Colorado Rapids 2026 Season Preview

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Major League Soccer

·16 February 2026

Colorado Rapids 2026 Season Preview

By MLSsoccer staff

2026 Schedule

First game: Feb. 22 - 9:15 pm ET at Seattle Sounders FC
Home opener: Feb. 28 - 4:30 pm ET vs. Portland Timbers
Full schedule
Watch on Apple TV

Team Snapshot

Former Tottenham Hotspur assistant Matt Wells takes over as Colorado head coach ahead of the 2026 season, following Chris Armas' two-year stint in charge.

OneFootball Videos

The first-year manager will oversee a side with strong US men's national team ties – most notably DP midfielder Paxten Aaronson and goalkeeper Zack Steffen, along with defenders Sam Vines and Reggie Cannon.

Rafael Navarro is Colorado's top returning scorer with 12g/5a last year.

Key Signings

Hamzat Ojediran: The deep-lying midfielder arrives from Ligue 1 side RC Lens. Ojediran represented Nigeria at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Dante Sealy: The Trinidad & Tobago international attacker was acquired from CF Montréal after a breakout 2025 season in which he delivered a career-best 9g/2a.

Full roster

The Rocky Mountains just entered Sealy season 🔥 #Rapids96
– Tuesday, 23 December 2025

Key Departures

Cole Bassett: The homegrown midfielder was traded to the Portland Timbers after completing two different stints (2018-21 & 2023-25) with Colorado.
Calvin Harris: Harris signed with Sporting Kansas City in free agency. He spent three seasons with the Rapids.
Oliver Larraz: The homegrown midfielder joined Vancouver Whitecaps FC in free agency. Larraz was out of contract after four seasons with Colorado.
Andreas Maxsø: Acquired as a Designated Player in 2023, the former Denmark international center back’s option was declined.