The 2025 Major League Soccer season — the 30th in league history — is quickly approaching.
While the Los Angeles Galaxy enter the season as defending MLS Cup champions and Inter Miami CF are the reigning Supporters’ Shield winners, San Diego FC is the latest expansion club to join the league. San Diego FC is the league’s 30th team.
The regular season will kick off on Saturday, Feb. 22 and will conclude with Decision Day on Saturday, Oct. 18.
In the time leading up to the season openers, teams will be shaping rosters in preparation for a run at MLS Cup 2025.
Follow along here this preseason for transfers, trades and other MLS news and analysis:
Atlanta United acquiring Emmanuel Latte Lath for MLS record fee, per reports
Feb. 3 — Atlanta United’s busy offseason continued with the transfer of striker Emmanuel Latte Lath from English Premier League club Middlesbrough. Atlanta United will pay what will be a league-record fee of around $22 million for Latte Lath, per reports. The current MLS record transfer fee is $16.2 million, which FC Cincinnati paid for Kevin Denkey in November.
Latte Lath, a 26-year-old from Ivory Coast, scored 27 goals in 58 appearances for Middlesbrough, which plays in the EFL Championship.
Atlanta United also brought back midfielder Miguel Almiron, who helped the team win the 2018 MLS Cup. Almiron was an MLS Best XI selection in both of his seasons (2017-18) in Atlanta.
Cucho Hernandez transferred from Columbus Crew to La Liga’s Real Betis
Feb. 3 — The Columbus Crew have transferred star forward Cucho Hernandez to La Liga’s Real Betis in Spain. The transfer fee for Hernandez was for approximately $16 million, according to a source.
Following the closure of La Liga’s winter transfer window on Monday, the Crew officially announced the move.
Last year, Hernandez was the runner-up in the MLS MVP vote behind Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi. The 25-year old’s two goals in the 2024 Leagues Cup final allowed the Crew to defeat Los Angeles FC for the title.
Another key goal for Hernandez with the Crew was his penalty kick in a 2023 MLS Cup victory over LAFC, earning the club its third MLS Cup title. — Brianna Mac Kay, Columbus Dispatch
Philadelphia Union trade USMNT prospect Jack McGlynn to Houston Dynamo
Feb. 3 — U.S. national team prospect Jack McGlynn is on the move.
The Philadelphia Union traded the 21-year-old midfielder to the Houston Dynamo for a $2.1 million fee that includes an additional $1,300,000 if certain performances metrics are met plus a sell on percentage for any future McGlynn transfer.
This deal was consummated due to a new MLS rule that was unveiled in January that allows teams to make up to two trades involving cash, rather than needing to move players or MLS-only assets like allocation money, international spots, or draft picks.
Dejan Joveljic goes from MLS Cup champs to Sporting Kansas City
Feb. 2 — Dejan Joveljic thought he would be part of the Los Angeles Galaxy for a long time.
But after his best MLS season and pivotal part of the franchise’s 2024 title, Joveljic will be looking to further his accolades with Sporting Kansas City.
One day after being acquired for $4 million — the first cash-for-player trade in MLS history — the change in scenery was sinking in for the 25-year-old Serbian.
‘In 2021, I came to the United States for the first time and I had big goals,’ Joveljic said on social media on Sunday. ‘I joined the most historic team in MLS and I wanted to play and score in every match. I had to wait a little longer than I would’ve liked, but I finally showed everyone what my game is about: scoring goals and doing anything and everything for the team to win.’
Joveljic excelled in the 2024 postseason with six goals in five matches. He scored one of LA’s goals in the 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls in the MLS Cup title match. — Reuters
Miguel Almiron returns to Atlanta United
Jan. 30 — Atlanta United announced the return of franchise hero Miguel Almiron.
The 31-year-old Paraguay international helped Atlanta claim the 2018 MLS Cup before joining the Premier League’s Newcastle United for a then-record outgoing transfer fee of $27 million.
Almiron returns from Newcastle for a reported $10 million transfer fee, plus add-ons. Atlanta also had to pay Charlotte FC $400,000 in general allocation money to acquire his discovery priority. — Reuters
Five MLS franchises top $1B in Sportico’s latest valuations
Jan. 30 — Five MLS franchises top $1 billion, with the average team worth $721 million, in Sportico’s valuations announced on Thursday.
