Philadelphia shook things up by trading 16-goal scorer Tai Baribo to D.C. and MLS Best XI defender Jakob Glesnes to the Galaxy. Seeking to return to contention after a poor 2025, the 2024 champion Galaxy bolstered their frontline by acquiring João Klauss (10 goals) from St. Louis.

The battle for MLS supremacy is about to get underway again. As the season kickoff nears, we rank the entire field.

By Angelica Medina Feb 20 (Reuters) - Major League Soccer kicks off its most pivotal season yet, with marquee names, record transfers and World Cup preparation converging as North American football steps into the international spotlight ahead of this summer's tournament.

Two seasons ago, Inter Miami CF set a new single-season points record (74) en route to winning the Supporters’ Shield. Last season, they won MLS Cup presented by Audi as the crowning achievement of the busiest season ever played by an MLS team.

Inter Miami have announced a strategic roster move ahead of the new MLS season as they look to support Lionel Messi in the club’s title defense. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are preparing to defend the MLS Cup title they secured last season with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The Lorenzo Insigne/Federico Bernardeschi experiment went up in flames, which has brought in a new era in Toronto. After taking a big swing to sign Djordje Mihailovic last season, the club took another by adding Zimmerman, who brings both MLS and World Cup experience to the club's backline.

Rebuilding the squad for the 2026 season, Tata Martino’s Atlanta United are reportedly set to sin a former Lionel Messi teammate at Inter Miami who also won the 2025 MLS Cup. Gerardo “Tata” Martino has returned to Major League Soccer with Atlanta United,