play1:20Gomez: Obed Vargas’ Atletico Madrid move ‘amazing news for Mexican football’Herculez Gomez reacts to Mexican midfielder Obed Vargas making the move to Atletico Madrid from MLS side Seattle Sounders.
Futbol Americas crew split on MLS Cup 2026 winners predictions (2:12)Herculez Gomez and Mau Pedroza are split between Inter Miami and LAFC for the winners of the 2026 MLS Cup. (2:12)
Gomez: Obed Vargas’ Atletico Madrid move ‘amazing news for Mexican football’Herculez Gomez reacts to Mexican midfielder Obed Vargas making the move to Atletico Madrid from MLS side Seattle Sounders.
Herculez Gomez reacts to Mexican midfielder Obed Vargas making the move to Atletico Madrid from MLS side Seattle Sounders.
It’s been more than two months since Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami were crowned champions of MLS. Since then, fans of the league have endured the cold, snow and darkness of its long winter offseason, only now emerging to the very beginnings of springtime’s green shoots of growth.
That’s because MLS returns to action Saturday, kicking off a campaign that will both observe the league’s 30th anniversary and a midsummer respite to make way for the FIFA World Cup.
While those offseason days have indeed been short and dark, there has been quite a bit going on across all 30 clubs. So before the 2026 campaign gets underway, ESPN turned to Jeff Carlisle, Cesar Hernandez, Lizzy Becherano, Jon Arnold, Joe Lowery and Megan Swanick to get you up to speed on what every team has been up to since they last kicked a ball in anger.
2026 will be a success if … they improve upon their 29th-place finish in 2025. The good news is, there’s (almost) nowhere to go but up for the Five Stripes. With a very low bar for improvement, making the playoffs in a competitive Eastern Conference is an achievable but hardly guaranteed benchmark for success. — Swanick
Biggest offseason move: Signing Torres. It’s a big swing from Austin, who brought Torres back to MLS after the former Orlando City attacker spent a season with Palmeiras in Brazil. The Designated Player contract for the Uruguay international keeps him under club control through 2030, meaning Austin is betting big on him working well with the club, including fellow DP Brandon Vázquez when the forward returns from an ACL injury suffered last July.
2026 will be a success if … they score a lot more goals. Let’s not overthink this here. Austin spent millions on its attack last season and ended up with a team that didn’t score. The defense isn’t totally lockdown, but goalkeeper Brad Stuver remains one of the league’s most consistent shot stoppers. Chance creation remains a question, but if Austin puts the ball in the back of the net, things will go better. — Arnold
What they’ve been up to: Charlotte might not have had the loudest offseasons, but the front office completed several quiet signings to bolster the roster for 2026. After falling in the first round of the 2025 MLS playoffs on penalties to New York City FC, the Crown want to strive for more and will do so with the additions of Henry Kessler, Isaac Walker and David Schnegg, among others, while also triggering the permanent option for Pep Biel.
Biggest offseason move: Signing United States men’s national team player Luca De la Torre. The midfielder played his first season in MLS last year when he joined San Diego, scoring five goals and two assists in 37 matches across all competitions.
2026 will be a success if … Charlotte reaches the late stages of a tournament or a final, given the caliber of players on the roster. Despite qualifying for the playoffs on consecutive occasions, the Carolinians must work to push through the first round and build momentum. The team fell at the first hurdle in 2023, 2024 and 2025. They will take part in the 2026 edition of Leagues Cup, giving the players one more opportunity to make a deep run and lift a trophy. — Becherano
What they’ve been up to: After former USMNT manager Gregg Berhalter improved the side in 2025, Chicago’s director of football/head coach has brought in names like Robin Lod, Josh Cohen, Mbekezeli Mbokazi and Anton Saletros, while also seeing exits of options such as Brian Gutiérrez and Kellyn Acosta. Off the field, they’ve been showcasing plans for a new 22,000-capacity stadium that is expected to be opened in 2028.
Biggest offseason move: Mbokazi has the potential to become a game changer in the league, but Lod is a more finished product. The 2024 MLS All-Star will be expected to be a key contributor from the get-go and a reference point in the midfield. It seems unlikely to happen this winter, but keep an eye on the rumors regarding Robert Lewandowski.
