (T) | 30 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 56 | 41 | +15 | 51 | Qualification for round one |
| 3 | FC Dallas (T) | 30 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 55 | 47 | +8 | 51 | |
| 4 | San Jose Earthquakes (T) | 30 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 52 | 42 | +10 | 48 | |
| 5 | Houston Dynamo FC (T) | 30 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 41 | 39 | +2 | 47 | |
| 6 | Los Angeles FC | 31 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 48 | 33 | +15 | 46 | |
| 7 | Seattle Sounders FC | 30 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 39 | 37 | +2 | 42 | |
| 8 | LA Galaxy | 31 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 43 | 52 | −9 | 40 | Qualification for the wild card round |
| 9 | Colorado Rapids | 30 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 41 | 41 | 0 | 39 | |
| 10 | Real Salt Lake | 30 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 45 | 48 | −3 | 36 | |
| 11 | Portland Timbers | 30 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 51 | 56 | −5 | 34 | |
| 12 | San Diego FC | 30 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 53 | 56 | −3 | 34 | |
| 13 | Minnesota United FC | 30 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 44 | 53 | −9 | 34 | |
| 14 | Austin FC | 30 | 7 | 13 | 10 | 38 | 56 | −18 | 31 | |
| 15 | Sporting Kansas City (E) | 30 | 6 | 20 | 4 | 36 | 75 | −39 | 22 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
(E) Eliminated; (T) Qualified, but not yet for the particular phase indicated
Overall table
The leading team in this table wins the Supporters' Shield.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville SC | 30 | 20 | 3 | 7 | 64 | 23 | +41 | 67 | Qualification for the CONCACAF Champions Cup round one[a] |
| 2 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 30 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 63 | 31 | +32 | 55 | Qualification for the CONCACAF Champions Cup round one[b] |
| 3 | Inter Miami CF | 30 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 73 | 51 | +22 | 55 | Qualification for the CONCACAF Champions Cup round one[c] |
| 4 | New England Revolution | 30 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 49 | 41 | +8 | 52 | Qualification for the CONCACAF Champions Cup round one[d] |
| 5 | St. Louis City SC | 30 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 56 | 41 | +15 | 51 | |
| 6 | FC Dallas | 30 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 55 | 47 | +8 | 51 | |
| 7 | Chicago Fire FC | 30 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 52 | 44 | +8 | 48 | |
| 8 | San Jose Earthquakes | 30 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 52 | 42 | +10 | 48 | |
| 9 | Charlotte FC | 30 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 53 | 45 | +8 | 47 | |
| 10 | Houston Dynamo FC | 30 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 41 | 39 | +2 | 47 | |
| 11 | Philadelphia Union | 30 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 61 | 48 | +13 | 46 | |
| 12 | Los Angeles FC | 31 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 48 | 33 | +15 | 46 | |
| 13 | Seattle Sounders FC | 30 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 39 | 37 | +2 | 42 | |
| 14 | Orlando City SC | 30 | 12 | 13 | 5 | 58 | 70 | −12 | 41 | |
| 15 | LA Galaxy | 31 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 43 | 52 | −9 | 40 | |
