In a new annual tradition, we are once again looking at the predictions made by the Major League Soccer punditry, and documenting how they think the 2026 table will look at the end of the season.
The number of pundits has expanded dramatically since we did this last year. In 2025, we recorded the table predictions made by seven pundits — or, to be more exact, six pundits plus the collective opinion of MLSsoccer.com. MLS published the predictions of 15 of Apple TV’s on-air talent, which brings our grand total to 23 predictions. Because of the sheer volume of predictions, we divided the tables into two and gave the Apple TV analysts their own chart.
Just like last year, we will check back at the end of the regular season to see how they did: We are keeping the receipts.
At the risk of making a prediction about predictions, they rarely prove to be accurate — at the start of 2025, nobody prophesied the rise of Philadelphia Union, San Diego FC, or Vancouver Whitecaps. Likewise, nobody saw the fall of Atlanta United, LA Galaxy, or Red Bull New York coming. The most accurate pundit in 2025 was Tom Bogert, who correctly placed five out of 30 teams, and was accurate within one place for another 10 teams. But even he picked Philadelphia to finish in 9th Place, and Vancouver in 14th.
Bogert didn’t predict a table this year. Instead, the eight pundits are Andrew Clausen, Matt Doyle, Joseph Lowery, MLSsoccer.com, Brian McKay, Ben Steiner, and Ben Wright.
2026 MLS Predictions | The Punditry
| Andrew Clausen | Matt Doyle | Joseph Lowery | MLS | Brian McKay | Jeff Reuter | Ben Steiner | Ben Wright | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backheeled | Tactics Free Zone | Backheeled | mlssoccer.com | Backheeled | The Guardian | Sports Illustrated | Backheeled | |
| 1. | Nashville SC | Inter Miami | Inter Miami | Inter Miami | Inter Miani | Inter Miami | Inter Miami | Inter Miami |
| 2. | Inter Miami | Nashville SC | Nashville SC | FC Cincinnati | Nashville SC | Nashville SC | FC Cincinnati | Nashville SC |
| 3. | Orlando City | New York City FC | Chicago Fire | Nashville SC | Orlando City | Chicago Fire | Chicago Fire | Chicago Fire |
| 4. | FC Cincinnati | FC Cincinnati | FC Cincinnati | Philadelphia Union | Chicago Fire | FC Cincinnati | Nashville SC | Columbus Crew |
| 5. | Charlotte FC | Philadelphia Union | Charlotte FC | Chicago Fire | Philadelphia Union | Charlotte FC | Columbus Crew | Philadelphia Union |
| 6. | Philadelphia Union | Chicago Fire | Columbus Crew | Charlotte FC | FC Cincinnati | Columbus Crew | Charlotte FC | Charlotte FC |
| 7. | Chicago Fire | Charlotte FC | Philadelphia Union | Columbus Crew | New York City FC | Philadelphia Union | Philadelphia Union | FC Cincinnati |
| 8. | New York City FC | New England | Orlando City | New York City FC | Charlotte FC | Orlando City | New York City FC | Orlando City |
| 9. | Red Bull New York | Columbus Crew | New York City FC | Orlando City | Columbus Crew | Toronto FC | Orlando City | New England |
| 10. | Atlanta United | Red Bull New York | Atlanta United | Red Bull New York | Toronto FC | New England | Red Bull New York | Atlanta United |
| 11. | Columbus Crew | Orlando City | Red Bull New York | Atlanta United | Red Bull New York | Atlanta United | Toronto FC | New York City FC |
