MLS at the Break: Winners and Losers So Far in the 2025 Season | OneFootball

As MLS heads into Leagues Cup action, we break down the biggest winners and losers of the 2025 season so far.

Major League Soccer has reached the midway point of its 30th season, pausing regular play for a month-long Leagues Cup break. What was expected to be a full-blown celebration of three decades of MLS has felt surprisingly muted. Aside from a few nostalgic kit releases and some intriguing storylines, the milestone has passed with little fanfare. What could have been a compelling narrative about the league’s growth over 30 years has instead been reduced to a blip in what’s otherwise felt like a routine MLS season.

The league remains stable, drawing an average of 21,747 fans per game. Soccer-specific stadiums continue to fill up, but a more mature and knowledgeable fanbase is starting to demand more. As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, expectations are rising. The overall level of play appears to have plateaued, with rosters heavily skewed toward foreign imports and offensive players. Defensively, MLS still struggles, with many teams spending most of their money on attacking talent while remaining vulnerable at the back.

Lionel Messi has returned to top form in recent weeks, scoring brace after brace and dragging Inter Miami back into the Eastern Conference conversation. In what could be his final year under contract, all signs point to Messi staying one more season. Yet his absence from the All-Star Game and minimal media engagement make it clear: the greatest player of all time came to enjoy the twilight of his career, not to serve as the league’s ambassador. He lets his play do the talking, and what a show it’s been.

Off the Field

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Messi mania continues to sell out stadiums. And for the first time, Don Garber offered a meaningful update on Apple TV numbers: MLS matches are averaging 120,000 unique viewers per game, with a total of 1.8 million unique viewers across 15 games on a typical weekend. While it’s a start, these figures remain modest given the global reach of Apple TV. Drawing consistent eyeballs remains one of the league’s most pressing challenges.

Still, there’s a season being played. Here’s a look at the winners and losers of the 2025 MLS campaign so far.

Winners

FC Cincinnati

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Pat Noonan’s FC Cincinnati have been the best in MLS, and are again a serious contender for an MLS Cup. Newcomer Evander has continued his dominance after leaving Portland last season, and has formed a potent partnership with Kévin Denkey. The Orange and Blue are one of the most balanced squads in the league and look ready for a deep playoff run.

Lionel Messi

The GOAT is on fire: 18 goals in 18 games and five consecutive braces before the All-Star break. Inter Miami may be unbalanced, but the team goes as Messi goes. His world-class form in the last month has come at the perfect time for a playoff push.

Andy Najar

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A resurgent year for the Honduran veteran, who’s logged 10 assists for Nashville SC. Once a journeyman, Andy Najar has become a key contributor under B.J. Callaghan, whose team is among the league’s best.

Diego Luna

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In a league crowded with foreign attacking talent, Diego Luna has been a revelation. It’s not that he wasn’t already talented, it’s that he’s truly stepped up. With eight goals in 19 games for a struggling Real Salt Lake side, Luna is playing above MLS level right now.

San Diego FC

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Head coach Mikey Varas was widely doubted after his U-20 national team stint, but he’s silenced critics. In their debut season, San Diego FC sits atop the Western Conference and are four points behind in the Supporters’ Shield race. While not a finished product, Varas has survived the early growing pains and laid a promising foundation.

Philadelphia Union

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Despite parting ways with longtime coach Jim Curtin, the Philadelphia Union haven’t missed a beat. Under Bradley Carnell, they remain one of MLS’s best-run organizations. Can their long-term project finally yield an MLS Cup?

Columbus Crew

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The most exciting team in MLS continues to impress. With Diego Rossi and Jacen Russell-Rowe leading the attack and Wilfried Nancy, the best coach in the league, at the helm, the Crew look like legitimate MLS Cup contenders.

Losers

LA Galaxy

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Tight salary cap restrictions and injuries have crippled the defending champions. With single-digit wins at midseason, the Galaxy got off to a historically bad start, and are currently the worst team in the league. It’s been a year to forget in Carson.

D.C. United

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One of the league’s original powerhouses has lost its identity. A revolving door of coaches and players continues, with Swiss manager René Weiler now at the helm. D.C. United have been dreadful and remain stuck in disarray.

Atlanta United FC

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Despite heavy offseason spending, the Five Stripes have underperformed. Miguel Almirón hasn’t regained his Tata Martino-era form, and Ronny Deila has yet to find answers. With President Garth Lagerwey stepping away due to health issues, Atlanta is unraveling.

Gregg Berhalter

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The darling of MLS execs and U.S. Soccer brass took over the Chicago Fire and delivered more of the same: mediocrity. Toiling in the middle of the table and with little spark, fans are being sold a long-term vision, but the reality is, it looks like another typical Gregg Berhalter team.

Toronto FC

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Despite the big-name signings of Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi, Toronto is back at square one. Robin Fraser is trying to steady the ship, but with one of the weakest rosters in MLS, it’ll take time.

MLS Itself

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Yes — the entire league. MLS flopped at the Club World Cup, once again exposing its outdated roster rules. Despite growth in attendance and some good players here and there, the league still feels insulated, more focused on Leagues Cup hype than international credibility. Even with a raised salary cap, true validation will come through competitions like the CONCACAF Champions Cup or, someday, the Copa Libertadores. Right now, MLS feels stuck between being a genuine top-tier league or just popcorn soccer with big dreams and a bigger marketing machine.