Expert predictions: 2026 MLS Cup, MVP, Golden Boot & more | OneFootball

By MLSsoccer staff

Get out your crystal ball. It's time to forecast the MLS season.

Below, Apple TV talent weigh in on some of the biggest trophies and individual awards available in 2026. Hint: Inter Miami CF and LAFC are early frontrunners.

Standings Predictions | Team Previews

MLS Cup presented by Audi

The last repeat MLS Cup champion? The LA Galaxy in 2011 and 2012.

That could change this year, with over half the voting bloc picking Inter Miami to defeat LAFC when the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy is on the line.

Last December, Inter Miami secured a 3-1 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC in MLS Cup 2025.

Supporters' Shield

LAFC were the most common pick to top the regular-season table, a feat they accomplished in 2019 and 2022.

However, Inter Miami are another Shield favorite. The Herons won that same title in 2024 behind a league-record 74-point campaign.

The Philadelphia Union are reigning Shield champions, though they didn't receive a preseason pick.

Landon Donovan MLS MVP

Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi earned nine votes for league MVP, an award he received in 2024 and 2025. No player has won the league's top individual award three times.

LAFC's Son Heung-Min got five votes, adding hype to his first full season in MLS. The South Korean forward arrived last summer from EPL side Tottenham Hotspur on a league-record deal.

San Diego FC forward Anders Dreyer, the reigning MLS Newcomer of the Year, also received a vote. He was the MVP runner-up to Messi in 2025.

Lionel Messi: 2025 Landon Donovan MLS MVP

Golden Boot presented by Audi

Lionel Messi could become the league's first back-to-back Golden Boot winner. The Argentine icon won last year's prize with 29g/19a in 28 games for Inter Miami.

LAFC's dynamic duo of Son Heung-Min and Denis Bouanga also figure to impact the Golden Boot race. Son produced 9g/3a in his first 10 matches for the Black & Gold, while Bouanga (Golden Boot winner in 2023) has three straight seasons with 20 goals or more.

Don't count out Inter Miami newcomer Germán Berterame, either. The Mexican international produced 68g/15a in 153 appearances for LIGA MX's CF Monterrey.

Newcomer of the Year

Germán Berterame has joined Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul as Designated Players for Inter Miami. The forward could score in bunches.

Minnesota United FC completed their highest-profile signing to date, landing Colombian playmaker James Rodríguez ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He's under contract through June with an option through December.

Other head-turning winter signings include German forward Timo Werner (San Jose Earthquakes) and Mexican winger Jorge Ruvalcaba (Red Bull New York).