| 12. | Toronto FC | Atlanta United | Toronto FC | New England | Atlanta United | Red Bull New York | Atlanta United | Red Bull New York |
| 13. | New England | Toronto FC | New England | Toronto FC | New England | New York City FC | DC United | CF Montréal |
| 14. | CF Montréal | DC United | DC United | DC United | DC United | DC United | CF Montréal | Toronto FC |
| 15. | DC United | CF Montréal | CF Montréal | CF Montréal | CF Montréal | CF Montréal | New England | DC United |
| 1. | LAFC | LAFC | LAFC | LAFC | LAFC | LAFC | Vancouver | LAFC |
| 2. | San Diego FC | Seattle Sounders | Vancouver | Vancouver | Vancouver | Seattle Sounders | LAFC | Vancouver |
| 3. | Vancouver | Vancouver | San Diego FC | San Diego FC | Seattle Sounders | San Diego FC | San Diego FC | Seattle Sounders |
| 4. | Seattle Sounders | San Diego FC | Seattle Sounders | Seattle Sounders | San Diego FC | Vancouver | Houston Dynamo | San Diego FC |
| 5. | San Jose | LA Galaxy | LA Galaxy | LA Galaxy | Houston Dynamo | Minnesota United | Seattle Sounders | LA Galaxy |
| 6. | LA Galaxy | FC Dallas | Minnesota United | Austin FC | San Jose | Austin FC | Austin FC | San Jose |
| 7. | FC Dallas | San Jose | Real Salt Lake | Minnesota United | LA Galaxy | San Jose | LA Galaxy | FC Dallas |
| 8. | Portland Timbers | Minnesota United | San Jose | Portland Timbers | Austin FC | Real Salt Lake | FC Dallas | Minnesota United |
| 9. | Minnesota United | Portland Timbers | Austin FC | Houston Dynamo | FC Dallas | LA Galaxy | San Jose | Colorado Rapids |
| 10. | Real Salt Lake | Austin FC | Houston Dynamo | FC Dallas | Minnesota United | St Louis City | Minnesota United | Austin FC |
| 11. | Austin FC | Colorado Rapids | FC Dallas | Real Salt Lake | Portland Timbers | Houston Dynamo | Portland Timbers | Portland Timbers |
| 12. | St Louis City | Houston Dynamo | Portland Timbers | Real Salt Lake | Colorado Rapids | FC Dallas | Real Salt Lake | Houston Dynamo |
| 13. | Houston Dynamo | Real Salt Lake | St Louis City | St Louis City | Real Salt Lake | Portland Timbers | Colorado Rapids | Real Salt Lake |
| 14. | Colorado Rapids | St Louis City | Colorado Rapids | Colorado Rapids | St Louis City | Colorado Rapids | Sporting KC | St Louis City |
| 15. | Sporting KC | Sporting KC | Sporting KC | Sporting KC | Sporting KC | Sporting KC | St Louis City | Sporting KC |
The Apple TV experts are Andrés Agulla, Marcelo Balboa, Max Bretos, Steve Cangialosi, Daniel Chapela, Miguel Gallardo, Michele Giannone, Tony Husband, Sacha Kljestan, Kaylen Kyle, Lori Lindsey, Dax McCarthy, Sammy Sadovnik, Bruno Vain, and Bradley Wright-Phillips.
There is some near-consensus among the punditry — not surprisingly, it’s at the top and the bottom of the tables. All but one pick Inter Miami to finish at the top of the Eastern Conference, and all but two pick LAFC to finish first in the Western Conference. Likewise, almost everybody picks DC United and CF Montréal will sit at the bottom of the East, and Sporting Kansas City at the bottom of the West.
But things get muddy in the middle, with Houston Dynamo and New York City FC enjoying the least consensus among the punditry: NYCFC are picked to finish as high as 3rd Place, and as low as 13th.
Here are five observations about the MLS punditry’s 2026 predictions.
Note: Both prediction tables are included as PDFs at the bottom of this post.
