Preview of the 2026 MLS season opener between NYCFC and the LA Galaxy | OneFootball

On Sunday, while many New York City FC fans are stuck in their homes due to an insane blizzard, the team will be in beautiful California to take on the LA Galaxy in the first match of the 2026 Major League Soccer season.  Once again, the Boys in Blue are starting on the road.  It will not be easy, but the Pigeons have had slow starts to seasons before, so fans should not worry regardless of the result.

Nevertheless, NYCFC and LA will likely have a tough battle when they face one another.  In seven MLS matches, the New York team has won four times while the California side has won three times.  Notably, the Galaxy has won the last two meetings, including the most recent 2024 game.  The challenge for the Boys in Blue is that they do not have an established striker to begin the season.  Others will need to step up to find the back of the net.

Moreover, after a not-so-great preseason based on the results, NYCFC will be tasked to try to change things around to accomplish the goal of winning.  The Pigeons have to figure out the backline after Justin Haak’s departure, and decide whether Raul Gustavo or Kai Trewin will partner with Thiago Martins.  It will not be easy, but nothing worthwhile is ever easy.

It would be great for the evening to end in a win, but this is a road opener, and the home team will want to win in front of their fans.  So, for the first time in 2026, here is a preview of the game between NYCFC and the LA Galaxy.

NYCFC vs LA Galaxy preview

Date

NYCFC and the LA Galaxy will play the season opener on Sunday, February 22.

Time

The match will begin at 7:00 PM ET, 4:00 PM local time.

Location

The fixture will take place in Carson, California, at Dignity Health Sports Park.

How to watch

As a reminder, the MLS Season Pass no longer exists.  All MLS games can be seen on Apple TV.

Weather

It will be a beautiful day for the first match of the season.  At the start of the game, it will be 69 degrees and mostly sunny.  The humidity will be low, so it will be comfortable for those in the stands and on the pitch.

Injury report

Malachi Jones (leg), Alonso Martínez (leg), and Andrés Perea (leg) are all out for the Pigeons.

Players to watch

NYCFC supporters should watch Kai Trewin.  The defender will make his MLS and official NYCFC debut, and he is, in a way, a replacement for Justin Haak, who signed for LA and should debut for his new team.  It will be interesting to see where Trewin plays, either as a center-back or a defensive midfielder.  He looked pretty good in his limited preseason minutes, so it would be great for the new player to hit the ground running.

Fans should also watch Marco Reus on the Galaxy.  The German footballer is getting up there in age and missed some time due to injury in 2025.  However, he is still one of the top midfielders in the league, and he still had five goals and eight assists.  When 100% healthy, as seen during his time with Borussia Dortmund, he can be a true threat in the attack.  There is no question that he will be impactful regardless of whether he starts the match.

Listen, it would be great for the Pigeons to win.  However, it is important to be realistic with the prediction based on the fact that the team struggles in road openers. At the same time, will LA be completely different from last season, in which the team struggled?  With that in mind, the prediction is that NYCFC will draw 1-1 to start the season.  Neither team will play extremely well.  But one of them will score a late goal to secure the draw.