The other four reaching the $1 billion plateau are superstar Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami ($1.19 billion; 17 percent increase), LA Galaxy ($1.11 billion; 11 percent increase); Atlanta United ($1.08 billion, 3 percent increase) and New York City FC ($1 billion, 19 percent increase).
Inter Miami and the Galaxy each moved up one spot from the 2024 rankings, with Atlanta United slipping two spots.
CF Montreal again ranked last at $450 million, which was a 2 percent increase. — Reuters
New 2025 Leagues Cup format for MLS, LIGA MX clubs
Jan. 30 — The 2025 Leagues Cup will feature 18 of 30 MLS teams and all 18 clubs from LIGA MX, beginning July 29 to the Aug. 31 final. Tournament organizers announced the new format Thursday.
Leagues Cup 2025 will be played in two rounds: Phase One and the Knockout Rounds. Phase One will feature three consecutive match dates per club, and all 54 Phase One matches will be played between MLS and LIGA MX clubs.
New York Red Bulls sign Canadian defender Raheem Edwards
The New York Red Bulls announced the signing of Canadian defender Raheem Edwards.
The two-year deal is pending receipt of his international paperwork and includes an option for 2027.
Edwards, 29, has eight goals and 28 assists in 177 MLS matches with Toronto FC (2016-17), CF Montreal (2018, 2024), the Chicago Fire (2019), Minnesota United (2020), Los Angeles FC (2021) and the Los Angeles Galaxy (2022-23).
Edwards won the MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield with hometown Toronto FC in 2017. — Reuters
MLS, Apple make push for more viewers; ‘Sunday Night Soccer’ game added for 2025
Jan. 29 — Major League Soccer and Apple are making a major push to reach more viewers in 2025.
Soccer fans with Comcast Xfinity and DirecTV can subscribe and watch MLS Season Pass through the TV providers, while T-Mobile users will be able to access MLS Season Pass for free, the league announced Wednesday.
MLS announces clubs for US Open Cup, Leagues Cup in 2025
Jan. 28 — All 30 Major League Soccer teams will compete in at least one, but no more than two North American competitions during the 2025 MLS season.
MLS announced its qualification structure for the four tournaments — the Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and Canadian Championship — on Tuesday for the next two seasons. The qualifications will be revisited in the 2027 season. — Safid Deen
NYCFC sells prospect Christian McFarlane to Manchester City
Jan. 27 — New York City FC has sold 18-year-old defender Christian McFarlane to Manchester City, the MLS club announced on Monday.
McFarlane joined NYCFC at age 11 and represented the club at every age category, making his senior debut last season. He is expected to join the academy at City which, like NYCFC, is under the City Football Group ownership umbrella.
In 2021, McFarlane became the third-youngest Homegrown Player signing in MLS history when he signed a pro deal with NYCFC at age 14 years, 234 days.
State of soccer in U.S. 500 days before 2026 World Cup
Jan. 27 — Mark your calendars, soccer fans: The FIFA World Cup 2026 starts in 500 days.
Expect President Donald Trump, reigning World Cup champion Lionel Messi and the U.S. men’s national soccer team to be among those playing major roles in driving attention to the sport and the tournament during the next 500 days.
What is the state of the sport in the United States with about a year and a half until the big tournament? — Safid Deen
MLS NEXT Pro releases 2025 schedule
Jan. 27 — MLS NEXT Pro — the developmental league for Major League Soccer — will kick off its 2025 season on Friday, March 7. This is the earliest season kickoff date for MLS NEXT Pro, which is entering its fourth season.
The 2025 season will include 29 clubs — 27 MLS affiliates and two independent teams (Caronlina Core FC and Chattanooga FC).
More than 155 players have signed MLS first-team contracts after playing in MLS NEXT Pro. That collection of players includes five who played for the U.S. national team during its January friendlies against Venezuela and Costa Rica: defender Max Arfsten and goalkeeper Patrick Schulte of the Columbus Crew, forward Patrick Agyemang of Charlotte FC, midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi of Inter Miami CF and midfielder Jack McGlynn of the Philadelphia Union.