2026 MLS Predictions | Apple TV
| Andrés Agulla | Marcelo Balboa | Max Bretos | Steve Cangialosi | Daniel Chapela | Miguel Gallardo | Michele Giannone | Tony Husband | Sacha Kljestan | Kaylyn Kyle | Lori Lindsey | Dax McCarty | Sammy Sadovnik | Bruno Vain | Bradley Wright-Phillips | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Inter Miami | Inter Miami | Inter Miami | Inter Miami | Inter Miami | Inter Miami | Inter Miami | Inter Miami | Inter Miami | Inter Miami | Inter Miami | Inter Miami | FC Cincinatti | Inter Miami | Inter Miami |
| 2. | Charlotte FC | FC Cincinatti | FC Cincinatti | FC Cincinatti | Columbus Crew | Nashville SC | FC Cincinatti | Chicago Fire | Charlotte FC | Philadelphia Union | FC Cincinatti | FC Cincinatti | Columbus Crew | FC Cincinatti | Columbus Crew |
| 3. | Nashville SC | Nashville SC | Orlando City | New York City FC | FC Cincinatti | FC Cincinatti | Nashville SC | Nashville SC | Nashville SC | FC Cincinatti | Nashville SC | Chicago Fire | Inter Miami | Philadelphia Union | FC Cincinatti |
| 4. | New York City FC | Chicago Fire | Chicago Fire | Philadelphia Union | Philadelphia Union | Philadelphia Union | Chicago Fire | FC Cincinatti | Red Bull New York | Charlotte FC | Atlanta United | Philadelphia Union | Atlanta United | Orlando City | Red Bull New York |
| 5. | FC Cincinatti | Charlotte FC | Charlotte FC | Nashville SC | Atlanta United | Chicago Fire | Philadelphia Union | Philadelphia Union | New York City FC | Nashville SC | Chicago Fire | Nashville SC | Philadelphia Union | Chicago Fire | New York City FC |
| 6. | Columbus Crew | Columbus Crew | Nashville SC | Columbus Crew | Nashville SC | Atlanta United | New York City FC | New York City FC | Chicago Fire | New York City FC | Philadelphia Union | Charlotte FC | Chicago Fire | Red Bull New York | Charlotte FC |
| 7. | Orlando City | New York City FC | Philadelphia Union | Chicago Fire | Orlando City | Orlando City | Orlando City | Charlotte FC | FC Cincinnati | Orlando City | Red Bull New York | New York City FC | Nashville SC | Columbus Crew | Philadelphia Union |
| 8. | Philadelphia Union | Atlanta United | Red Bull New York | Red Bull New York | Charlotte FC | Columbus Crew | Columbus Crew | Orlando City | Philadelphia Union | New England | Orlando City | New England | Orlando City | Nashville SC | New England |
| 9. | Atlanta United | Red Bull New York | Toronto FC | Charlotte FC | New York City FC | Red Bull New York | Charlotte FC | Columbus Crew | New England | Atlanta United | Charlotte FC | Orlando City | Charlotte FC | Charlotte FC | Chicago Fire |
| 10. | Chicago Fire | Orlando City | Columbus Crew | Orlando City | Chicago Fire | New York City FC | Atlanta United | Atlanta United | Columbus Crew | Chicago Fire | Columbus Crew | Columbus Crew | Red Bull New York | New York City FC | Nashville SC |
| 11. | Red Bull New York | Toronto FC | Atlanta United | Atlanta United | Red Bull New York | New England | Red Bull New York | Red Bull New York | Atlanta United | Columbus Crew | New York City FC | Red Bull New York | DC United | Atlanta United | Toronto FC |
| 12. | New England | New England | New York City FC | Toronto FC | DC United | Charlotte FC | Toronto FC | New England | Orlando City | Red Bull New York | CF Montréal | Atlanta United | New York City FC | Toronto FC | Orlando City |
| 13. | DC United | Philadelphia Union | New England | New England | Toronto FC | Toronto FC | New England | Toronto FC | Toronto FC | DC United | Toronto FC | Toronto FC | Toronto FC | DC United | Atlanta United |
| 14. | Toronto FC | CF Montréal | CF Montréal | CF Montréal | New England | DC United | DC United | DC United | CF Montréal | Toronto FC | DC United | DC United | New England | CF Montréal | DC United |
