2026 MLS Predictions
As the season approaches this weekend, the boys have compiled their 2026 MLS regular season predictions. Below, you’ll find lists of how Zac & Ian see both conferences shaking out this year by the time decision day wraps up in November.
We’re going to start the Western Conference blurb with a reminder that on Sunday’s annual season opening “mega-sode”, ZG pointed out that The North End Podcast predictions for the West in 2025 ended up more accurate than the entire group of MLS pundits that made predictions on the league’s website last preseason!
It sure feels like it would take a significant injury (or a surprise sale of Denis Bouanga) to knock LAFC off course from taking the top seed in the conference. Are we shocked if some of the familiar names at the top from last season would be able to do it? Not really, but the talent ceiling for Seattle, San Diego and Vancouver feels just a tad lower than the Black and Gold. Yes, ZG has relented on his San Diego disbelief, at least a little bit.
Maybe it’s some Austin FC bias seeping in, but we’ve got our favorite team moving up one spot in the Western Conference table compared to their sixth place finish last season. The Galaxy slot in just behind ATX, but if Riqui Puig was healthy we’d consider them for the one seed. In our projections, the other two Texas teams meet in the wild card game.
Not shocked if one of RSL, Portland or Colorado jump up into the top nine, but there are glaring holes on each roster that makes it tough to stomach ranking them higher at present. Same goes for San Jose, who are not an impressive bunch on paper despite adding Timo Werner this offseason.
We’d love to hear the case be made for placing Sporting KC anywhere other than dead last this season. Their roster is far from complete the night before the opening match and the players they do have aren’t exactly world beaters. They’re in their own tier at the bottom.
Now if you look to compare what TNEP had last year in the Eastern Conference to the MLS pundits, unfortunately we came in second behind Matt Doyle, who also took the overall accuracy crown by a slim two-spot margin.
We once again can’t get away from Inter Miami slotting in to the top spot in the East. Sure, Messi is a year older, but this team somehow got better on paper this off season, adding names like Sergio Reguilon, German Berterame and last year’s MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair.
Second straight year we’ve ranked the Knifey Lions second. They continue to have an impressive roster build and Evander is just short of a god in this league. To overtake Miami they’ll need much more production to come from players not named Evander or Kevin Denkey.
We’re very high on Nashville SC after they added Cristian Espinoza in free agency. Pairing him with Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge should produce some fireworks offensively.
The middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference is pretty loaded, making it a tough puzzle to solve. We believe in a big bounce back year for Atlanta United under new head coach Tata Martino and think the Crew can stay afloat with their new manager Henrik Rydstrom. We’ve got a huge drop off for defending Supporter’s Shield winning Philadelphia Union, who lost multiple key pieces this off season. Even with that projected downturn, we see the Union sneaking into the wild card game just above the two New York teams.
Toronto FC got an infusion of offensive firepower on Friday morning as Tom Bogert confirmed the signing of Josh Sargent. That takes them to the top of the dregs out East for us, while CF Montreal and DC United have a better outlook than Sporting KC out West, but still project to have extremely tough seasons.
