Big MLS preview: Who will be Inter Miami’s challengers? Teams to watch? U21 breakout stars?

Ahead of 2026 season 

With the preseason coming to an end, Major League Soccer is finally set to return this weekend, and ahead of the 2026 World Cup, it is a season filled with intrigue. Indeed, MLS is set to kick off in style this Saturday with Heung-Min Son’s LAFC hosting Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami CF at the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The 77,500-capacity stadium will host its third Olympics in 2028, but before the world’s best athletes will compete at the ground, two of the world’s biggest soccer stars will kick off what should be an exciting MLS season.

This will be in many ways a decisive season for MLS. This year, the season will sandwich the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States. With MLS hosting teams from Canada and the US, the league will want to use World Cup momentum to reach another level. It is also year one after Messi has finally guided Inter Miami to their first league title. Can the likes of Thomas Müller’s Vancouver Whitecaps, who lost the final, seek revenge? What about the California teams, San Diego FC with Anders Dreyer, LA Galaxy with Marco Reus, and LAFC with Son? Can they make a run to the title? Finally, there is the arrival of James Rodríguez at Minnesota United. Can the Colombian regain his form ahead of the World Cup?

There is indeed much to look forward to. Furthermore, with managerial changes, breakout prospects, and a winter of high-profile transfers reshaping the competitive landscape, every club enters the season with something to prove. Drawing on the expertise of Transfermarkt’s team in North America, we break down the key questions. Who will be Inter Miami CF’s biggest challengers for the title? Which team could surprise a few? Which MLS player should we look out for? What about the most exciting U21 star? Or a manager that could make some waves? For all that we consulted, Transfermarkt’s North America Area Manager, Manuel Veth.

The big Major League Soccer preview

Who can challenge Inter Miami CF?

Veth: Because of the salary cap, MLS is far more competitive than Europe’s top teams, even if Inter Miami seem to find ever more creative ways to add star power. Although Messi remains one of the best players in the world, last year showed that Inter Miami are beatable. After all, the South Florida club only finished third behind Philadelphia Union and FC Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference last season. Turmoil in Philadelphia off the pitch makes them an unlikely challenger this season, but Cincinnati are a club that could be a significant obstacle coming out of the Eastern Conference. Then there are the likes of Charlotte FC, New York City FC, and Atlanta United, all of which will want to improve on last season.

The biggest challenge, however, might come from the Western Conference. There LAFC with Son will want to make a big push. The Galaxy will once again be without the injured superstar Riqui Puig, but after missing out on the playoffs last year, they will look to make a run under head coach Greg Vanney. Also to watch are San Diego FC, who were beaten in the Western Conference final by the Vancouver Whitecaps. With Danish star Dreyer in their fold, San Diego will want to go one further than last year. Then there are the Whitecaps with Müller. Off the field, there has been significant noise surrounding the club’s long-term future in Vancouver. On the pitch, the club wants to make another title run while Müller is still at the club. Finally, there are the Seattle Sounders, who are always a force to be reckoned with. Plus, there is always a team or two nobody had on the radar ahead of the season.

Surprise teams to look out for

Veth: It might be a bit unfair to call a team that finished fourth in the Western Conference a surprise team, but Minnesota United could be one of the teams to watch. The Loons surprised many when they managed to land James Rodríguez earlier this month. The Colombian is the club’s biggest signing in history and could have a similar impact on the Loons as Müller did last year at the Whitecaps. James is only signed through the summer and will have to play to earn a contract extension. The Western Conference is highly competitive, which means James will have to be at his best for the Loons to make a run.

In the Eastern Conference, D.C. United have made some significant noise on the transfer market. The club from the US capital is always a bit of an enigma. Ahead of the season, the club made the controversial decision to appoint Turkish football agent Erkut Sogut as the club’s managing director. D.C. United then paid a club record €6 million to sign Louis Munteanu from CFR Cluj. Munteanu comes in to replace prolific goalscorer Christian Benteke. The Romanian is unlikely to be the last major arrival as D.C. United look to turn their fortunes around. Will it work? Maybe the club certainly has the potential to be a surprise package this season.

Players to watch

Veth: In a league with 30 teams, it is always difficult to just pick one. James’ arrival has certainly captured the imagination of fans ahead of the season. The Colombian has had an up-and-down career and picked MLS to be ready for the 2026 World Cup this summer. There is no doubt that on his day, James is a fabulous player, and he will bring positive attention to a club like Minnesota United, who have lingered a bit in the shadow of the other MLS superpowers.

Another player to watch will be Son. The Korean has had an incredible impact at LAFC and was voted the MLS Player of the Season in 2025 ahead of Messi. It takes quite something for any player to dethrone Messi in a popular vote. But Son did just that, as the LAFC kit with his name became the highest-selling shirt in all of U.S. sports following his arrival. On the pitch, Son’s impact has been incredible, as he has scored 13 goals and recorded 7 assists in 14 games across all competitions for LAFC.

Finally, it would be amiss not to mention Messi. All eyes will be on the Argentine as he embarks on a season in which he will attempt to defend both the MLS Cup and the World Cup on US soil. Although age is certainly becoming an increasing factor, Messi is still the most dangerous player in MLS. The Argentine has managed an incredible 77 goals and 44 assists in 88 games for Miami across all competitions. And without a doubt, that tally is to increase significantly in 2026.

U21 players to watch

Veth: Keep an eye on Cavan Sullivan. The 16-year-old wrote MLS history when he became the youngest player in league history at 14. Last year, he finally received a starting market value of €3.5m, making him the third-most-valuable U21 player in MLS. Already compared to Dominik Szoboszlai, Sullivan will join Man City when he turns 18. Until then, the midfielder will continue his development at the Philadelphia Union.

Elsewhere, Venezuelan winger David Martínez is a player to watch. The LAFC forward was signed for €3.2 million from Venezuelan club Monagas SC ahead of the 2024 season. Over the last two years, Martínez has made a significant step forward in his development and has already been linked with moves to one of Europe’s big four leagues. Among the clubs interested recently were Borussia Mönchengladbach, Wolfsburg, and Italian side Lazio. Short-term, LAFC see him as a viable backup to Denis Bouanga, and perhaps even more if the Gabonese forward decides to leave this club this window.

Finally, keep an eye on the New England Revolution and Football Manager Peyton Miller. The wing-back saw his market value increase to €3.5m as part of the last update. The Revolution are asking in the region of €15m for Miller. That seems like a significant price tag for an 18-year-old MLS talent. But the Massachusetts-based club have shown in the past that they can sell players for high transfer fees, and Miller could certainly be next on the list of New England Revolution record departures.

Manager to watch

Veth: The manager to watch is new LAFC bench boss Marc Dos Santos. This is Dos Santos’ second attempt at being the number one on the bench at an MLS club. The 48-year-old Canadian made a name for himself working in the lower divisions of North American football before joining LAFC as an assistant in 2018, where he worked under Bob Bradley. Then, ahead of the 2019 season, Dos Santos left LA to become the new head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Although an incredibly smart tactician, Dos Santos seemed overwhelmed at times with the many tasks he had to fulfill in Vancouver. Averaging just 1.05 points per game, Dos Santos was fired by sporting director Axel Schuster after a Canadian Championship defeat to Pacific FC in August 2021. Rather than taking another head coaching job, Dos Santos opted to take a step back by returning to LAFC to work under head coach Steven Cherundolo. As part of Cherundolo’s staff, Dos Santos helped the club win an MLS Cup in 2022. Indeed, much of the hands-on coaching and tactics came from Dos Santos, and when Cherundolo left, the club simply promoted the Canadian to take over.