MLS Matchday 3 Must-Watch Games: Miami, Seattle, Canadian Derby and More | OneFootball

The third weekend of MLS action in 2025 is just around the corner, and just five of the league’s 30 teams are perfect through two weeks of the regular season.

On Matchday 2, MLS fans saw a Lionel Messi-less Inter Miami CF continue to show why they’re the class of the league, a new superstar in Wilfried Zaha and Charlotte FC, and a home opener for San Diego FC.

This week, there’s lots to watch again, with 13 games on Saturday and another two on Sunday.

Sports Illustrated ranks the top games to watch this weekend.

1. Inter Miami CF vs. Charlotte FC - Sunday, 4:00 pm ET

Inter Miami CF rested Lionel Messi against Houston but played Sergio Busquets and their other veteran FC Barcelona legends on Matchday 2. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Inter Miami CF have played a lot of soccer to start 2025, but it’s not getting any easier as they return home to Chase Stadium to host Charlotte FC on Sunday afternoon.

Despite not having Lionel Messi, the Herons dominated the Houston Dynamo on Matchday 2, with Luis Suárez putting up a goal and three assists in a 4-1 win for their first victory of the season.

While they enter Sunday’s matchup after a Concacaf Champions Cup win against Jamaica’s Cavalier FC on Thursday, they do so with form on their side and likely Messi back in the matchday squad.

Young center back Tomas Aviles will be able to return after missing the last match due to a red card suspension, as will Ian Fray, who had his red card against Houston rescinded by the MLS Disciplinary Committee.

As much as Miami always put on an exciting and recently feisty affair, they could meet their match with Charlotte FC, who introduced former English Premier League star Wilfried Zaha last weekend.

In the same week as his daughter’s birth and flying across the Atlantic Ocean, Zaha scored and assisted on his debut, pushing his teammates to be better and consistently make quicker decisions. USMNT striker Patrick Agyemang will also be up for the challenge in Miami.

There’s star power in this one, which always makes it fun, in addition to the added element of Charlotte’s Kristijan Kahlina, the 2024 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, who found form in their 2–0 win against Atlanta United.

2. Seattle Sounders FC vs LAFC - Saturday, 4:45pm ET

Jordan Morris scored the goal which eliminated LAFC from the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs in the last LAFC vs. Seattle Sounders FC matchup. / Ryan Sun-Imagn Images

LAFC have often been an elite attacking club in MLS, yet 2025 sees them in their defensive era. They’ve not conceded in four straight games in Concacaf Champions Cup and MLS competitions, riding two straight 1–0 wins in league play.

Legendary French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has been good. Still, LA's overall defensive approach has been stellar, with midfielders Mark Delgado, Igor Jesus, and Timothy Tillman controlling and slowing down play.

They’ve also gotten strong play from various defensive setups, swapping between three, four and five defenders, relying mainly on Marlon, Eddie Segura, Nkosi Tafari, Aaron Long and Sergi Palencia.

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The battle against Seattle Sounders FC––a rematch of the 2024 MLS Cup Western Conference semifinal––sees the best defensive team against an attacking-minded Sounders side looking for revenge after falling 2–0 to Real Salt Lake last week.

Jordan Morris scored on Matchday 1 in a 2–2 draw with Charlotte FC and has thrived against LAFC in the past, including scoring the goal which eliminated the Black and Gold from the 2024 playoffs. Meanwhile, Pedro de la Vega has had a strong start to the season as an attacking midfielder as well.

Over the last eight years, the Sounders and LAFC have been two of the stronger teams in MLS, and that will likely continue with a tough contest on Saturday afternoon, especially with both on equal fatigue footing after each played Concacaf Champions Cup games midweek.

3. Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. CF Montréal - Saturday, 9:30 pm ET

Vancouver Whitecaps FC are the three-time defending Canadian Champions and have built a decades-long rivalry with CF Montréal. / Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images

The first all-Canadian matchup of the season sees the undefeated Vancouver Whitecaps FC battling the point-less CF Montréal on Canada’s West Coast.

Under a new head coach in Jesper Sørensen, the Whitecaps have hit a vein of form with a 4–1 win over the Portland Timbers and a 2–1 win over the reigning MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy. In their new look, they continue to rely on the duo of Ryan Gauld and Brian White but have been much more pragmatic in possession, helping get the best out of Pedro Vite and Jayden Nelson.

After rotating the squad for a midweek Concacaf Champions Cup draw against CF Monterrey, the Whitecaps should be rested for the home match. However, they will be missing Canadian national team left-back Sam Adekugbe due to an injury and backup left-back Edier Ocampo due to a red card.

Montreal, meanwhile, have not played as poorly as their record. Due to frigid temperatures, they begin each season with a long road trip, and 2025 is no different.

They went toe-to-toe with Eastern Conference heavy-hitter Atlanta United on opening weekend, losing 3–2, and were slightly edged by Minnesota United, 1–0, on Matchday 2. Yet, they don’t have to balance additional competition and will be hungry for all three points against their Canadian rivals.

Other Matches to Watch

FC Dallas vs. Chicago Fire FC (Saturday, 7:30 pm ET): Luciano Acosta found his groove with a goal and an assist in a 3-3 draw with the Colorado Rapids last week. Will he and Petar Musa continue establishing themselves as an elite attacking duo against a leaky Chicago Fire FC backline?