The 2026 MLS season is back in full force after a pause in play surrounding the FIFA World Cup, and the restart could not be more stocked with prime cuts to sink our teeth into.
And already, we have seen rivalries thrust into focus, kick-started by Portland Timbers dispatching Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field last Thursday evening to the tune of a 5-1 thrashing.
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That was followed up on Friday with Nashville’s 1-0 win over Atlanta United in a southern showdown, and LAFC‘s comfortable 3-0 triumph over city rival LA Galaxy in the latest installment of El Tráfico.
With key battles already unfolding, let’s take a look at the key storylines fans should watch out for across the remainder of the 2026 campaign.
Battle for MLS MVP heats up
Who takes the latest MLS MVP crown will no doubt be a source for debate come the end of the regular season, and though you may be sick of him after this summer, Lionel Messi is the clear frontrunner.
The Inter Miami captain, despite his age, continues to show his longevity in South Florida, leading MLS in shots (85) and shots on target (36), while being the only player in the top five for goals (2nd; 12), assists (tied-2nd; 8), and key passes (2nd; 43).
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Other strong cases for MVP honors? San Diego star Anders Dreyer, LAFC frontman Son Heung-min, Nashville midfield maestro Cristian Espinoza, and San Jose leading goal-getter Preston Judd.
Race for the Golden Boot
And if it’s goals you want to talk more about, the race for the Golden Boot is a tight one.
With MLS leading goalscorer Hugo Cuypers (13) primed to head to Liga MX side CF Monterrey despite topping the charts, seven players who are hot on the big Belgian’s tail will take over should a deal be confirmed, with the list of trailing names headlined by Messi and Dallas goalscoring dynamo Petar Musa (both on 12).
Down the ladder, Orlando City‘s Martín Ojeda, San Jose’s Preston Judd, and San Diego’s Marcus Ingvartsen all sit level on 11 goals, while NYCFC‘s Nicolas Fernández and Vancouver’s Brian White are in striking distance with 10 each.
New names in the ranks
The well-trodden pathway of global stars trickling into MLS continued this summer, much to the excitement of die-hard fans and neutral observers alike.
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Iconic goalscorer Robert Lewandowski landed in Chicago: a city long-connected to Polish heritage and immigrant traditions. The prospect of Gregg Berhalter slotting in the former Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Borussia Dortmund centre-forward to replace the soon-to-be outgoing Cuypers could make for top billing.
Down south, Orlando City welcomed French hero Antoine Griezmann to Florida in what will no doubt add further fuel to the rivalry between the Lions and Inter Miami, after Griezmann and Messi (once clubmates) contested nine La Liga seasons as adversaries.
Elsewhere, Charlotte FC successfully replaced Wilfried Zaha with Frenchman Allan Saint-Maximin. The veteran winger brings a litany of experience across Europe’s top-five leagues, and a recent stint with Club América in Liga MX will only bolster that further as he looks to fill the boots of the departed Ivorian.
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Your first chance to watch Lewandowski (take on Messi), Griezmann, and Saint-Maximin in MLS action? See below!
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Charlotte FC vs. Atlanta United on July 22 at 8:15pm ET. Watch live on Apple TV
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San Jose vs. Orlando City on July 22 at 10:30pm ET. Watch live on Apple TV
Familiar faces make their return
The quick return of Kai Wagner to his beloved Philadelphia Union highlights familiar faces who are coming back to MLS as the league gets back underway.
Wagner, who sits atop the Union’s all-time assists chart, enjoyed himself on English shores with Championship outfit Birmingham City, featuring on 16 occasions and booking three assists to help the club finish 10th, 9 points out of the promotion playoff places.
With Philadelphia sitting bottom of the East and well outside of a final playoff birth, can the 29-year-old help kick-start a resurgence along the Delaware River?
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You can watch Wagner’s return live on Apple TV when the Union battle against Eastern Conference rival New York Red Bulls on July 22 at 7:30pm ET.
Down in the Sunshine State, Orlando City welcomes home the club’s former fifth overall selection in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft, Daryl Dike.
Dike, now 26, scored 18 goals in 35 league appearances before spending a combined six seasons in the EFL Championship with Barnsley (on loan) and West Brom. Now more seasoned than his first stint with the club, Orlando fans will hope his return pushes the club back in playoff contention across the second half of the 2026 season.
The pressure cooker
It doesn’t get more pressure-filled right now than the current state of affairs in the City of Brotherly Love.
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A perennial force in MLS that boasts one of the top academy setups anywhere in the country, seeing Philadelphia sitting at the bottom of the East just one season removed from earning Supporters’ Shield honors was likely not on the bingo cards of fans across Pennsylvania and beyond.
Much of the same can be said of the dire situation that is brewing in Southern California, where San Diego FC picked up a serious case of the sophomore slumps in the wake of finishing first in the West during a brilliant inaugural MLS campaign in 2025.
Though CJ dos Santos returns to Snapdragon Stadium a national hero after playing a role in Cabo Verde’s heroics at the World Cup, SDFC have it all to do once the season resumes if the club are to reach the post-season.