| 16 | Colorado Rapids | 30 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 41 | 41 | 0 | 39 | |
| 17 | Real Salt Lake | 30 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 45 | 48 | −3 | 36 | |
| 18 | New York Red Bulls | 30 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 39 | 56 | −17 | 36 | |
| 19 | FC Cincinnati | 28 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 60 | 68 | −8 | 36 | |
| 20 | Toronto FC | 30 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 46 | 55 | −9 | 36 | |
| 21 | Portland Timbers | 30 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 51 | 56 | −5 | 34 | |
| 22 | New York City FC | 30 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 43 | 41 | +2 | 34 | |
| 23 | San Diego FC | 30 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 53 | 56 | −3 | 34 | |
| 24 | Minnesota United FC | 30 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 47 | 55 | −8 | 34 | |
| 25 | D.C. United | 29 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 37 | 51 | −14 | 33 | |
| 26 | Columbus Crew | 29 | 9 | 15 | 5 | 44 | 47 | −3 | 32 | |
| 27 | Austin FC | 30 | 7 | 13 | 10 | 38 | 56 | −18 | 31 | |
| 28 | Atlanta United FC | 30 | 8 | 16 | 6 | 37 | 51 | −14 | 30 | |
| 29 | CF Montréal | 30 | 6 | 17 | 7 | 36 | 60 | −24 | 25 | |
| 30 | Sporting Kansas City | 30 | 6 | 20 | 4 | 36 | 75 | −39 | 22 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Notes:
- As 2026 MLS Supporters' Shield champions
- As Western Conference regular season winners
- As highest-ranked club in 2026 MLS Supporters' Shield not already qualified
- As second highest-ranked club in 2026 MLS Supporters' Shield not already qualified
Results table
MLS All-Star Game
| MLS All-Stars | 4–3 | |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
MLS Cup playoffs
Attendance
Average home attendances
- As of October 11, 2026[43]
| Rank | Team | GP | Cumulative | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta United FC | 14 | 523,283 | 53,862 | 30,306 | 37,377 |
| 2 | Seattle Sounders FC | 14 | 440,690 | 38,287 | 28,587 | 31,478 |
| 3 | Charlotte FC | 15 | 419,189 | 35,611 | 23,903 | 27,946 |
| 4 | Nashville SC | 14 | 378,726 | 30,109 | 24,387 | 27,052 |
| 5 | Chicago Fire FC | 14 | 372,386 | 63,094 | 15,845 | 26,599 |
| 6 | Inter Miami CF | 14 | 368,771 | 26,715 | 25,123 | 26,341 |
| 7 | Los Angeles FC | 14 | 363,749 | 75,673 | 21,531 | 25,982 |
| 8 | FC Cincinnati | 12 | 304,360 | 25,513 | 23,717 | 25,363 |
| 9 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 15 | 375,050 | 40,086 | 20,947 | 25,003 |
| 10 | San Diego FC | 14 | 327,982 | 28,459 | 18,799 | 23,427 |
| 11 | New York City FC | 14 | 325,789 | 45,845 | 17,197 | 23,271 |
| 12 | St. Louis City SC | 14 | 313,922 | 22,423 | 22,423 | 22,423 |
| 13 | Portland Timbers | 14 | 311,703 | 24,686 | 19,351 | 22,265 |
| 14 | New England Revolution | 14 | 299,220 | 34,428 | 14,287 | 21,373 |
| 15 | Austin FC | 14 | 290,332 | 20,738 | 20,738 | 20,738 |
| 16 | Real Salt Lake | 14 | 290,146 | 21,512 | 20,119 | 20,725 |
| 17 | LA Galaxy | 14 | 282,247 | 25,025 | 15,435 | 20,161 |
| 18 | D.C. United | 14 | 281,865 | 72,026 | 10,115 | 20,133 |
| 19 | Colorado Rapids | 14 | 281,271 | 75,824 | 14,568 | 20,091 |
| 20 | Toronto FC | 15 | 300,496 | 44,828 | 13,754 | 20,033 |
| 21 | Orlando City SC | 14 | 277,827 | 24,453 | 15,656 | 19,845 |
| 22 | San Jose Earthquakes | 14 | 277,185 | 43,026 | 12,276 | 19,799 |
| 23 | Columbus Crew | 14 | 271,117 | 20,307 | 17,039 | 19,366 |
