2026 Major League Soccer season
| Season | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dates |
|
| Teams | 30 |
| Matches | 30 |
| Goals | 82 (2.73 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Julian Hall João Klauss (3 goals each) |
| Best goalkeeper | Daniel Duran Ferree Hugo Lloris Yohei Takaoka (2 clean sheets each) |
| Biggest home win | San Diego 5–0 Montréal (February 21) |
| Biggest away win | Houston 0–2 Los Angeles FC (February 28) Orlando 2–4 Miami (March 1) |
| Highest scoring | 6 goals: Orlando 2–4 Miami (March 1) |
| Longest winning run | 2 matches: 5 teams (February 21–present) |
| Longest unbeaten run | 2 matches: 11 teams (February 21–present) |
| Longest winless run | 2 matches: 10 teams (February 21–present) |
| Longest losing run | 2 matches: 6 teams (February 21–present) |
| Highest attendance | 75,673 LAFC 3–0 MIA (February 21)[1] |
| Lowest attendance | 11,004 DAL 3–2 TOR (February 21)[2] DAL 0–0 NSH (February 28)[3] |
← 2025 2027 →
All statistics correct as of March 1, 2026. | |
The 2026 Major League Soccer season is the ongoing 31st season of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is also the 48th overall season of a national first-division men's soccer league in the United States overseen by the United States Soccer Federation. The league has 30 clubs that are divided into the Eastern and Western conferences, each with 15 teams.
The regular season is scheduled to run from February 21 to November 7, with 34 matches for each team, primarily against opponents in the same conference. A six-week break from May 25 to July 16 is planned for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The playoffs are scheduled to be played during an uninterrupted period in November and December that culminates in MLS Cup 2026, the league's postseason championship,[4] on December 18.[5] The 2026 season is the final full season played under the spring–autumn format, as MLS plans to transition to a summer–spring format beginning with the 2027–28 season. A shortened season with 14 matches is scheduled to be played in early 2027.[6]
All MLS matches during the regular season and playoffs are planned to be broadcast on Apple TV, an online streaming service operated by Apple Inc. It replaces MLS Season Pass, which was a standalone streaming service by Apple, used from 2023 to 2025.[7]
Inter Miami CF enters the season as reigning MLS Cup champions, while the Philadelphia Union enter as holders of the Supporters' Shield.
Teams
[edit]Stadiums and locations
[edit]Nu Stadium is scheduled to open on April 4, 2026, as the new home of Inter Miami CF.[8] In addition to their normal home venues, some teams have scheduled matches at other stadiums to increase capacity.
- ^ Non-soccer specific stadium and artificially reduced capacity. Capacity may be increased to full capacity if demand requires.
Personnel and sponsorships
[edit]Note: All teams use Adidas as universal kit manufacturer. As part of Apple's broadcast contract, all MLS kits include Apple TV+ as a sleeve sponsor.[10]
- ^ Rockstar sponsors training and special event jerseys
- ^ Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota sponsors training and special event jerseys
- ^ Vanderbilt Health sponsors training and special event jerseys
- ^ Montefiore Einstein sponsors training and special event jerseys
- ^ Dutch Bros. Coffee sponsors training and special event jerseys
- ^ Providence Swedish sponsors training and special event jerseys
- ^ Bank of Montreal sponsors training and special event jerseys
Coaching changes
[edit]| Team | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming coach | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta United FC | Fired[15] | October 19, 2025 | Pre-season | November 6, 2025[16] | ||
| Colorado Rapids | End of contract[17] | October 27, 2025 | December 23, 2025[18] | |||
| New York Red Bulls | Mutual consent[19] | December 15, 2025[20] | ||||
| New England Revolution | End of interim period | November 7, 2025 | November 7, 2025[21] | |||
| Los Angeles FC | Mutual consent[a] | December 1, 2025 | December 5, 2025[22] | |||
| Columbus Crew | Signed by Celtic[23] | December 3, 2025 | December 31, 2025[24] | |||
| St. Louis City SC | End of interim period | December 16, 2025 | December 16, 2025[25] | |||
| Sporting Kansas City | End of interim period | January 5, 2026 | January 5, 2026[26] | |||
| Minnesota United FC | Signed by West Bromwich Albion[27] | January 11, 2026 | January 12, 2026[28] |
- ^ Announcement was made originally on April 18, 2025
Regular season
[edit]Conference standings
[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York Red Bulls | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 6 | Qualification for round one and the CONCACAF Champions Cup round one |
| 2 | Nashville SC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 4 | Qualification for round one |
