If there’s anything true about MLS, it’s that El Tráfico never disappoints and you must expect the unexpected.
This week saw two matchdays, which included a stellar comeback from the LA Galaxy to tie LAFC 3–3 in the final moments, as well as shock defeats for San Diego FC and Inter Miami CF against Toronto FC and FC Cincinnati, respectively.
And, who would have expected Real Salt Lake to go viral for a Coldplay fan cam at their match this weekend either?
It’s a busy time in MLS, but the perfect time for the latest installment of Sports Illustrated's power rankings.
MLS Power Rankings After Matchday 24: Clubs 30-16
30. D.C. United (Previous: 30)
29. St. Louis CITY SC (Previous: 29)
28. CF Montreal (Previous: 27)
27. Atlanta United (Previous: 28)
26. New York Red Bulls (Previous: 25)
25. LA Galaxy (Previous: 26)
24. Sporting Kansas City (Previous: 22)
23. Real Salt Lake (Previous: 23)
22. New England Revolution (Previous: 19)
21. FC Dallas (Previous: 24)
20. Houston Dynamo (Previous: 20)
19. Toronto FC (Previous: 21)
18. Portland Timbers (Previous: 17)
17. Austin FC (Previous: 18)
16. Colorado Rapids (Previous: 16)
15. San Jose Earthquakes (Previous: 11)
The San Jose Earthquakes had a lot of promise to start the season, but now find themselves with just one win in their last eight matches. While there is still a lot of hope with the attacking trio of Josef Martinez, Chicho Arango and Cristian Espinoza, this week’s 2–2 draw against FC Dallas and 3–2 loss to Seattle Sounders FC doesn't offer much confidence.
With just one point claimed from a possible six, the Earthquakes slid down to ninth in the Western Conference, and the MLS Cup Playoffs could be slipping out of reach.
14. Chicago Fire (Previous: 15)
The Chicago Fire did not have the most challenging schedule this week, but managed to secure four points with a 2–2 draw against Atlanta United and a 2–0 win over last-place CF Montréal.
While Gregg Berhalter’s men seem to be still missing one key piece, either as an attacking midfielder or second center forward, they continue to get good play from Hugo Cuypers, who scored once this week to bring his season total to 13, good enough to remain within striking distance of the MLS Golden Boot.
With four of their next six games at Soldier Field, the most crucial spell of the season is approaching for the Fire.
13. New York City FC (Previous: 13)
New York City FC let points slide this week, failing to beat Sporting Kansas City before picking up an unconvincing 2–1 win against fellow 2015-expansion club, Orlando City SC.
Although three goals across two matches is far from dismal, head coach Pascal Jansen will likely look to introduce new Designated Player midfielder Nicolás Fernández Mercau to the lineup for next weekend’s clash vs. FC Dallas, after the transfer window officially opens on Thursday.
There’s a lot of good stuff with NYCFC this season, with the hopes their new addition can begin to bring them a little more consistency.
12. Charlotte FC (Previous: 14)
Charlotte FC are fun again!
While things had slightly fallen off, this week was a stellar one for head coach Dean Smith’s Charlotte FC as they picked up wins against Atlanta United and D.C. United to extend their win streak to three games.
Pep Biel continued his starring form with a goal this weekend to bring his goal contribution streak to eight games, while Wilfried Zaha’s form continued through the weekend as well. Of all the takeaways, though, the play of striker Idan Toklomati stands out, as he scored his third goal in six games, quickly stepping into the void left by Patrick Agyemang’s departure.
Charlotte FC experienced a slight downturn after a strong start to the season, but they’re back in form now, heading into next week’s match against Toronto FC.
11. Orlando City SC (Previous: 10)
Orlando City SC snapped a four-match winless streak with a victory against the New England Revolution this weekend, but there was not much to learn from head coach Oscar Pareja’s group.
Once again, they looked comfortable absorbing pressure and attacking through Martín Ojeda, Marco Pasalic and Alex Freeman, but struggled to create difference-making moments from striker Luis Muriel, who went a ninth straight game without scoring.
There’s got to be a change from Muriel, or an addition of a finishing piece, if this Orlando City side wants to amount to anything truly notable this season.
10. Seattle Sounders FC (Previous: 12)
ARE YOU KIDDING?! 🔥
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 20, 2025
Pedro de la Vega gives @SoundersFC the lead off a stunner. pic.twitter.com/Oo1zxDeni5
Seattle Sounders FC debuted one of the best kits in MLS this week, and they looked impressive in it too, with a 3–3 draw against the Colorado Rapids and a 3–2 win over the San Jose Earthquakes.
Their win over the Earthquakes brought a long-awaited DP-level moment from Pedro de la Vega, who has been one of the most high-ceiling but inconsistent players in MLS since signing with the Pacific Northwest Club.
However, they will once again miss striker Jordan Morris for an extended period, as he suffered a knee injury after colliding with Earthquakes goalkeeper Daniel. Luckily for the Sounders, though, the transfer window is opening soon, and they already have Danny Musovski as a secondary striker option.
9. LAFC (Previous: 9)
LAFC let points slip away in the final moments of El Tráfico, tying the LA Galaxy 3–3, but they became one of the few teams to handle Minnesota United midweek, beating the counterpressing kings 1–0.
While defender Aaron Long will miss the rest of the season and Eddie Segura will miss the next game, the Black and Gold will look to return to the win column and extend their undefeated streak to five when they take on the Portland Timbers on Friday.
