It’s Tuesday, MLS action is back for 2026, and it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings.

Who looks the strongest in the first days of 2026? Who’s in for a long year? Our writers studied the action from across Matchday 1 to come up with this week’s order. Let’s dive in.

– Messi tracker: Goals, assists, key moments in 2026 for Miami and Argentina
– Can Africa’s players make an impact in MLS the way they have in the NWSL?
– Messi struggles in MLS opener against LAFC, will it impact his World Cup hopes?

Already looking like a title favorite before the season began, LAFC dominated Inter Miami with a 3-0 victory. Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-Min certainly were involved, but getting goals from attackers David Martínez and Nathan Ordaz will only make fans more hopeful at this early stage.

That attack looks pretty good! Offseason addition Warren Madrigal had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 win over the Revolution, and the Costa Rica international wasn’t even the big-name signing. That was Cristian Espinoza, who also had a nice debut.

After the controversial decision to freeze designated player Hirving Lozano out of the squad, all SDFC did to start the year was get past Pumas in the Concacaf Champions Cup and thump Montréal 5-0 on Saturday. That game was more one-sided than expected because of a sending-off, but five goals from five different scorers is always impressive. Maybe they really are better without Chucky?

The Whitecaps earned a 1-0 home win over RSL thanks to a goal from AZ Jackson. Jackson arrived in the winter to help cover the Caps, moving two wide attackers on. It’s a great early showing and an important win ahead of the Concacaf Champions Cup second leg against Cartagines this week.

Losing Evander in the first 15 minutes of the match wasn’t ideal, but FCC still managed to overcome the loss and earn a 2-0 win over Atlanta United. Without the Brazilian star, the defense stepped up by totally outplaying the Five Stripes, and Gerardo Valenzuela did create three chances in his absence. Still, FCC will hope he’s back soon.

The Sounders overcame an early injury to Jordan Morris and a stop-start first half that saw a goal called off after video review for a 2-0 triumph over the Colorado Rapids to open their campaign. No one wants Morris hurt, but Paul Rothrock immediately stepped up in his absence, scoring the second goal of the night.

This wasn’t the start to the season the defending champions were looking for. The Herons fell 3-0 to LAFC at the Coliseum, and Lionel Messi’s frustration with the officials carried into the tunnel, capturing the headlines after. The real story might be how Miami’s defensive woes from last season continued, and the jelling time forward Germán Berterame could need. That said, this team still will rack up plenty of points.

Red Bulls manager Michael Bradley raised eyebrows before his first-team managerial debut, starting a 17-year-old forward, a 16-year-old midfielder (Adri Mehmeti) and a 17-year-old defender (Matthew Dos Santos) on the road at Orlando City.

That forward, Julian Hall, scored two goals in a 2-1 win that saw the Red Bulls dominate as they ran up an xG of 4.64 thanks to a rollicking first half. It’s very early, but why not choose to believe?

The Timbers opened the season with a 3-2 win at home over the Crew. There were some nervous moments — and some confusion at the back — but they earned the three points thanks to Ariel Lassiter’s late goal. Colombian Diego Chará made his 400th start for the Timbers in midfield and went the full 90.

It’s an auspicious MLS debut for Guilherme, who scored both Dynamo goals in a 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire. Fellow offseason addition Mateusz Bogusz had three shots, but manager Ben Olsen will hope he’s more involved as the season progresses.

The defending Supporters’ Shield winners had a Concacaf Champions Cup trip to the Caribbean (which they won convincingly), but a 1-0 loss to D.C. United was not the start to 2026 they hoped for. Seeing former forward Tai Baribo score the winning goal only made it hurt more for the Union and their fans. Ezekiel Alladoh had a good CCC debut but then was sent off in this one for an obscene gesture and language.

It took a bit of penalty luck for NYCFC to find the equalizer in a 1-1 draw with the Galaxy, but Nico Fernández did well to convert from the spot as the visitors overcame an early deficit. It was a deserved point with the Pigeons creating more chances after conceding in the second minute.

An unlikely double from center back Daniel Munie helped San Jose open the season with a 3-0 romp over Sporting KC. It’s a nice opener, but the Quakes will rise further in the rankings if they can do it against teams with more established rosters than an SKC very much in transition.

The Loons were able to earn a point on the road with a 2-2 draw at Austin FC, showing some hints they might adapt under new manager Cameron Knowles while keeping the identity built over the past few seasons. That might all change, of course, when winter addition James Rodríguez is up and running.

St. Louis opened the scoring thanks to a team move capped by Marcel Hartel but had to settle for a 1-1 draw after conceding 13 minutes later. Yoann Damet will take heart that many of the principles of play were on display, as St. Louis created scoring opportunities but couldn’t finish enough of them.