| 3 | New York City FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | |
| 4 | Chicago Fire FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 3 | |
| 5 | FC Cincinnati | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 | |
| 6 | D.C. United | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| 7 | Inter Miami CF | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 3 | |
| 8 | Columbus Crew | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 1 | Qualification for the wild-card round |
| 9 | Charlotte FC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 | |
| 10 | Orlando City SC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 0 | |
| 11 | Philadelphia Union | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0 | |
| 12 | Toronto FC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 0 | |
| 13 | New England Revolution | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0 | |
| 14 | Atlanta United FC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0 | |
| 15 | CF Montréal | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | −8 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego FC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 6 | Qualification for round one and the CONCACAF Champions Cup round one |
| 2 | San Jose Earthquakes | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 6 | Qualification for round one |
| 3 | Los Angeles FC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 6 | |
| 4 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 6 | |
| 5 | LA Galaxy | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 4 | |
| 6 | FC Dallas | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | |
| 7 | Minnesota United FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | |
| 8 | Austin FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | Qualification for the wild-card round |
| 9 | Seattle Sounders FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 | |
| 10 | Real Salt Lake | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 11 | Colorado Rapids | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 12 | Portland Timbers | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 3 | |
| 13 | Houston Dynamo FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 3 | |
| 14 | St. Louis City SC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 1 | |
| 15 | Sporting Kansas City | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 1 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Overall table
[edit]The leading team in this table wins the Supporters' Shield.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego FC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 6 | Qualification for the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round One[a] |
| 2 | San Jose Earthquakes | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 6 | Qualification for the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round One[b] |
| 3 | Los Angeles FC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | +5 | 6 | Qualification for the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round One[c] |
| 4 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 6 | |
| 5 | New York Red Bulls | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 6 | Qualification for the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round One[d] |
| 6 | LA Galaxy | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 4 | |
| 7 | Nashville SC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 4 | |
| 8 | Austin FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | |
| 9 | Minnesota United FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | |
| 10 | FC Dallas | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | |
| 11 | New York City FC | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | |
| 12 | Chicago Fire FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 3 | |
| 13 | Seattle Sounders FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 | |
| 14 | FC Cincinnati | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 | |
| 15 | Real Salt Lake | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 16 | Colorado Rapids | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 17 | D.C. United | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| 18 | Inter Miami CF | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 3 | |
| 19 | Portland Timbers | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 3 | |
| 20 | Houston Dynamo FC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 3 | |
| 21 | Columbus Crew | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 1 | |
| 22 | St. Louis City SC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 1 | |
| 23 | Sporting Kansas City | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 1 | |
| 24 | Charlotte FC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 | |
| 25 | Orlando City SC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6 | −3 | 0 | |