Most MLS NEXT Pro matches will be available to stream on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
USMNT’s Luca de la Torre joins San Diego FC on loan
Jan. 21 — San Diego FC has announced the signing of Luca de la Torre on a 12-month loan from Spanish La Liga club Celta Vigo.
The U.S. men’s national team midfielder returns to his hometown ahead of the club’s inaugural season in MLS.
‘We’re thrilled to bring Luca home to San Diego,’ SDFC sporting director Tyler Heaps said. ‘Luca’s journey — competing in some of the world’s top leagues and representing the USMNT — speaks volumes about his dedication and talent.’
New England Revolution sign MLS veteran Maximiliano Urruti
Jan. 16 — The New England Revolution signed forward Maximiliano Urruti to a one-year contract with a club option for 2026.
Urruti, 33, joins the Revolution after spending the 2022 and 2023 seasons with Austin FC, posting 10 goals and two assists in 57 games (38 starts) in that span. In 11 MLS seasons, he has 70 goals and 39 assists in 295 games (218 starts) with Toronto FC, the Portland Timbers, FC Dallas, CF Montreal, the Houston Dynamo and Austin.
The Argentina native ranks ninth in goals and 17th in games played among active MLS players. — Reuters
San Jose Earthquakes sign former MLS MVP Josef Martinez
Jan. 13 — The San Jose Earthquakes signed former MLS MVP Josef Martinez to a one-year contract, the team announced.
The deal with the 31-year-old free agent striker from Venezuela includes a club option for 2026.
Martinez tallied 11 goals in 23 matches with CF Montreal last season, his fifth MLS season with double-digit goals. He has 116 goals and 20 assists in 184 matches with Atlanta United (2017-2022), Inter Miami (2023) and Montreal. — Reuters
First look at ‘Onside: Major League Soccer’
Jan. 9 — A trailer for the eight-part documentary, ‘Onside: Major League Soccer,’ has been released.
‘Onside: Major League Soccer’ will premier on Friday, Feb. 21 on Apple TV+, and is produced by Box To Box Films, the company behind Netflix’s popular ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’ series.
The documentary will showcase the biggest moments from the 2024 MLS season, which concluded with the Los Angeles Galaxy winning MLS Cup for the first time in 10 years.
‘Onside: Major League Soccer’ is the latest soccer-themed project from Apple, which includes the docuseries ‘Messi Meets America’ and ‘Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend,’ as well as the award-winning scripted series ‘Ted Lasso.’
Austin FC adds USMNT forward Brandon Vazquez
Jan. 6 — Austin FC finally has its impact striker.
At least it hopes so.
In what at first glance appears to be a major get for the club, Austin FC signed forward Brandon Vazquez from Mexican side C.F. Monterrey for a club-record transfer fee to a four-year deal through 2028.
Vazquez, 26, who has made 11 appearances for the U.S. men’s national team in the past two years, scored 14 goals in 48 appearances for C.F. Monterrey after joining the club in January 2024. Vazquez spent 2020-23 with FC Cincinnati, where he broke out in 2022 with 20 goals across all competitions. — Colby Gordon, Austin American-Statesman
When does the 2025 MLS season start?
Dec. 19 — The 2025 MLS season will kick off on Saturday, Feb. 22.
Here is the slate of games for ‘MLS is Back’ weekend (all games on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV):
Saturday, Feb. 22
Inter Miami CF vs. New York City FC, 2:30 p.m. ET
Los Angeles FC vs. Minnesota United FC, 4:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
Atlanta United vs. CF Montreal, 7 p.m. ET
FC Cincinnati vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m. ET
Columbus Crew vs. Chicago Fire FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
D.C. United vs. Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
Orlando City SC vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m. ET
Austin FC vs. Sporting Kansas City, 8:30 p.m. ET
Houston Dynamo FC vs. FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m. ET
Nashville SC vs. New England Revolution, 8:30 p.m. ET
St. Louis City SC vs. Colorado Rapids, 8:30 p.m. ET
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Real Salt Lake, 10:30 p.m. ET
Seattle Sounders FC vs. Charlotte FC, 10:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, Feb. 23
Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 4 p.m. ET
LA Galaxy vs. San Diego FC, 7 p.m. ET
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.