Who Won MLS in 2025? Season Review and What It Means for USMNT at the World Cup

Recap of the 2025 MLS season and what the league's current form tells us about the USMNT's World Cup 2026 chances.

With the 2026 World Cup arriving on home soil in just over a month, the 2025 MLS season has set the scene for what could be a defining summer for American football. Here is a recap of who won MLS in 2025, the standout performers across the league, and what it all tells us about how the USMNT might fare at the World Cup this summer.

MLS 2025: who won the title?

Inter Miami won the MLS Cup in 2025, beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the final at Chase Stadium on 6 December. It was Miami's first MLS Cup in their sixth season as a franchise, and the trophy that finally completed Lionel Messi's MLS collection. 

Édier Ocampo's 8th-minute own goal gave Miami the lead before Vancouver's Ali Ahmed equalised on the hour. Miami then took the game away with two Messi-assisted goals, with Rodrigo De Paul scoring in the 71st minute and Tadeo Allende sealing it deep into stoppage time. Messi was named the match's MVP, lifting the 47th trophy of his career.

Top scorer and assists leaders

The MLS 2025 top scorers race was the closest of the modern era, and ended with Messi taking the Golden Boot. He finished on 29 goals from 28 regular-season appearances, three clear of joint second-placed Denis Bouanga of LAFC and Sam Surridge of Nashville, both on 24.

Messi also achieved the highest assists of any player in 2025 with 19, taking him to 48 total goal contributions for the season. That figure is the second-most in MLS history, one behind Carlos Vela's record 49 for LAFC in 2019. Messi became the first Inter Miami player ever to win the Golden Boot, and the first Argentine since Valentín "Taty" Castellanos in 2021.

The best team by xG in 2025

Inter Miami weren’t just the title winners but also the standout side by underlying numbers. Their attacking xG of just over 70 was the highest in the league, fuelled by Messi's individual brilliance and the chemistry built up alongside Busquets, Alba and De Paul.

Vancouver Whitecaps were the surprise of the season, finishing top of the Western Conference and reaching the MLS Cup final. Brian White was their leading scorer and broke the club's all-time MLS-era goalscoring record during the year.

San Diego FC also had an extraordinary debut season, with Anders Dreyer driving an attacking unit that punched well above its expansion-side weight. Cincinnati and Philadelphia Union impressed in the East, with Philadelphia taking the Supporters' Shield for finishing top of the regular-season standings across both conferences.

What MLS form tells us about the USMNT for 2026

The 2026 USMNT squad will lean heavily on European-based players, but the MLS pipeline still matters. Of the 27-man squad U.S manager Mauricio Pochettino called up for the March 2026 international break, nine were based in MLS, including all four goalkeepers.

The bigger MLS storyline for the World Cup is the level of competition American players are facing every week. The league's standard has risen significantly with the arrivals of Messi, Busquets, Müller, and others, pushing homegrown players to develop faster. Pochettino has spoken openly about the value of MLS-based players staying sharp during the league pause ahead of the World Cup.

The USMNT enter their home World Cup in Group D alongside Paraguay, Australia and Turkey, with the opener against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium on 12 June.

Three MLS players to watch at the World Cup

Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps). The Whitecaps' midfielder has been one of the most-improved players in the USMNT setup over the past 12 months, with set-piece delivery good enough to be considered a specialist asset. He led Vancouver to the MLS Cup final and is now a near-certainty for Pochettino's 26.

Matt Freese (New York City FC). The Philadelphia Union academy player has gone from understudy to undisputed starter under Pochettino. Freese started the final 12 USMNT games of 2025 and is set to be the goalkeeper between the sticks when the USMNT opens against Paraguay.

Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders). A late bloomer at the international level, Roldan was a non-playing member of the 2022 World Cup squad but has risen to a genuine contender for the 2026 starting lineup. His leadership and tactical reliability have impressed Pochettino through the autumn 2025 international windows.

From MLS to the World Cup, every match counts

From Messi lifting the trophy in Fort Lauderdale to the USMNT opener at SoFi, North American football is heading into its biggest year in a generation. Match Bingo runs live on every World Cup match this summer, and on classic MLS replays in between. Goals, corners and chaos all summer long. 

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