MLS 2025 season preview: how it works and who are the favourites in America? | OneFootball

The new MLS season kicks off this weekend as the competition celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. And, by the way, it is not all about Lionel Messi.

The MLS has rapidly evolved since its inception in 1996, growing from a fledgling league into one of North America’s top soccer competitions. Expansion has brought new, passionate fanbases, and the quality of play has steadily improved with international stars and top coaches joining the ranks.

Increased investment in academies and development has cultivated homegrown talent. The 2025 season kicks off this weekend, with Los Angeles FC taking on Minnesota United.

The regular season lasts around eight months, running from 22 February through to 18 October. Shortly after the, the play-offs begin, although dates for that have not yet been confirmed.

For the regular season, 30 teams are split into Eastern and Western Conferences based on geography. Each team plays 34 games, 17 at home and 17 away. Teams play all conference opponents twice, and six cross-conference opponents once.

The team that gains the most points in the regular season wins the ‘Supporters’ Shield’. Inter Miami won this last season, but it is widely regarded as the secondary trophy in the MLS.

Whichever team wins the play-offs, wins the ‘MLS Cup’, which is seen as the ultimate triumph. LA Galaxy won this last year with a record-extending sixth triumph.

The MLS has been growing year-on-year, but should see added interest this year due to the Club World Cup arriving in America in June. Next year all of the world’s footballing eyes will be focused on this part of the globe as the United States co-hosts the World Cup finals with Canada and Mexico. The final will be staged in New Jersey at the home of NFL heavyweights the New York Giants and New York Jets.

This MLS season is expected to attract even more fans from all sports as the game they call soccer further grows its audience both domestically and around the globe.

Read on if you want to now more about the protagonists in a look at the top four favourite teams (based on last season’s standings) in each conference.

Eastern Conference

Inter Miami CF

Year formed: 2018

Coach: Javier Mascherano

Star player: Lionel Messi

Players IN: Marcelo Weigandt (Boca Juniors), Fabrice Picault (Vancouver), Gonzalo Lujan (San Lorenzo), Tadeo Allende (Celta Vigo), Oscar Ustari (Free agent), Telesco Segovia (Casa Pia), Rocco Rios Novo (Lanus), Maximiliano Falcon (Colo Colo)

Players OUT: Carlos Dos Santos (San Diego FC), Leonardo Campana (New England), Diego Gomez (Brighton), Franco Negri (San Diego FC), Emerson Rodriguez (Ludogorets), Facundo Farias (Estudiantes)

Definitely the team to watch in the Eastern Conference this season, Inter Miami won the Supporters’ Shield last season and the experienced skills of former La Liga stars Messi, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez along with coach Mascherano should mean this side play with a Barcelona-like fluidity.

Columbus Crew

Year formed: 1994

Coach: Wilfried Nancy

Star player: Diego Rossi

Players IN: Lassi Lappalainen (Montreal)

Players OUT: Marino Hinestroza (Atletico Nacional), Juan Hernandez (Real Betis), Christian Ramirez)

Columbus will be very disappointed at losing their best player, Juan Hernandez, less than three weeks before the season was due to kick off. The striker scored 18 goals last season, but Nancy’s men will confident they can build on a strong campaign last time out.

FC Cincinnati

Year formed: 2015

Coach: Pat Noonan

Star player: Pavel Bucha

Players IN: Brian Anunga (Nashville SC), Gilberto Flores (Libertad), Lukas Engel (Middlesborough), Evander Ferreira (Portland)

Players OUT: Joey Akpunonu (Charleston Battery), Alvaro Barreal (Santos FC), Quimi Ordonez (Zimbru), Luciano Acosta (Dallas)

Similarly to Columbus, Cincinnati have lost their best player, Acosta, just a few days before the season starts. But they will be hoping highly-rated new signing Ferreira can replace his goals and assists. Cincinnati won the Supporters’ Shield in 2023.

Orlando City

Year formed: 2010

Coach: Oscar Pareja

Star player: Luis Muriel

Players IN: Nicolas Rodriguez (Fortaleza FC), Marco Pasalic (Rijeka), Eduard Atuesta (Palmeiras)

Players OUT: Mason Stajduhar (Salt Lake), Gaston Gonzalez (Defensa y Justicia), Michael Halliday (Houston)

Led by legendary Colombian striker Luis Muriel, who spent 14 years playing in Europe for the likes of Sevilla and Atalanta, Orlando will be hoping to build on their fourth placed finish last season. Oscar Pareja is known to have an expansive, attacking style of play and he has been at the helm for over five years.

Western Conference

Los Angeles FC

Year formed: 2014

Coach: Steven Cherundolo

Star player: Olivier Giroud

Players IN: Odin Thiago Holm (Celtic), Marco Delgado (LA Galaxy), Nkosi Tafari (Dallas), Yaw Yeboah (Free agent), Igor Jesus (Estrela), Artem Smolyakov (Polissya)

Players OUT: Ilie Sanchez (Austin FC), Jesus Murillo (Juarez), Omar Campos (Cruz Azul), Mateusz Bogusz (Cruz Azul), Mario Gonzales (Lech Poznań), Cristian Olivera (Gremio)

With former Arsenal and Chelsea striker, Olivier Giroud, leading the line, Steven Cherundolo will be hoping his side can go a step further than last season. They will be looking to claim either the Supporters’ Shield or the MLS Cup, the latter of which bitter rivals LA Galaxy got their hands on last term. In 2022, LAFC won the MLS Cup, and are one of only a few teams to win back-to-back finals in the league’s history.

LA Galaxy

Year formed: 1996

Coach: Greg Vanney

Star player: Marco Reus

Players IN: Zanka (Anderlecht), James Marcinkowski (San Jose), Elijah Wynder (Louisville), Lucas Sanabria (Nacional), Christian Ramirez (Columbus)

Players OUT: Martin Caceres (Free agent), Brady Scott (Free agent), Jalen Neal (Montreal), Marco Delgado (LAFC), Dejan Joveljic (Sporting KC)

With a star-studded roster including the likes of Maya Yoshida, Marco Reus and Riqui Puig, Greg Vanney will be confident that his side can retain the MLS Cup and with that, reclaim their title as the best team in North America.

Real Salt Lake

Year formed: 2004

Coach: Pablo Mastroeni

Star player: Diogo Goncalves

Players IN: Kobi Henry (Reims), Mason Stajduhar (Orlando), Rafael (Free agent), Ariath Piol (macArthur)

Players OUT: Matt Crooks (Hull), Cristian Arango (San Jose), Betin Jacquesson (Pittsburgh), Delentz Pierre (Tulsa), Gavin Beavers (Brondby IF), Kevon Lambert (Louisville)

Real Salt Lake were named as such after Real Madrid. They will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Los Blancos and win their own league this year. They finished five points behind both LA teams last term. Manager Mastroeni has been in charge since 2021, and spent his entire playing career in the USA.

Seattle Sounders FC

Year formed: 2007

Coach: Brian Schmetzer

Star player: Joao Paulo

Players IN: Jesus Ferreira (Dallas), Albert Rusnak (Free agent), Paul Arriola (Dallas), Kee-Hee Kim (Free agent)

Players OUT: Leo Chu (Dallas), Braudilio Rodrigues (Lexington), Joshua Atencio (Colorado)

Coach Brian Schmetzer has been in charge of Seattle for almost nine years, which is near enough half of the entire history of the club. He has had a very successful tenure, winning the CONCACAF Champions League in 2022, the MLS Cup in 2016 and 2019, the Western Conference Championship in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 and the Cascadia Cup in 2018, 2019, and 2021. He will be hoping to add to that haul this campaign.