Copy URL Share on Facebook Share on X window.fbappid = "123268204377180"; What an opening week in MLS.
San Diego FC scored a ton of goals, Chicago Fire FC struggled to hold onto a lead and Denis Bouanga looked incredibly dangerous. It’s truly going to be a year unlike any other.
As always: The Power Rankings are voted on by, give or take, 15 people associated with MLSsoccer.com. The author does get a little rush out of moving your team in particular down a few spots, though.
Oh, and hey, the first few weeks of the year mean a lot more movement than normal. We have one whole data point on each of these teams. Sometimes that means teams move, like, 14 spots for some reason. Everyone is just trying their best.
Los Angeles Football Club 1 A straight-up beatdown.
LAFC were in control and highly dangerous from the jump in their 3-0 win over Inter Miami. The front three of Denis Bouanga, Son Heung-Min and David Martínez treated a historic crowd of 75,000+ to a show. Bouanga and Martínez scored a goal apiece, while Son added an assist. Bouanga alone generated 2.11 expected goals and 0.85 expected assists (per FotMob). He was the best player in a match that featured elite talent.
Previous: 3-0 win vs. MIA | Next: 2/28 at HOU
Inter Miami CF 1 The bad news is Inter Miami got absolutely thumped in front of 75,000+ people. The good news is they may not face a better side than LAFC all year.
Still, Saturday's 3-0 defeat isn’t a great sign of things to come as they chase a Concacaf Champions Cup title at the start of the season. They have a short runway to get all their new pieces integrated and functioning at a high level if they want to win the biggest trophy that’s left to win in the Lionel Messi era.
Previous: 3-0 loss at LAFC | Next: 3/1 at ORL
Vancouver Whitecaps FC The Whitecaps took care of business in a straightforward 1-0 win over RSL on Saturday. Things weren’t quite so straightforward in Concacaf Champions Cup play, though. They were held to a 0-0 draw in Leg 1 at Costa Rican side Cartaginés. They’ve got to regroup at home to avoid a massive upset on Wednesday.
Previous: 1-0 win vs. RSL | Next: 2/28 vs. TOR
San Diego FC San Diego have played two home matches in 2026. They’ve won them by a combined score of 9-1. The attack, sans Chucky Lozano, hasn’t missed a beat so far. Even an 18-year-old Right to Dream Academy graduate got in on the fun in San Diego’s 5-0 win over Montréal.
Four minutes into his MLS debut, Right to Dream Academy graduate Bryan Zamblé buries it for San Diegos fifth. 🖐️ pic.twitter.com/e8UtLA2xwb— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 22, 2026
With a relatively gentle opening stretch, it sure seems like San Diego will pile up a ton of goals and points early.
Previous: 5-0 win vs. MTL | Next: 3/1 vs. STL
Nashville SC If you weren’t already well aware of Nashville’s increasing status as a contender, you should be now.
It took just 16 minutes for DP striker Sam Surridge to score his first brace of the season and 49 minutes for offseason signing Warren Madrigal to tally his first goal and first two assists of his MLS career.
Previous: 4-1 win vs. NE | Next: 2/28 at DAL
FC Cincinnati Evander went down with a hamstring injury just 11 minutes into the season. It’s hard to understate how critical he was to Cincy's success last year. Missing the Brazilian No. 10 for any amount of time is a real concern.
That being said, his absence didn’t matter much against Atlanta. DP striker Kévin Denkey scored his first of the year, and center back Nick Hagglund scored a revenge goal in a 2-0 win.
Cincy are as physically imposing as any team in the league and will bully their way to plenty of points this year.
Previous: 2-0 win vs. ATL | Next: 2/28 at MIN
Seattle Sounders FC Paul “Literally Paul Rothrock” Rothrock’s legend grows by the day.
The hustle. The cross. The finish.What a start to the 2026 campaign! 😱 pic.twitter.com/hLd9INEgMY— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) February 23, 2026
