Tips

News

Predictions

Blogs

Videos

Quizzes

Betting Sites

Football Park's 2025 MLS Preview
Blogs

Football Park's 2025 MLS Preview

20/02/25 17:34

MLS’ 30th season is upon us, with 30 teams now in the league and numerous big signings, 2025 is set to be the best season yet. From San Diego’s debut season to Javier Mascherano’s Inter Miami to LA Galaxy’s attempt to maintain their champion status, there are plenty of narratives to follow throughout the year. Football Park’s official preview will take you through the main contenders to lift the MLS Cup, potential dark horses, players to watch, bold predictions and potential surprises, giving you everything you need to know ahead of the first matchday this weekend.

Top Contenders

It seems sensible to start with Inter Miami as a top contender to lift the MLS Cup. The regular season point record holders have not added any big names to their roster yet this transfer window but have freed up a designated player spot by allowing Leonardo Campana to move on to New England. However, the Herons didn’t have to tweak an awful lot of their team after such an outstanding 2024 season.

Recruiting Javier Mascherano as head coach is the biggest change in Florida, the Argentinian will bring a fresh approach to Miami and already has a brilliant relationship with the likes of Jordi Alba, Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets. The most they spent was the $2.5 million on Venezuelan youngster Telasco Segovia who was playing for Casa Pia in Portugal. The midfielder is part of Venezuela’s next generation of talent and will have an important role to play in a midfield which is now without Diego Gomez. With the MLS cover boy at the helm of their team Miami will always be tipped to finish at the top of the Eastern Conference, but will they be able to banish their playoff woes in 2025?

FC Cincinnati are a team to be incredibly excited about heading into the new year. The Orange and Blue have been one of the biggest spenders in the off-season and have brought in two huge signings in the form of Kevin Denkey ($15.3 million) and Evander ($11.5 million). Cinci have finished 1st and 3rd in the West Conference now over the past two years proving that they are contenders on a yearly basis.

Denkey is partly an unknown quantity, he was prolific for Cercle Brugge in Belgium and could be one of those forward signings that take the league by storm. As the recipient of the second highest-paid transfer fee in MLS history, Pat Noonan and Cincinnati evidently believe in him. Evander should also revolutionise his new team, slotting in where Luciano Acosta previously played the Brazilian was one of the best players in the league for the Timbers last season and will be looking to begin a dynamic partnership with Denkey. If the two new boys can turn up, who knows how far Cincinnati can go?

Atlanta United pulled off one of the biggest upsets in MLS history last Autumn knocking out Inter Miami in the playoffs. Last year’s dark horses however are now right in the limelight. If Emmanuel Latte Lath’s record-breaking transfer wasn’t enough to cause excitement the return of Miguel Almiron certainly is. The attacking pair should bring an abundance of goals to ATL with Latte Lath already scoring 11 goals for Middlesbrough in the first half of this Championship season. With money invested, success should come, no longer the overachievers Atlanta will be looking to make a dent on the playoffs and finish in the top four of the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2019.

The final two main contenders to lift the MLS Cup are the LA clubs. Now without Carlos Vela, LAFC have been contenders to win the league in almost every season since their inaugural campaign in 2018. The Black and Gold have had a subtle transfer window but after winning the Western Conference in 2024 did they really have to go big? Most of their squad has remained intact including the lethal attack of Denis Bouanga and Olivier Giroud. Losing Mateusz Bogusz is a blow though, and questions will be raised over whether LAFC have done enough to win it all. Nevertheless, with one of the most valuable squads in the league, they are certainly worthy contenders.

Last but not least are the defending champions, LA Galaxy who finally looked back to their best after a decade of struggles. Whilst they might have been unexpected MLS Cup winners, they reached the final for a reason. Riqui Puig will be looking to bounce back from his rough injury which kept him out of the final few integral matches of 2025, the Spaniard is yet to peak in his career and is arguably one of the scariest players to come up against in the league.

Mathias Jorgensen is a smart signing with plenty of Premier League experience, the Dane should sure up the Galaxy at the back. Losing a key player like Dejan Jovelic could be an issue though, the Serbian was key to his team’s success in 2024 scoring the deciding goal in the MLS Cup Final. Hopefully, Marco Reus will be given the chance to shine in 2025, the German had minimal impact after joining halfway through the season but did end up winning his first-ever major trophy, a feat the Galaxy will be hoping to repeat in 2025.