| 26 | Philadelphia Union | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0 | |
| 27 | Toronto FC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 0 | |
| 28 | New England Revolution | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0 | |
| 29 | Atlanta United FC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0 | |
| 30 | CF Montréal | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | −8 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) total wins; 3) total goal differential; 4) total goals scored; 5) fewer disciplinary points; 6) away goal differential; 7) away goals scored; 8) home goals differential; 9) home goals scored; 10) coin toss (2 clubs tied) or drawing of lots (≥3 clubs tied)
Notes:
- ^ As 2026 MLS Supporters' Shield champions
- ^ As highest-ranked club in 2026 MLS Supporters' Shield not already qualified
- ^ As second highest-ranked club in 2026 MLS Supporters' Shield not already qualified
- ^ As Eastern Conference regular season winners
Results table
[edit]Attendance
[edit]Average home attendances
[edit]- As of March 2, 2026
| Rank | Team | GP | Cumulative | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles FC | 1 | 75,673 | 75,673 | 75,673 | 75,673 |
| 2 | Seattle Sounders FC | 1 | 31,606 | 31,606 | 31,606 | 31,606 |
| 3 | FC Cincinnati | 1 | 25,513 | 25,513 | 25,513 | 25,513 |
| 4 | Nashville SC | 1 | 25,044 | 25,044 | 25,044 | 25,044 |
| 5 | Orlando City SC | 2 | 48,906 | 24,453 | 24,453 | 24,453 |
| 6 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 2 | 48,079 | 24,533 | 23,546 | 24,040 |
| 7 | San Diego FC | 2 | 47,381 | 25,412 | 21,969 | 23,691 |
| 8 | LA Galaxy | 2 | 45,230 | 25,025 | 20,205 | 22,615 |
| 9 | St. Louis City SC | 1 | 22,423 | 22,423 | 22,423 | 22,423 |
| 10 | Portland Timbers | 1 | 22,210 | 22,210 | 22,210 | 22,210 |
| 11 | Chicago Fire FC | 1 | 20,872 | 20,872 | 20,872 | 20,872 |
| 12 | Austin FC | 2 | 41,476 | 20,738 | 20,738 | 20,738 |
| 13 | Real Salt Lake | 1 | 20,660 | 20,660 | 20,660 | 20,660 |
| 14 | Houston Dynamo FC | 2 | 41,107 | 20,853 | 20,254 | 20,554 |
| 15 | Minnesota United FC | 1 | 19,609 | 19,609 | 19,609 | 19,609 |
| 16 | Sporting Kansas City | 1 | 18,522 | 18,522 | 18,522 | 18,522 |
| 17 | Philadelphia Union | 1 | 18,513 | 18,513 | 18,513 | 18,513 |
| 18 | D.C. United | 1 | 18,003 | 18,003 | 18,003 | 18,003 |
| 19 | San Jose Earthquakes | 2 | 32,526 | 16,367 | 16,159 | 16,263 |
| 20 | Colorado Rapids | 1 | 16,113 | 16,113 | 16,113 | 16,113 |
| 21 | New York Red Bulls | 1 | 15,087 | 15,087 | 15,087 | 15,087 |
| 22 | FC Dallas[a] | 2 | 22,008 | 11,004 | 11,004 | 11,004 |
| 23 | Atlanta United FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 24 | Charlotte FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 25 | New England Revolution | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 26 | Columbus Crew | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 27 | New York City FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 28 | Toronto FC | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 29 | Inter Miami CF | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 30 | CF Montréal | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 30 | 676,561 | 75,673 | 11,004 | 22,552 | |
Player statistics
[edit]- As of matches played March 1, 2026[30]
Goals
[edit]Assists
[edit]| Rank | Player | Club | Assists[32] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego FC | 3 | |
| Los Angeles FC | |||
| 3 | Orlando City SC | 2 | |
| Seattle Sounders FC | |||
| San Diego FC | |||
| Nashville SC | |||
| New York Red Bulls | |||
| San Diego FC | |||
| San Jose Earthquakes | |||
| Inter Miami CF |
Clean sheets
[edit]Awards
[edit]Team/Player of the Matchday
[edit]- Bold denotes the Player of the Matchday.
| Team of the Matchday | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matchday | Goalkeeper | Defenders | Midfielders | Forwards | Bench | Coach |
| 1 [34][35] |
||||||
| 2 [36][37] |
||||||
Goal of the Matchday
[edit]| Goal of the Matchday | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Matchday | Player | Club | Ref. |
| 1 | Columbus Crew | [38] | |
| 2 | Inter Miami CF | [39] | |
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Uribarri, Jaime (February 22, 2026). "History made! LAFC vs. Inter Miami sets MLS attendance record". Major League Soccer. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
- ^ "DALvsTOR 02-21-2026". Major League Soccer. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
- ^ "FC Dallas Secures Point in 0-0 Draw with Nashville SC". FC Dallas. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- ^ Becherano, Lizzy (November 20, 2025). "MLS reveals 2026 schedule with 7-week break for World Cup". ESPN. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
- ^ Garber, Don (20 February 2026). "A letter from Commissioner Don Garber". Retrieved 20 February 2026.