8. Columbus Crew (Previous: 5)
Columbus Crew SC will want to forget what happened to them midweek. Despite having some great moments in recent weeks and a Hell is Real Derby win over FC Cincinnati last weekend, they floundered against Nashville SC, falling 3–0 at GEODIS Park.
While the loss came on the road, it could prove a substantial kick to their hopes of finishing atop the Eastern Conference. However, Wilfried Nancy’s group did manage to bounce back on the weekend, defeating D.C. United 2–1 in a match they were always expected to win.
The biggest concerns for this Columbus group aren't their ability to collect points, but instead of the missing qualities that hurt them against the best teams. They lost 5–1 to Inter Miami and 3–0 to Nashville SC; two teams ranked within the top three in the Eastern Conference for most of the season.
7. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Previous: 8)
Vancouver Whitecaps FC found their way back to form in a formative week for the club, beating the Houston Dynamo 3–0 and earning a 1–1 draw against San Diego FC, a team that had previously beaten them 5–3.
Édier Ocampo was the star of the week for Vancouver, as the 21-year-old fullback started to show more confidence on the ball and showcased his ability to send in crosses from the top of the box.
It’s a critical development for Ocampo and Vancouver, especially as they look to replace the attacking contributions of Pedro Vite, whom they sold to Liga MX’s Pumas UNAM earlier in the week.
At the same time, there was some good news off the pitch, as the club is reportedly close to signing Kenji Cabrera, one of the top young wingers from the Peruvian top-flight, and could be getting captain Ryan Gauld back at some point—he trained with a ball for the first time since his March 8 injury.
6. Nashville SC (Previous: 6)
Nearly every match, Nashville SC are defining themselves as an MLS Cup contender. This week was no different, with a landmark 3–0 win over Columbus Crew SC, followed by a composed 1–0 victory over Toronto FC, which brought them to second in the Eastern Conference.
At the same time, the alternations and late additions to the MLS All-Star roster for this week also respected their stars, with Hany Mukhtar and his 11 goals and five assists earning a call, alongside MLS Golden Boot co-leader Sam Surridge, who has scored 18 times this season.
Two clean sheets, two rather convincing wins and a solid run of form with six wins from their last seven. Nashville SC couldn’t have asked for much of a better week.
5. Minnesota United (Previous: 3)
Minnesota United's frantic ability to absorb pressure and hit on the counterattack has brought them plenty of success this year. Yet, the sustainability of it was always going to be a question, and they began to find that out this week with a 1–0 loss to LAFC and a 1–1 draw with the Portland Timbers.
The recent results shouldn’t cause any panic, though, as they’ve stayed consistent for two-thirds of the season and should be able to return to form. The central question, though, is whether the style of play can work in critical playoff games, when teams will be very prepared for how the Loons thrive.
4. San Diego FC (Previous: 1)
San Diego FC had a bad week, claiming one of a possible six points with a draw against Vancouver Whitecaps FC and a 1–0 loss to Toronto FC. It all came after they mutually parted ways with loanee Milan Iloski, saying farewell to his 10 goals scored in just 471 minutes of action.
There isn’t any reason to worry for head coach Mikey Varas’ side, but finding a proven striker would be a significant boost when you consider the volume of chances created by Anders Dreyer and Hirving Lozano.
3. Philadelphia Union (Previous: 2)
The Philadelphia Union secured four of six points this week, with a 2–1 win over the last-place CF Montreal and a draw against former star Jack McGlynn and the Houston Dynamo. However, the biggest star from the week was Kai Wagner, whose influence in Philadelphia’s games is unmatched, even with the goalscoring exploits of Tai Baribo.
After entering the match just before the hour mark against Houston, Wagner created five chances and had 31 touches, but wasn’t able to set up a goal, despite all the positive work. While his exploits earned him a late call-up to the MLS All-Star Game, it did raise questions of where goals may come from more consistently for the Union, especially as Baribo has struggled to find form since returning from Israel.
2. FC Cincinnati (Previous: 5)
There aren’t many teams in MLS these days that can simply outplay Inter Miami, but that’s what FC Cincinnati did on Wednesday, silencing Lionel Messi and co. in a 3–0 win at TQL Stadium.
Evander scored twice in that match to bring him to 15 goals and seven assists on the season, in a performance that could give him a leg up in the race for the MLS MVP—a prize he's likely going head-to-head with Messi for.
After securing that dominant and shocking showing, Cincinnati went on to beat Diego Luna’s Real Salt Lake on Saturday, bringing them to five wins in their last seven and first place in the Eastern Conference.
1. Inter Miami CF (Previously: 4)
For the first time this season, Inter Miami CF have reached the top of Sports Illustrated's MLS Power Rankings. Despite a loss to FC Cincinnati midweek, Messi’s exploits have made the team too dominant in MLS, and they showed just that in a 5–1 win over the New York Red Bulls this weekend.
While most teams would fatigue quickly with head coach Javier Mascherano’s minimal rotation, Miami seem to thrive simply, and Messi now finds himself with 18 goals and nine assists, as the outright best player in MLS.
By points-per-game, Miami sit fourth in the Eastern Conference, but are simply unbeatable on their day. The question now is whether they can keep this form up, and bring them to an MLS Cup title in December.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLS Power Rankings: Seattle Sounders, Inter Miami Take Big Steps After Matchday 26 .
