While the offseason is still in full swing, five MLS teams stand out from the rest.
MLS is a growing league. Over 11 million fans attended matches and the average regular season attendance was 23, 234. While it still has a long way to go, MLS is a far cry from the ten-team league that began in 1996.
The 2025 season will also see a 30th team. San Diego FC are the new kids on the block.
But which MLS teams are the best heading into the 2025 season? Area 51 Sports Network ranks them below.
5) Seattle Sounders
Photo Credit: Seattle Sounders Official Instagram
Since they entered MLS in 2009, the Seattle Sounders have been consistently one of the top MLS teams. They have won two MLS Cups and made the playoffs in every season except 2022.
The Sounders had a tough start to 2024 with just two wins in their first 10 games. However, they turned things around beginning in May with 14 wins, five draws and four losses. As a result, they finished fourth in the Western Conference and narrowly lost to eventual MLS Cup Champions LA Galaxy.
Seattle is a stingy defensive team and their backline of Yeimar Gonzalez-Andrade and Jackson Ragen. Veteran goalkeeper Stefan Frei also continues to age like fine wine. Cristian Roldán, Joao Paulo and Albert Rusnak lead the way in the midfield.
One of the reasons why Seattle struggled early in 2024 was the lack of attack. Luckily for them, striker Jordan Morris found his form and finished the season with 13 goals, which led the team. The Sounders brought in veteran winger Paul Arriola and forward Jesús Ferreira both through trades from FC Dallas.
4) LAFC
Photo Credit: Fox Sports
It wasn’t long ago that LAFC played their first season in MLS, and they hit the ground running.
After reaching back-to-back MLS Cup Finals and winning the first one, LAFC continued to be one of the top MLS teams in 2024. They topped the Western Conference but fell to the Sounders in the second round.
LAFC have not been shy to bring in big names either. French World Cup winners Hugo Lloris and Oliver Giroud signed for them in 2024. Giroud arrived in the summer and has only one goal but it is fair to say he can have a better 2025. LAFC is led by the talented winger/forward Denis Bouanga who is coming off back-to-back 20-goal seasons and is a contender for MLS MVP.
The Black and Gold have been quiet so far in the offseason as they lost veterans Kei Kamara and Ilie Sanchez to free agency and sold midfielder Mateusz Bogusz to Cruz Azul. They did however, sign striker Jeremy Ebobisse as well as midfielder Yaw Yeboah as free agents. Ebobisse is coming off a decent three and a half year spell with the San Jose Earthquakes and Yeboah spent the last two years with the Columbus Crew.
LAFC is a top side and they could do some damage again in 2025.
3)Columbus Crew
Photo Credit: Leagues Cup Official Twitter via Marca
In a city and state where the other kind of football reigns supreme, the Columbus Crew have built a dedicated fanbase. They also have been one of the top teams in MLS and look to continue to do so in 2025.
Columbus did win Leagues Cup and made it to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final in 2024. However, The Crew were shockingly knocked out in three games by the New York Red Bulls in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs. However, there is no reason why they can’t bounce back.
Columbus has a deep squad. Their main man is Cucho Hernandez, a dynamic striker/forward.
He had 19 goals and 10 assists and was a finalist for MLS MVP losing to Lionel Messi. The Crew also have the formidable veteran Darlington Nagbe in the midfield and reliable striker Diego Rossi.
Their head coach, Wilfried Nancy is seen as one of the best coaches in the league with his exciting and attacking style.
The Crew haven’t done much in the offseason so far, but they did sign former CF Montreal midfielder Lassi Lappalinen. That adds to the solid depth they already have and do not be surprised if Columbus makes the MLS Cup yet again.
2)LA Galaxy
Photo Credit: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images via Kget.Com.
The reigning MLS Cup Champions will look to be the first team to repeat since…themselves in 2011 and 2012. The Galaxy are led by one of, if not the best attacks in the league consisting of Riqui Puig, Marco Reus, Joseph Paintsil, 2024 MLS Newcomer of the Year Gabriel Pec and Marco Reus.
Most of the core that won MLS Cup is still there. However, they traded MLS Cup MVP Gaston Brugman to Nashville SC for Sean Davis.
But they are reportedly close to signing 21-year-old defensive midfielder Lucas Sanabaria from Nacional so that could potentially give them even more depth.
1) Inter Miami
Photo credit: Jason Mowry/Getty Images via AFP via AlJazeera.Com
No surprise here.
Despite being knocked out of round one of the MLS Cup Playoffs last season, Inter Miami are still MLS Cup contenders. Out of all the MLS teams, they are arguably the best on paper. After all, they do have Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
They added to their depth by signing MLS journeyman forward Fafa Picault as a free agent and centreback Gonzalo Luján from San Lorenzo.
The former FC Barcelona crew will have their old teammate Javier Mascherano coaching them. But can he lead Inter Miami to an MLS Cup? Anything less than that would be a failure for this talented squad.