- ^ Sutcliffe, Steve (November 13, 2025). "MLS calendar to change in 2027 to align with top leagues". BBC Sport. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
- ^ Rizzo, Lillian (November 13, 2025). "MLS games head to Apple TV in 2026 as Season Pass subscription ends". CNBC. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
- ^ Kaufman, Michelle (November 28, 2025). "First Inter Miami MLS home game at Miami Freedom Park will be April 4 vs. Austin". Miami Herald. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
- ^ Spanberg, Erik (February 11, 2022). "Charlotte FC moving closer to sellout for season opener at Bank of America Stadium". Charlotte Business Journal. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ McCaskill, Steve (November 17, 2022). "MLS clubs to promote Apple TV season pass with sleeve sponsorship". SportsPro. Archived from the original on November 17, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ "Chicago Fire FC Kicks Off Multi-Year Partnership with Carvana as Official Online Auto Retailer and Front of Kit Sponsor – Chicago Fire FC". chicagofirefc. December 12, 2023. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
- ^ "Columbus Crew announce official partnership with DHL Supply Chain, who will be featured on kit sleeve". Columbus Crew. 5 February 2025.
- ^ "Portland Timbers enter multi-year partnership with Bank of America to become front-of-jersey partner". Portland Timbers. December 9, 2025. Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ^ Finley, Ryan (July 19, 2024). "San Diego FC announces jersey sponsor ahead of first Major League Soccer season". Retrieved October 23, 2024.
- ^ "Atlanta United Part Ways with Head Coach Ronny Deila". Atlanta United FC. October 19, 2025. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ "Atlanta United names Gerardo "Tata" Martino as head coach". Atlanta United FC. November 6, 2025. Retrieved November 6, 2025.
- ^ "Colorado Rapids and Head Coach Chris Armas mutually agree to part ways". Colorado Rapids. October 27, 2025. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ "Colorado Rapids appoint Matt Wells as head coach". Colorado Rapids. December 23, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
- ^ "New York Red Bulls part ways with Sandro Schwarz". Major League Soccer. October 27, 2025. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ "Red Bull New York name Michael Bradley head coach". Major League Soccer. December 15, 2025. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
- ^ "New England Revolution hire Marko Mitrović as club's 10th head coach". New England Revolution. November 7, 2025. Retrieved November 24, 2025.
- ^ "LAFC Announces Marc Dos Santos as Head Coach". Los Angeles FC. December 5, 2025. Retrieved December 5, 2025.
- ^ "Wilfried Nancy leaves Columbus Crew to coach Celtic FC". Major League Soccer. December 3, 2025. Retrieved December 4, 2025.
- ^ "Columbus Crew name Henrik Rydström ninth head coach in Club history". Columbus Crew. December 31, 2025. Retrieved December 31, 2025.
- ^ "St. Louis CITY SC Appoints Yoann Damet as Head Coach". St. Louis City SC. December 16, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
- ^ "Sporting KC appoints Raphael Wicky as head coach". Sporting Kansas City. January 5, 2026. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
- ^ "Minnesota United Announces Eric Ramsay Departure". Minnesota United FC. January 11, 2026. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
- ^ "Minnesota United FC Promotes Cameron Knowles to Head Coach". Minnesota United FC. January 12, 2026. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
- ^ Staff (September 17, 2024). "Toyota Stadium to Undergo Multi-Million Dollar Renovation". FC Dallas. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
- ^ "Stats". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ^ "MLS Player Stats – Goals". Major League Soccer. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
- ^ "MLS Player Stats – Assists". Major League Soccer. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
- ^ "MLS Player Stats – Clean Sheets". Major League Soccer. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
- ^ Ruderman, Justin. "Team of the Matchday: Bouanga & LAFC delight against MLS Cup champs". Major League Soccer. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
- ^ Meachem, Cal. "Red Bull New York: Julian Hall named Player of the Matchday". Major League Soccer. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
- ^ Ruderman, Justin. "Team of the Matchday: Miami bounce back, Vancouver keep rolling". Major League Soccer. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- ^ Urlbarri, Jaime. "Inter Miami: Lionel Messi named Player of the Matchday". Major League Soccer. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- ^ Meachem, Cal (February 25, 2026). "Columbus Crew's Diego Rossi wins Goal of the Matchday". Major League Soccer. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- ^ Meachem, Cal. "Inter Miami's Lionel Messi wins Goal of the Matchday". Major League Soccer. Retrieved March 4, 2026.