2026 MLS season: 5 things we learned from matchday 2

Analysis

Fans, pundits, and teams now have a better sense of how the 2026 MLS season will shape up after matchday 2.

Last year’s Supporters’ Shield-winning club has no points, Lionel Messi’s reigning MLS Cup champion Inter Miami went scoreless through its first game and a half, and the youngest team in the league sits alone atop the Eastern Conference.

Plus, every Western Conference team has at least a point, and a pair of surprising names are tied atop the league’s goalscoring chart.

After matchday 2, let’s get into five things we learned.

Never write off Messi and Miami

Inter Miami trailed Florida rivals Orlando City 2-0 at halftime on Sunday. Hot takes flew; observers wondered about the implications of Miami losing their first two matches of the season.

Then the second half started, and the Herons flipped the switch to turn on their attack.

Halftime substitute Mateo Silvetti opened Miami’s account for the season in the 49th minute with a shot from distance, and Messi’s equalizer came eight minutes later. Telasco Segovia netted the winner in the 85th minute, and Messi capped it all off with a free kick into the lower left corner in the 90th minute.

After the free kick, Messi motioned to Orlando City’s bench, offering an autograph. He still has it.

Philadelphia Union are in trouble after selling key players

Centre-back Jakob Glesnes, striker Tai Baribo, and left-back Kai Wagner were crucial players when the Philadelphia Union won last season’s Supporters’ Shield.

Now, all three play elsewhere, and the Union have zero points through two matches. Glesnes and Baribo were sold within the league to LA Galaxy and DC United, respectively, while Wagner left for England’s Birmingham City.

Philly embraced youth this offseason, making 20-year-old forward Ezekiel Alladoh the club’s record signing with a €3.9 million fee. He looks like a physical forward, but he got sent off via a straight red card in the season opener.

Meanwhile, Philly have not scored from open play. The Union thought they found an equalizer with Indiana Vassilev’s 89th-minute penalty against NYCFC, but Tayvon Gray headed in the winner at the far post, which Philly struggled to defend throughout the match.

The Union need to improve and find chemistry quickly, or else 2026 will look nothing like 2025.

Youthful Red Bulls look legit

Another young team, just north of Philadelphia, looks mature beyond its years thus far.

The New York Red Bulls have two wins in two under new manager Michael Bradley, and 17-year-old centre-forward Julian Hall is tied for the most goals this season with three. He notched a brace on matchday 1 and scored again in a 1-0 win over the New England Revolution on matchday 2.

Adri Mehmeti, a 16-year-old midfielder, has also impressed with two assists in as many games.

The club needs to earn as many points as possible in the next three weeks, with CF Montreal, Toronto FC, and Charlotte FC — who have one point combined — up next before games against FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami. Those latter two matches will be huge tests for the young Red Bulls.

LA Galaxy could bounce back in second year without Riqui Puig

There is a good chance that, aside from Messi, no player is as important to his team as Riqui Puig is to LA Galaxy. He led the team to the MLS Cup Final in 2024, playing a large portion of the semifinal on a torn ACL. He missed all of last season, and the club finished second-to-last in the Western Conference.

He will be out for 2026 as well after suffering a setback in his recovery.

But the Galaxy have four points in two matches, and new signing Joao Klauss is tied with Hall atop the goalscorers list with three.

They recently won 3-0 over Charlotte FC with a commanding performance, although that might say more about Charlotte’s defensive frailties. Still, you play who you play.

Wingers Joseph Paintsil and Gabriel Pec are healthy, and if midfielders Elijah Wynder, Edwin Cerillo, and Lucas Sanabria get them the ball consistently, this could be a much better season.

Atlanta United has big names, poor execution

After bringing back club legend Miguel Almiron last season, Atlanta United re-hired manager Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino, who led the club to the 2018 MLS Cup.

So far, nostalgia has not proven to be a good strategy. Atlanta has lost each of its first two games 2-0 to FC Cincinnati and the San Jose Earthquakes.

Both matches were on the road, but Atlanta were outshot and crushed in terms of expected goals in each.

MLS record signing Emmanuel Latte Lath has struggled to make an impact since his arrival ahead of the 2025 season, and he has not meshed with playmakers Almiron and Aleksey Miranchuk. The club needs its best-paid players to lead by example if they want to get back to their glory days.

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