Lionel Messi and Co. remain favorites, but strong starts from Nashville, San Jose and Vancouver have the league nicely poised heading into a long break.
Austin FC has cleaned house ahead of the World Cup break as the club announced on Monday that both head coach Nico Estevez and sporting director Rodolfo Borrell have been dismissed. The decision comes amid a poor start to the season that currently sees the club sitting 13th in the Western Conference following yet another loss this past weekend.
Two MLS clubs have fired their coaches less than two months into the season, and there is plenty of reason to believe that further managers could leave in the coming weeks.
GOAL’s writers analyze LAFC’s battering of Inter Miami, the New York Red Bulls’ fast start, and whether Nashville is the contender everyone forgot in the latest Rondo.
If you're wondering about the main dates for the upcoming Major League Soccer season, GOAL has you covered - plus more info on how to watch games on TV
GOAL spoke to GMs and chief soccer officers across MLS about the league’s 3.0 vision: the calendar change is progress, but executives say the next steps must come faster.
MLS returns with a packed schedule and familiar chaos. From stars like Messi, Rodriguez, and Son Heung-Min to the teams you can avoid, here’s who’s actually worth your weekend watch.
Sporting Kansas City is entering a new chapter. The Illig family, owners of the club since 2006, have agreed to sell a 71% stake to current limited partner Peter Mallouk in a deal that values the franchise at roughly $700 million, according to Forbes. The figure marks the highest valuation ever paid for a majority stake in Major League Soccer.
Sporting KC are nearing an agreement with former Chicago Fire and Young Boys manager Raphael Wicky, according to the Athletic. The Swiss manager, who has previously played and coached in MLS, is set to replace long-time manager Peter Vermes, who parted ways with the club after a winless start to last season. He is the first major appointment from new CSO David Lee.
D.C. United selected North Carolina State center back Nikola Markovic with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, turning to the Generation adidas defender to address defensive needs after a difficult 2025 season. The 21-year-old helped lead the Wolfpack to their first NCAA national championship appearance.
Sporting Kansas City
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