Dark Horses

The state of California now has four sides in the MLS, the two LA clubs and the newly formed San Diego FC seem to be three of the most spoken-about teams in the league right now. However, the fourth team, the San Jose Earthquakes are totally going under the radar, emerging from the shadows as the perfect dark horses ahead of the 2025 season. The Earthquakes might be a surprise inclusion on this list, they had one of the worst seasons in MLS history in 2024 after all. But despite conceding the record number of goals in a single season last year (78), the beauty of the MLS means that they look a completely different side just a few months later.

Appointing Bruce Arena as their head coach is a huge turning point for the Quakes, one of the greatest coaches the league has ever seen, Arena will ensure that the leaky defence of last year is completely fixed. The club have only operated in the North American transfer market so far but the acquisition of Josef Martinez and Cristian Arango leads them to now have an attack that will score guaranteed goals. Nick Lima should also bring MLS experiences to the Earthquakes' backline, especially under Arena’s old-school style. San Jose have had a torrid time over the last 14 seasons, appearing in the playoffs just four times so if they were to have a fairytale comeback season it would be an incredible story, don’t write them off…

Key Storylines

There’s nothing better than a full-circle story and Miguel Almiron’s return to Atlanta United is the perfect example. One of the club’s first-ever designated players, Almiron was the face of Atlanta United in their first few years of greatness, lifting the MLS Cup for the club in 2018.

It seems the perfect time for the Paraguayan to return to the club where he made his name, the winger is now 30 and had fallen out of favour at Newcastle United. Almiron had 43 goal involvements in 70 appearances during his first spell in the MLS and if he can return to Georgia in the same fashion it will be the perfect reunion tale.

San Diego FC’s debut season is bound to be one closely watched by the whole league. Expansion clubs have begun to struggle more as the league has grown but in recent years we have seen the likes of St. Louis City come into the league and smash it on first attempt. The Californian club have taken a risk by appointing a manager who has never been a head coach before, but Mikey Varas has been in and around the US game for almost a decade and could surprise many.

The team’s close ties with the Right to Dream Academy mean that SDFC already has access to some of the best young Danish and Ghanaian talent, and if they can replicate the success FC Nordsjaelland have had with growing talent (producing the likes of Simon Adingra, Mohammed Kudus and Mikkel Damsgaard) they should be set to establish some strong foundations going forward. However, keep your expectations low with San Diego as they’re truly an unknown quantity.

LA Galaxy’s quest to repeat what they achieved last year is another interesting narrative. Last time the club had a taste of success they went on to win three MLS Cups in four years between 2011 and 2014, creating a dynasty in California. With numerous clubs significantly improving their MLS roster though, it will be a lot tougher to win it all back-to-back this time around.

One of the biggest changes within the league this season is the amount of new head coach appointments. 40% of the league (or 12 teams) have a new manager at the helm, hand-picked from all over the globe. New York City, St. Louis City and the Vancouver Whitecaps have all chosen to hire coaches from Scandinavia and Hungary. Whereas Austin, Philadelphia Union, San Jose Earthquakes and Toronto have all chosen coaches whose last job was within the MLS.

It is highly unlikely that all 12 see out a full season in America, with some disappointing and some beating expectations. Atlanta United’s appointment of Ronny Deila might be the pick of the bunch, the Norweigan won the MLS Cup in 2021 and has experience managing in Scotland and Belgium.

Players to Watch, New Signings & the MVP Race

Evander kicks off the list as a key player to watch, the Brazilian recorded 26 goals and 22 assists in his two-year stint in Portland, including 15 goals and 15 assists in 2024. The midfielder had a strong case for the MVP award last season and if it wasn’t for an early playoff exit could have taken it home. Now at Cincinnati Evander will hope to recapture last year’s form, if he does so he will be one of the most exciting players to watch in the league.

Fellow Brazilian Gabriel Pec was also one of the stand-out stars of the 2024 campaign. The winger was in the same Vasco da Gama academy that Evander was in during the late 2010s and shone during his first season at LA Galaxy, helping them to lift the MLS Cup. His 36-goal contributions in the MLS saw him pick up the Newcomer of the Year award. Now with a season under his belt, the power he could unleash on the league in 2025 is dangerous.

Seattle Sounders have surprisingly not been mentioned yet in this preview but without a doubt can be counted as contenders for a deep playoff run yet again now that they have a proven MLS centre-forward at the club. In 2024 the Sounders relied on winger Jordan Morris’ 14 goals to get them through the year. Now with the signing of Jesus Ferreira from FC Dallas, Morris can provide service to the US international who at 24 years of age has 54 MLS goals.

