MLS Season Preview – Can Lionel Messi write more history in North America? | OneFootball

Major League Soccer (MLS) kicks off its 31st season this weekend, ushering in another high-stakes campaign in a World Cup year.

Lionel Messi leads Inter Miami CF into the new term as they defend their 2025 MLS Cup crown against 29 rivals.

It has been 32 years since the United States hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup, two years before the launch of MLS in 1996. Three decades later, MLS bids to become one of the world’s most exciting leagues.

In addition to Messi, several other elite stars are chasing the most prestigious piece of silverware in North American football, including Los Angeles FC’s Heung-min Son and Vancouver Whitecaps’ Thomas Muller.

Both players are back for their first full season in MLS after making waves in their first campaign across the Atlantic upon arrival last summer.

End of an era

MLS has undergone profound changes since its inception in 1996, with all ten teams that launched the league towards the end of the 21st century still competing at the highest level.

However, it’s worth noting that each of those ten sides has changed its name, crest, or both over time. MLS has been constantly evolving in recent decades, yet a historic change is on the horizon this time.

MLS will stage its final full season under the traditional spring-to-fall format this year before switching to Europe’s summer-to-spring calendar in the summer of 2027.

To facilitate the transition, the league will introduce a shortened 14-game campaign from February to May next year before fully adopting the new schedule.

From next season onwards, MLS will align its calendar with top European leagues such as the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A, marking the beginning of a new era.

Key dates & World Cup break

MLS kicks off its ‘MLS Is Back’ weekend on February 22–23, with all 30 clubs playing.

Miami could not have imagined a more challenging way to kick off their title defence, as they head to BMO Stadium to take on star-studded LAFC on the opening weekend.

Javier Mascherano’s charges will play their inaugural match at Miami Freedom Park on April 5 against Austin FC.

With the 2026 World Cup set to unfold on American soil, MLS pause its season from May 26 to July 16 to make room for the world’s most prestigious international tournament.

Since 11 cities will host the event, several club training facilities will be taken over by participating national teams, forcing league officials to schedule a mid-season break.

MLS resumes competition with marquee rivalry fixtures on July 17–18, including a mouth-watering derby between Los Angeles Galaxy and LAFC at Dignity Health Sports Park.

Decision Day brings the regular season to a close on November 7 as teams battle to secure play-off positioning.

Top MLS contenders ahead of the 2026 season

History beckons for Miami as they could become only the third team in MLS history to win back-to-back titles following their maiden triumph last year.

Needless to say, all eyes will be on eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, who reigned supreme during Inter’s title-winning campaign, bagging a jaw-dropping 35 goals in 34 league matches.

Messi is the Herons’ standout star, but Mascherano’s squad also features other high-profile names, like Sergio Busquets, Sergio Reguilon, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul.

They have shelled out $15 million to sign former Atletico Madrid striker German Berterame from CF Monterrey in January, further increasing an already intimidating firepower.

If there’s a side capable of challenging Inter’s dominance, it’s LAFC.

Son’s arrival from Tottenham Hotspur last summer transformed Marc Dos Santos’ team into one of the deadliest attacking units in MLS.

The South Korean megastar has forged a formidable partnership with Denis Bouanga. They accounted for 25 goals and eight assists, emerging as the division’s most prolific duo alongside Messi and Suarez.

Bouanga and Son may no longer have to create chances for themselves alone after LAFC secured the services of Stephen Eustaquio from Porto earlier in February.

The skilled midfielder has moved to BMO Stadium on a season-long loan and will try to help the Black and Gold win the crown for the first time since 2022.

Vancouver are bidding to replicate Toronto FC’s remarkable 2017 success and become the second Canadian franchise to lift the trophy.

Although in the autumn of his illustrious playing career, Muller proved to be a game-changer for Jesper Sorensen’s side in the second half of last season, adding elite creativity and finishing touch to this exciting roster.

Muller took MLS by storm upon arrival last summer, netting seven goals and adding three assists in seven appearances during the regular season to help his side reach the play-offs.

Despite a 3-1 defeat to Inter in the grand final, the Whitecaps demonstrated they can compete with the league’s elite and will look to turn that painful lesson into fuel for a genuine title push in 2026.

Players to watch

Messi has elevated MLS to another level since leaving Paris Saint-Germain to join Miami in 2023, and the 38-year-old icon looks set to remain the focal point of attention throughout the upcoming campaign.

Unparalleled in his influence and output, La Pulga continues to set the standard across the league, and there’s no doubt that he will be the cornerstone of Inter’s title defence.

While many players would settle for leaving in the shadow of Son, Bouanga has often found a way to outshine his more esteemed teammate, emerging as one of the league’s fiercest strikers.

Bouanga was unstoppable last season, tallying 26 goals and nine assists in 34 league games, and he will be the one to keep an eye on this year despite Son’s presence.

It’s a World Cup year, and a player who made his mark on football’s biggest international stage over a decade ago is perfectly poised to make his American soccer debut.

James Rodriguez is the man in question. The 36-year-old has joined Minnesota United following a lacklustre spell at Leon and will look to roll back the years after rising to global superstardom at the 2014 World Cup.

How to watch the MLS

A landmark change this year sees every MLS match available to Apple TV subscribers at no extra charge in over 100 countries.

The standalone MLS Season Pass has been discontinued in favour of inclusion within the base streaming service, with no blackouts for viewers.

Opening weekend highlights include a marquee Walmart Saturday Showdown clash between LAFC and Miami at the iconic LA Memorial Coliseum, with traditional Sunday Night Soccer continuing the primetime slate.

Apple’s expanded coverage also introduces enhanced broadcasts and features like dynamic ‘Shot on iPhone’ angles, aiming to deepen engagement across the regular season, Leagues Cup, All-Star Game, and Audi MLS Cup Play-offs, making 2026 a watershed year for global accessibility of MLS.

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