Charlotte had a sluggish start but got a goal from Pep Biel to head home with a point in a 1-1 draw. The real hero, however, was goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina. The Croat made 10 saves to help secure the point. Charlotte had only two draws all of last season but might be starting a new trend this time around.

As Petar Musa goes, so go FC Dallas, and on Saturday, he had a pair of goals in a 3-2 victory over Toronto. It was a back-and-forth game, and for FCD to keep earning victories, they will need to tighten up at the back. As long as the Croatian forward is in form, though, FC Dallas will earn points.

Offseason signing João Klauss got things off and running for the 2026 season with a second-minute goal, but the Galaxy couldn’t keep the lead. Carlos Garcés was sent off, conceding a penalty with the foul that earned his second yellow, and it was a 1-1 draw with NYCFC. The Galaxy need to turn the page quickly with the second leg of a Concacaf Champions Cup series with Sporting San Miguelito coming Tuesday.

The Crew got off to a good start in Portland with a goal from Wessam Abou Ali and also enjoyed a golazo from Diego Rossi, but they weren’t able to get anything from the match, losing 3-2 after Lassiter hustled onto a ball sitting in the box that no one could clear. It will take more effort to match the heights of past seasons.

It was a fantastic start to the season for D.C., with new signing Tai Baribo scoring a tidy goal in a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union. Last season was so rough, however, that it’s tough to put D.C. much higher than 20 until we see some consistency.

After controlling the first half, the Fire couldn’t handle Dynamo attacker Guilherme, who scored twice as the hosts beat the Fire by a 2-1 scoreline. The opening 45 minutes will give them something to build on.

Unlike last season, the goals were there for Austin in a 2-2 draw with Minnesota United, but conceding on a pair of headers when that certainly was part of the tactical talk heading into a contest with the Loons will leave Nico Estévez frustrated.

A trip to Vancouver is a tough assignment for the first match of the season, but RSL weren’t able to rise to the occasion. The Caps looked crisper in a 1-0 contest that saw the home team take all three points.

The Lions didn’t really answer the bell as the New York Red Bulls sent wave after wave of attack. It wasn’t until far too late that Orlando was able to score in a 2-1 home defeat to open the campaign.

At this point, it’s hard to know if Atlanta United want a new era or the old one with Tata Martino back on the bench. Whatever the case, the performance wasn’t good enough in a 2-0 loss to FC Cincinnati.

Things are still coming together for TFC with Josh Sargent soon to arrive to lead the line, but a 3-2 loss to FC Dallas showed just how far they have to go.

The Rapids closed out the MLS weekend by traveling to Seattle and falling 2-0. The first half of the game lacked momentum because of several video reviews, but the Rapids didn’t offer much to get excited about with three shots on goal in the defeat, none of them all that dangerous.

The Revs had no answer to Nashville SC’s dominant attack, falling 4-1 on the road in Marko Mitrovic’s managerial debut. Leonardo Campana did link with Carles Gil, but more of that will be required in addition to the obvious improvements in defense.

This is a team still coming together, and it showed in a 3-0 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes. Raphael Wicky has a lot of work to do, even as more bodies arrive.

Tomás Avilés’ red card in the 50th minute of Montreal’s match with San Diego FC certainly didn’t make things easier, but the Quebecois side already was down 2-0 at that point en route to a 5-0 thrashing. It could be a long season.

A Miami man is facing a slew of charges after police say he assaulted and falsely imprisoned a woman who traveled from Orlando to meet him through a Facebook dating app.

According to Miami police, 34-year-old Saady Mijail Castellanos Triminio met the victim online about two weeks earlier. 

Seeking companionship, the woman agreed to visit Miami after Castellanos Triminio offered to buy her a Brightline train ticket so they could celebrate his birthday. She brought her 3-year-old daughter with her.

They arrived by train at 5:30 pm on Friday.

When they arrived in Miami, instead of going out to dinner as she expected, Castellanos Triminio bought a pizza and took the woman and her daughter back to his apartment on Northeast Bayshore Court. The woman told police she felt uneasy due to the apartment’s condition and became uncomfortable when Castellanos Triminio tried to kiss her. When she attempted to leave, he became angry, blocked her exit, and bear-hugged her to prevent her from leaving.

The report said she began texting a friend for help, but Castellanos Triminio took her phone and covered her mouth to stop her from screaming. She eventually managed to escape to another room with her daughter and locked the door, then contacted her friend, who called police.