| 15. | CF Montréal | DC United | DC United | DC United | CF Montréal | CF Montréal | CF Montréal | CF Montréal | DC United | CF Montréal | New England | CF Montréal | CF Montréal | New England | CF Montréal |
| 1. | LAFC | LAFC | LAFC | LAFC | LAFC | LAFC | LAFC | LAFC | LAFC | LAFC | San Diego FC | LAFC | LAFC | LAFC | LAFC |
| 2. | Vancouver | Vancouver | San Diego FC | Seattle Sounders | San Diego FC | San Diego FC | Vancouver | Seattle Sounders | Vancouver | Vancouver | LAFC | Seattle Sounders | Vancouver | Seattle Sounders | Vancouver |
| 3. | Seattle Sounders | San Diego FC | Vancouver | Vancouver | Vancouver | Vancouver | San Diego FC | Vancouver | Seattle Sounders | San Diego FC | Seattle Sounders | San Diego FC | Seattle Sounders | Minnestoa United | San Diego FC |
| 4. | LA Galaxy | Seattle Sounders | Austin FC | San Diego FC | Houston Dynamo | Seattle Sounders | Seattle Sounders | LA Galaxy | LA Galaxy | Seattle Sounders | Vancouver | Vancouver | LA Galaxy | San Diego FC | Seattle Sounders |
| 5. | Austin FC | LA Galaxy | Seattle Sounders | Portland Timbers | LA Galaxy | Austin FC | Austin FC | San Diego FC | San Diego FC | LA Galaxy | Portland Timbers | Austin FC | San Diego FC | Austin FC | LA Galaxy |
| 6. | San Diego FC | Austin FC | Minnestoa United | LA Galaxy | Seattle Sounders | LA Galaxy | Minnestoa United | Austin FC | Austin FC | Austin FC | LA Galaxy | Minnestoa United | Minnestoa United | Vancouver | Austin FC |
| 7. | Minnesota United | Houston Dynamo | Houston Dynamo | Minnesota United | Minnesota United | Portland Timbers | LA Galaxy | San Jose | Portland Timbers | Houston Dynamo | FC Dallas | LA Galaxy | Portland Timbers | Portland Timbers | Minnesota United |
| 8. | Portland Timbers | Colorado Rapids | Portland Timbers | FC Dallas | FC Dallas | St Louis City | Portland Timbers | Minnestoa United | Houston Dynamo | FC Dallas | Austin FC | Houston Dynamo | Austin FC | FC Dallas | Houston Dynamo |
| 9. | Real Salt Lake | Portland Timbers | FC Dallas | Colorado Rapids | San Jose | San Jose | FC Dallas | Houston Dynamo | Minnesota United | Portland Timbers | Real Salt Lake | FC Dallas | San Jose | Houston Dynamo | St Louis City |
| 10. | FC Dallas | Minnestoa United | Real Salt Lake | Austin FC | Portland Timbers | Minnestoa United | Real Salt Lake | St Louis City | St Louis City | Real Salt Lake | Minnestoa United | Real Salt Lake | Real Salt Lake | LA Galaxy | Portland Timbers |
| 11. | San Jose | FC Dallas | St Louis City | Real Salt Lake | Austin FC | Real Salt Lake | San Jose | FC Dallas | FC Dallas | Minnestoa United | Houston Dynamo | Portland Timbers | Colorado Rapids | Real Salt Lake | FC Dallas |
| 12. | Sporting KC | Real Salt Lake | LA Galaxy | San Jose | Real Salt Lake | Sporting KC | Colorado Rapids | Colorado Rapids | San Jose | San Jose | Colorado Rapids | San Jose | Houston Dynamo | St Louis City | San Jose |
| 13. | Colorado Rapids | St Louis City | Colorado Rapids | St Louis City | Sporting KC | Colorado Rapids | St Louis City | Real Salt Lake | Real Salt Lake | St Louis City | St Louis City | Colorado Rapids | FC Dallas | San Jose | Real Salt Lake |
| 14. | Houston Dynamo | San Jose | San Jose | Houston Dynamo | Colorado Rapids | FC Dallas | Houston Dynamo | Portland Timbers | Sporting KC | Colorado Rapids | San Jose | St Louis City | Sporting KC | Colorado Rapids | Sporting KC |
| 15. | St Louis City | Sporting KC | Sporting KC | Sporting KC | St Louis City | Houston Dynamo | Sporting KC | Sporting KC | Colorado Rapids | Sporting KC | Sporting KC | Sporting KC | St Louis City | Sporting KC | Colorado Rapids |
1. Nobody knows what to do with NYCFC
As we mentioned above, Houston and New York City have the least consensus among the 30 teams in the league.