2026 will be a success if … they build off their playoff qualification from 2025. After making it to Round 1 last year, Berhalter & Co. should aim to be more of a heavy hitter in the Eastern Conference this season. Perhaps if they sign a certain Poland striker, they could earn some surprise results in 2026 and beyond. — Hernandez
Biggest offseason move: With Luca Orellano transferred to Monterrey, FCC were in need of a winger/wingback and got one in Bryan Ramirez from LDU Quito. Other than that, there wasn’t a ton of activity, although the free agent pickup of forward Tom Barlow, who scored three goals in just 383 minutes of action last season, is an under-the-radar deal that could produce dividends.
2026 will be a success if … Cincinnati can push Miami off its perch. It certainly helps that Cincinnati enters the 2026 campaign in a healthier state than last season. Defender Matt Miazga is expected to be a steadier contributor after being plagued by a quad injury last term and then undergoing a minor knee procedure in preseason. It’s worth noting that FCC did plenty of transfer business last summer, with U22 midfielder Samuel Gidi in line to stabilize things defensively.
Cincinnati has plenty of talent returning, with the likes of forward Kévin Denkey (16 goals, 1 assist) and midfield maestro Evander (18 goals, 16 assists) leading what should be a potent attack. That said, the two weren’t always on the same page, and if a bit more chemistry can be achieved, they could take FCC’s attack up another level. In defense, central defender Miles Robinson remains a vital component, as does Teenage Hadebe. Goalkeeper Roman Celentano returns in goal.
Can Cincinnati unseat Miami and make a breakthrough? It’s possible, championship hangovers being what they are, and Miami being in a state of flux. Given the state of their roster, the time would appear to be now for FCC. — Carlisle
What they’ve been up to: The Rapids are not the flashiest team in MLS, but have refreshed their roster for 2026. The team moved on from midfielder Cole Bassett, transferring him to Portland, before essentially replacing him with Hamzat Ojediran from Lens. The Rapids also elevated players such as forward Sydney Wathuta from their MLS Next Pro side to the senior team.
Biggest offseason move: The most influential change for the Rapids came when they hired new head coach Matt Wells to take over the club. The former Tottenham Hotspur assistant coach replaces Chris Armas, whose contract expired following the 2025 campaign.
2026 will be a success if … the Crew can rejoin the league’s elite. For all of Nancy’s brilliance, it’s worth noting that Columbus finished just seventh in the Eastern Conference in 2025 (although injuries played a part), meaning there is some upward mobility to be gained by Rydström.
What they’ve been up to: DCU are trying something totally new. A miserable 2025 saw them finish with only 26 points — mustering just five wins. The team appointed Erkut Sogut as managing director of soccer operations in September 2025, and the man best known as Mesut Özil’s agent went to work in the winter, trying to overhaul the team with proven MLS players at almost every line — goalkeeper Sean Johnson, defender Sean Nealis and forward Tai Baribo.
Biggest offseason move: Although picking up Baribo from Philadelphia in a cash-for-player trade was a statement of intent, signing Romania forward Louis Munteanu on a club-record deal worth $7 million is a bigger bet — the first Sogut has made. The 23-year-old signed with D.C. through 2028-29, and the club has an option year. That could pave the way for Munteanu to be leading the line as he enters his prime.
Biggest offseason move: Herman Johansson is perhaps not the buzziest name in this article, but the Swedish wingback is big for two reasons. First, his signing shows Dallas’ commitment to using wingbacks, with Johansson expected to start there. Second, it indicates the types of players the club was looking for this winter after a late move in the 2025 preseason landed it Luciano Acosta, a player who never fit with the team’s vision or tactics.
2026 will be a success if … the last 10 games of 2025 are actually replicable. The club seems to be staking a lot on a strong close to last season, which saw it make a late charge into the postseason with five wins, four draws and just one defeat. Yet, some of those results came against teams that already were in lame-duck mode and coasting into the offseason. Sustaining that success over the full season will take some doing. — Arnold
What they’ve been up to: After missing the playoffs last season, the Dynamo went to work trying to improve the team, signing winger Guilherme from Santos and defender Lucas Halter from Botafogo in Brazil. They also brought back midfielder Héctor Herrera, who left the club and won consecutive titles as a reserve with Toluca in Liga MX and signed Mateusz Bogusz to a Designated Player deal.
What they’ve been up to: Steve Cherundolo is out as head coach after deciding to leave at the end of 2025, and in his place, assistant Marc Dos Santos is now calling the shots on the sidelines. Following last summer’s blockbuster addition of Son Heung-Min, and the exit of France legend Olivier Giroud, the club also added reinforcements over the winter such as Amin Boudri, Stephen Eustáquio and Jacob Shaffelburg, among others.