Officers responding to the scene heard the victim calling for help. Castellanos Triminio was taken into custody as soon as he opened the door. Police noted that the woman’s daughter witnessed the entire incident and had bruises on both arms.

Castellanos Triminio faces charges of strong-arm robbery, child neglect, false imprisonment, and battery by strangulation. 

A judge set his bond at $17,500, placed him on an immigration hold, and issued a stay-away order to protect the victim.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Gustavo Fernandez, a 50-year-old photographer in Miami. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I had lived in the Bay Area longer than anywhere else, and I was ready for a reset. Something about the rhythm of Miami felt like the next chapter. More movement, more culture, more color.

When COVID-19 hit, everything came to a standstill. Like many service-based businesses, the photography business that I had been running in SF since 2007 went to zero almost overnight.

It was a big reset moment for me, and it was time for a change.

I wanted to be closer to family

My parents retired to Naples, Florida, about two hours from Miami, a few years earlier, and being near them felt more important than ever. My sister had recently moved from St. Louis to Naples with her family. The first Christmas after I moved in 2020, we were all together for the first time since we’d lived together.

I also wanted to be closer to home. I’m originally from the Dominican Republic, and Miami felt like a natural middle ground. I missed hearing Spanish on the street. Miami didn’t just offer more diversity; it gave me a sense of cultural belonging.

Since moving to Florida, I’ve built a local photography business, primarily working with visiting companies hosting corporate events, retreats, and activations in the Miami area.

California is incredible, but it often feels far from the rest of the world

I love to travel, and I wanted to be in a place that made it easier to jump between continents, especially Latin America and Europe. California is sort of the middle of nowhere, and my vacations were limited to Vegas, Hawaii, or Cabo.

The second year I lived in Miami, I went to Europe twice, visited the Dominican Republic, and other Caribbean islands. I traveled more that year than the last five years combined in SF because it’s so easy.

San Francisco is cold. Because of the cold, there’s also no real beach culture, which I was excited about when I moved to California. I was looking forward to paddleboarding, kitesurfing, and scuba diving, but it didn’t happen.

In Miami, the water is part of the lifestyle. It’s not a weekend thing. It’s every day.

The shift from the Bay Area to South Florida has been eye-opening

The median home price in SF is $1.2 million. Being an artist, I didn’t want to be in that rat race of meeting someone while living in an apartment, then needing to move out to the East Bay to afford a little house. SF is very apartment-driven unless you’re operating in a very different income bracket.

Median property prices in Miami are around $570,000. Also, there’s no state income tax. While Miami is still cheaper than San Francisco, prices are rising here as well.

I rent now but plan to buy eventually. I want the right neighborhood, the right lifestyle fit, and something that aligns with my long-term goals.

I miss the professionalism of San Francisco

I didn’t realize how professional San Francisco was until I left. In San Francisco, people followed through. I felt like a big fish in a well-run pond. In Miami, I often feel like a small fish swimming against the current.

You can still make things happen, but now I have to send five times as many follow-ups. There’s more ghosting, more last-minute changes, and a lot of “let’s circle back” that never actually circles.

In San Francisco, people are very well educated and well-read. I used to be into mountaineering, and it seemed everyone in SF had already climbed Everest. If I said I just ran a 5K, someone might say, I just ran the New York Marathon last weekend. Everyone was humble but extremely accomplished

Here in Miami, it’s a flashy kind of lifestyle, with people hustling to get into rooms they don’t deserve, whereas in San Francisco, the Google guys are driving around in a Prius.

It’s harder to create friendships in Miami

It’s easy to meet people, but harder to build deep, consistent friendships. It can stay surface-level unless you put in the work. People ask what you do before they ask who you are, and it’s more transient, with a lot of snowbirds coming and going.

I only had family in Naples when I first arrived, and I had one acquaintance in Miami. I’ve lived all over the world and built a strong network. As soon as I landed, I reached out aggressively to my contacts and asked for introductions. Within a few months, I was plugged in.

Miami rewards action. If you sit back and wait, nothing happens. If you reach out, doors open quickly.

I miss the variety of nature and weather in SF, the mountains, and winding roads. You can drive up to Napa, Mount Diablo, and Marin. I miss road biking, mountain biking, or running up hills. Here, it’s super flat. The beaches are amazing, though.

SF gave me structure. Miami gives me freedom.

I choose freedom, but I also know it takes more discipline to create structure for yourself. You don’t just plug into the community or systems. You build it. That can be exciting or exhausting, depending on the day.

I’m definitely happier here; I don’t miss wearing layers. I still travel back to California regularly since I have a lot of clients there, but this city is the right fit for where I am in life now.