Columbus Crew 2026 Season Preview

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Hooligan Soccer

·19 January 2026

Columbus Crew 2026 Season Preview

This article was written after recording The Designated Pundits‘ Columbus Crew preview for the 2026 MLS Season with special guest Ty Fisher from “Massive Report.” You can find that video on Spotify below.

2025 Recap

The Columbus Crew finished short of expectations in 2024, with the team finishing 7th in the east and just sneaking into the playoffs. Their traditional strength- their defense- took a big step back, allowing 51 goals. That gave the Crew a meager +4 goal differential.

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Much of the Crew’s 2025 revolved around one major storyline- selling off players and not necessarily replacing them. Cucho Hernandez scored 44 goals over the previous 3 seasons and was sold to Real Betis prior to the season’s start. They also sold Aidan Morris and Christian Ramirez, further straining their depth.

During that very active 2025 spring, the Crew did bring in Daniel Gazdag from Philadelphia, who disappointed fans. He averaged over 17 goals per season in his 3 full years with the Union, but managed only 4 goals and 3 assists in 2025.

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The Columbus Crew brought in striker Wessam Abou Ali, who scored 3 times in just over 300 minutes at the end of the 2025 season. While not technically a “new” transfer, a full offseason with a new manager should have him looking to grow into a star for the Crew.

Outgoing transfers include Lassi Lappalainen, Derrick Jones, and Darlington Nagbe. Lassi was a favorite of mine from his CF Montréal days, and someone I’d have loved to have seen more, in place of Gazdag, on the left side. Derrick Jones may have been implicated with a gambling scandal, and was released due to a “rules violation.”

The big one here is Darlington Nagbe, a club legend. He retired after a 15 year MLS career in which he won 4 MLS Cups, the US Open Cup, Leagues Cup, 2 Campeones Cups, and the 2017 Gold Cup with the United States.

2026 Depth Chart

The Crew have a relatively predicable starting 11. While new coach Henrik Rydström will replace Wilfried Nancy, we expect much of the Crew’s tactics to remain the same.

We know the Crew will have a 5 man backline, with Max Arfsten and Mohamed Farsi/Andres Herrera having a ton of freedom to stretch the field and get into the attack. But, whereas Nancy sent them to overload, word is that Rydstrom will work them team as more of a shift, taking one side of the field at a time.

The centerbacks are where we might see some late moves. A true three man backline needs more than three starting caliber players. Seeing the Crew’s defensive performance from last season, CB depth looks like a weakness.

Questions

Which player outside the projected 11 has the best chance at winning a starting job? Andres Herrera (my depth chart shows Herrera as already having won the job over Mo Farsi)
What are realistic expectations for 2026? Top 5 in the Eastern Conference
What are some storylines to follow throughout the season? Gazdag- can he regain form and return as a double-digit goal scorer How does Henrik Rydström acclimate to MLS
What styles does the Crew match up well against? They like to play with possession, and excel against opponents when the Crew can dictate play
What styles do the Crew struggle against? Pace- counter attacking teams
Which player improves in 2026? Abou-Ali, gaining health and settling in
Which player regresses in 2026? Diego Rossi- his perception of being the most important part of the attack is in jeopardy because he doesn’t need to be “the guy”

Hear more, and follow along as I preview all 30 MLS teams before kickoff of the 2026 season!

YouTube- youtube.com/@thedesignatedpundits

Audio Links- linktr.ee/thedesignatedpundits