| 24 | Minnesota United FC | 14 | 269,726 | 19,710 | 18,109 | 19,266 |
| 25 | Houston Dynamo FC | 14 | 260,852 | 21,063 | 14,742 | 18,632 |
| 26 | New York Red Bulls | 14 | 260,354 | 25,219 | 13,309 | 18,597 |
| 27 | Philadelphia Union | 14 | 257,476 | 19,778 | 17,410 | 18,391 |
| 28 | Sporting Kansas City | 14 | 222,892 | 18,522 | 14,188 | 15,921 |
| 29 | CF Montréal | 14 | 211,003 | 19,619 | 12,251 | 15,072 |
| 30 | FC Dallas[a] | 13 | 142,736 | 11,004 | 10,925 | 10,980 |
| Total | 420 | 9,302,345 | 75,824 | 10,115 | 22,148 | |
Player statistics
- As of matches played October 17, 2026[45]
Goals
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[46] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inter Miami CF | 25 | |
| 2 | FC Dallas | 20 | |
| 3 | Philadelphia Union | 19 | |
| 4 | Colorado Rapids/St. Louis City SC[b] | 18 | |
| 5 | Los Angeles FC | 17 | |
| FC Cincinnati | |||
| Nashville SC | |||
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC | |||
| Minnesota United FC | |||
| 10 | D.C. United | 16 | |
| Houston Dynamo FC | |||
| San Jose Earthquakes | |||
| Nashville SC |
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Score | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC Dallas | San Diego FC | 3–3 (H) | March 14 | |
| Nashville SC | Orlando City SC | 5–0 (H) | March 21 | |
| Los Angeles FC | Orlando City SC | 6–0 (H) | April 4 | |
| D.C. United | New York Red Bulls | 4–4 (A) | April 22 | |
| Orlando City SC | Inter Miami CF | 4–3 (A) | May 2 | |
| FC Cincinnati | Chicago Fire FC | 3–2 (A) | May 2 | |
| New York City FC | Columbus Crew | 3–0 (H) | May 10 | |
| New York Red Bulls | Columbus Crew | 3–2 (H) | May 13 | |
| Nashville SC | Los Angeles FC | 3–2 (H) | May 17 | |
| CF Montréal | D.C. United | 4–4 (A) | May 23 | |
| Philadelphia Union | Inter Miami CF | 4–6 (A) | May 24 | |
| Inter Miami CF | Philadelphia Union | 6–4 (H) | May 24 | |
| New England Revolution | D.C. United | 3–0 (A) | August 20 | |
| Inter Miami CF | CF Montréal | 7–1 (H) | August 29 | |
| Toronto FC | Chicago Fire FC | 4–4 (H) | September 5 | |
| Portland Timbers | Minnesota United FC | 5–4 (H) | September 5 | |
| Philadelphia Union | FC Cincinnati | 5–0 (H) | September 9 | |
| Philadelphia Union | Orlando City SC | 4–2 (H) | September 26 | |
| St. Louis City SC | LA Galaxy | 6–2 (H) | October 11 |
- Notes
(H) – Home team
(A) – Away team
4 Scored 4 goals
Assists
| Rank | Player | Club | Assists[47] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inter Miami CF | 15 | |
| Los Angeles FC | |||
| 3 | Inter Miami CF | 14 | |
| Nashville SC | |||
| Seattle Sounders FC | |||
| Philadelphia Union | |||
| 7 | San Diego FC | 13 | |
| FC Cincinnati | |||
| Minnesota United FC | |||
| FC Dallas |
Clean sheets
Awards
Team/Player of the Matchday
- Bold denotes the Player of the Matchday.
Goal of the Matchday
Player of the Month
| Month | Player | Club | Stats | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February/March | Nashville SC | 4 matches played, 7 goals, 0 assists | [136] | |
| April | San Jose Earthquakes | 3 matches played, 4 goals, 3 assists | [137] | |
| May | FC Cincinnati | 5 matches played, 7 goals, 5 assists | [138] | |
| July/August | 7 matches played, 4 goals, 5 assists | [139] | ||
| September | Philadelphia Union | 4 matches played, 4 goals, 5 assists | [140] |
Notes
- Ten goals for Colorado Rapids; seven goals for St. Louis City SC
- Five clean sheets with San Jose Earthquakes; two clean sheets with FC Dallas