Dejan Joveljic is receiving his second mention in this preview and for a good reason. The Serbian is a clear upgrade on Sporting Kansas City’s previous forwards and is one of SKC’s biggest signings in recent history. After a disappointing 2024 finishing 13th in the Western Conference, Joveljic is exactly what the team needed to bring a fresh approach to the new year. Joveljic scored 21 MLS goals for the Galaxy on their way to the MLS Cup, including six in the playoffs, an absolute game-changer. Expect big things in 2025.

If Joveljic is part of the Golden Boot debate, then new forward signings Denkey and Latte Lath should also be in the conversation. The two most expensive players in the league’s history are proof that the change to the league’s transfer laws is a positive move. Both Denkey and Latte Lath are full internationals yet to reach the peak of their careers, all that's left to ask is who will score more goals?

Bold Predictions, Potential Surprises & Biggest Disappointments

A team going unbeaten at home for a whole season is an impressive accomplishment in any league, and is not a common occurrence, which is why it is a suitable bold prediction heading into the 2025 season. The last club to achieve this was the New England Revolution in 2023, finishing the regular season with 12 wins and five draws at home, although they lost once at home in the playoffs. With the league expanding the importance of home form can make or break a season. Inter Miami came close in 2024 with two regular-season home losses and could be the ones to make their home a fortress in 2025.

Another bold and certainly controversial prediction especially in North America is that the MLS will surpass the Liga MX as the powerhouse of the Americas. 2024 already saw the MLS overtake Liga MX in average attendance figures, and now with more free-spending rules and bigger transfers, there are not many battles that see the Mexican league come out on top. The Leagues Cup is even more evidence that the USA is taking over, MLS clubs have won the tournament - that contains the best teams in Mexico and the USA - in the last two seasons, with both finals being MLS only. Whilst the Liga MX might have over twice the amount of history, it feels like there is set to be a big turn of the scales this year.

A potential surprise for the 2025 season comes from the state of North Carolina. Charlotte FC and Dean Smith have been building something over the last 12 months, and the Crown’s fourth season might be the year it all changes. The 2022 expansion club’s point total has increased season by season and now with Wilfried Zaha as the face of the franchise they have that star power that lacked before.

Charlotte are the perfect candidate for a potential surprise playoff run, the club won their first postseason game in 2024 and now have more experience in the latter stages of the season. They also have a strong core spine of Kristijan Kahlina (2024’s MLS Goalkeeper of the Year), Tim Ream and Ashley Westwood. Patrick Agyemang will always be someone to keep an eye on during the season, with the newly-US international set to be given a chance to lead the front line. Whilst they don’t have the best team on paper in the league, Charlotte will certainly shock a few.

Someone is always bound to disappoint in an MLS campaign, and with such high expectations put upon them, the victims this year could be Inter Miami. There are no questions surrounding Miami’s powerful squad and list of big names however, they aren’t untouchable, something that Atlanta proved last year. The Herons are tipped as the most likely to win the MLS Cup on most sports betting sites out there, and will realistically have the most amount of people backing them to win it, therefore if they are to slip up in the playoffs once again the disappointment will be huge.

The MLS saw its highest attendance averages to date in 2024 with a figure of 23,234, a similar average to Ligue 1 and Brasileiro Serie A. The league argues a good case to be the fastest-growing association football league worldwide and the 2025 season should only continue to deliver exciting moments. If you are yet to give the MLS a chance then you should consider following it, the league has a higher standard of talent than ever before so hopefully there should be crazier goals, scorelines and surprises. The season kicks off at 7:30 pm (GMT) this Saturday with Inter Miami taking on New York City FC. Bring it on.

Benji Kosartiyer
Journalist
James McLeish

Writer

German Bundesliga
21/02/25 19:30
SC Freiburg

SC Freiburg

Werder Bremen

Werder Bremen

11/10
SC Freiburg to Win
Go To Details

Videos

See more
From Non-League to the AFCON Final - The Story of Kwesi Appiah
Listen to our full podcast with Kwesi Appiah as he discusses his sensational rise from non-league all the way to starting in the AFCON final.
Is it time for Luton Town to make THE DECISION?!
Watch out latest edition of EFL Hot Takes as the lads give their opinion on the Rob Edwards situation at Luton Town.
WHO is in our Championship TEAM OF THE SEASON so far?!
Find out how we would put in our Championship Team of the Season so far on YouTube as we approach the busy period.

Join our newsletter

Become a part of our community and never miss an update from Football Park.