When the predictions are taken as a whole, most teams settle into one part of the table. For example, Red Bull are picked to finish as high as 4th Place, but 14 pundits put them in 10th, 11th, or 12th Place, with seven tapping them for 11th. Likewise, Orlando City are picked to finish as high as 3rd and as low as 12th, but seven put them in 7th or 8th place.
No such luck for New York City. Three pundits pick the team for the Top 4, two for 5th Place, three for 6th, three for 7th, three for 8th, two for 9th, two for 10th, two for 11th, two for 12th, and one for 13th. Clearly, nobody knows what to do with a team that exceeded expectations all in 2025 under Head Coach Pascal Jansen, and that found their form after adding Nico Fernández Mercau, but that are starting this season without a true striker — and are looking awfully quiet this transfer market.
New York City FC | Table Place by Pundit
Then again, nobody knew what to do with New York City last year: The pundits picked the team to finish in 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th Place. In case you forgot, NYCFC ended the regular season in 5th Place, and won the first two rounds of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Notably, the ones who picked NYCFC to finish in 3rd Place are Matt Doyle, who was just named the most accurate pundit by American Soccer Analysis, and Steve Cangialosi, the longtime television announcer for RBNY. Also, former Red Bull players Sacha Kljestan and Bradley Wright Phillips picked the team to finish in 5th Place.
2. Everybody loves LAFC, Miami
The league darlings are LAFC and Miami, and you can understand why. LAFC’s Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-min are the most dangerous strike partnership in MLS, while Miami seemed to get stronger in the offseason despite losing Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.
But the pundits have a terrible record of correctly picking the league leaders. Last year, nobody correctly tapped Philadelphia Union to win the East and the Supporters’ Shield, or San Diego to win the West. In 2024, the top picks were Columbus Crew and Seattle Sounders, while the eventual leaders were Inter Miami and LAFC.
3. Cincinnati, Nashville, Seattle, Vancouver are next up
The cache of teams expected to fall just behind the league leaders are FC Cincinnati and Nashville SC in the East, and Seattle Sounders and Vancouver in the West. Is that because of the improvements they made in the offseason? Or is it recency bias, and the memories of their strong performances in 2025 are still fresh?
Cincinnati, Nashville, and Seattle are well-run clubs with strong rosters, and it’s reasonable to think they’ll perform well this year. The same can’t be said of Vancouver, a club that are up for sale and that have an unhappy relationship with their dismal home at BC Place. Will players such as goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka, defender Tristan Blackmon, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, and forward Thomas Müller be able to build on their impressive performances from last year? Or did the stars align in 2025, and the mid-market team will revert to the mean?
4. Who’s above, below the line
In the East, most pundits pick Miami, Cincinnati, and Nashville to lead the table, and Charlotte FC, Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew, New York City, Orlando City, and Philadelphia Union to make the playoffs — out of those, NYCFC are in the most precarious position. Most pick Atlanta United, DC United, Montréal, New England, Red Bull, and Toronto to miss the postseason — with Atlanta, New England, or Red Bull the most likely to cross over the line and into the playoffs.
In the West, it’s LAFC, San Diego, Seattle, and Vancouver at the front of the pack, with Austin FC, LA Galaxy, Houston, Minnesota United, and Portland Timbers expected to make the postseason. FC Dallas and Real Salt Lake are on the cusp, while Colorado Rapids, Sporting Kansas City, and St Louis City are expected to miss out.
5. Thank you for playing
The truth is, predicting the MLS table before the start of the season is a fool’s errand: The parity found in this league means that half of the teams could find the right chemistry on the field and start logging unexpected wins (see: Philadelphia, San Diego, Vancouver in 2025), or could make a signing that seemed like a good idea on paper but that throws off the vibes at game time (see: Atlanta in 2025, Toronto since 2022).
And that’s why we are grateful to the pundits who took the time to handicap every team in the league, and were brave enough to sign their name to their predictions.
Without their prognostications, we would have nothing to laminate and post on the supply closet door, then wave around in November.
