Ryan Rosenblatt
Feb 24, 2025, 02:14 PM ET
We are back! The 2025 MLS season is now underway, which means it's time for ESPN's Power Rankings.
Who's climbing the table? Who's in free fall? Our writers studied the action from across Matchday 1 to come up with this week's order of all 30 teams in the league. Let's dive in.
1. FC Cincinnati
You could say that FCC got a bit fortunate with how Kévin Denkey was allowed to run in behind and nod a ball over a goalkeeper in no man's land for the lone goal in their 1-0 win over RBNY, but they probably should have been at least a goal up at that point. Evander fit right in and Cincy should be right back among the league's best.
2. Inter Miami CF
Inter made massive changes over the winter, on the pitch and in the front office, and it showed in a lackluster performance against NYCFC. But you know what didn't change? Lionel Messi. He was sensational, so Miami managed a 2-2 draw despite the hiccups and playing 67 minutes down a man.
3. LAFC
The Black and Gold didn't play pretty, but it was just effective enough thanks to Jeremy Ebobisse's strike on his LAFC debut to beat Minnesota 1-0.
4. Seattle Sounders
The Sounders had plenty of chances to put Charlotte away, but they were wasteful and then put the ball in their own net in stoppage time so they had to settle for a disappointing 2-2 draw in the rain.
5. Minnesota United
It looked like the Loons might walk away from LA with a well-earned point, but they got burned late and had to deal with a 1-0 loss. They showed that they will be a solid and deep team, as expected so you know they have a high floor, but they're going to need to be more dangerous on the ball to truly compete with the best in MLS.
6. Columbus Crew
After a winter of change, there were questions about whether Columbus would still be among the league's best teams and despite a 4-2 win over Chicago, those questions remain. The Fire made life easy on the Crew, but if you can pick up three points while giving head coach Wilfried Nancy more time to figure things out, you're doing alright.
7. Atlanta United FC
Welcome to MLS, Emmanuel Latte Lath! The league's record signing hit for a pair in his debut as the Five Stripes took down Montréal 3-2, but it was a bit iffy at the back, where goalkeeper Brad Guzan was outstanding to preserve the win.
8. LA Galaxy
We knew the defending champions would look worse than they will in April, when Joseph Paintsil returns from injury, and even worse than they will in August when Riqui Puig gets healthy, but a 2-0 loss to expansion side San Diego? That's surprisingly bad.
9. St. Louis City SC
How exactly did St. Louis fail to score? It took some superb work by the woodwork, offside flag, and goalkeeper Zack Steffen to keep City out and somehow turn a good performance by the home side into a 0-0 draw.
10. Charlotte FC
Don't ask Charlotte how they got a 2-2 draw in Seattle. It doesn't matter if it was ugly, or that they could have easily lost by multiple goals. They hung around, somehow, and then worked a Sounders own goal to steal a point. Take it and run, boys.
11. Vancouver Whitecaps
The Caps went winless in their last seven to end the 2024 regular season, putting a damper on a previously encouraging season and blowing the Cascadia Cup, so rolling the Timbers 4-1 to kick off 2025 goes a very long way. Jayden Nelson is going to live in Portland's nightmares for what he did to them on Sunday.
12. Austin FC
Austin are betting on Owen Wolff making a big leap this season and he showed signs that he might do just that, putting his mark all over a 1-0 win over SKC.
13. New York Red Bulls
Being asked to go to Cincinnati to open the season is no small task and the Red Bulls had some moments, but they looked slow in a 1-0 loss.
14. Orlando City
The Lions played better than the scoreline indicated in a 4-2 loss to Philly, but that's not going to make them feel good. Certainly not when Oscar Pareja's team has made a habit of getting off to slow starts to the season.
15. New York City FC
The Pigeons held a 2-1 lead against a Miami side that had been down to 10 men for more than an hour, so giving up a stoppage-time equalizer was especially painful. Going down to Miami and walking away with a point is a job well done normally, but not in those circumstances.
16. Philadelphia Union
The Union couldn't catch a break last season so they'll cherish their 4-2 win over Orlando. Getting some production from the front line is encouraging, but the defense needs to lock things down.
17. FC Dallas
Dallas already have as many road wins as they had all of last season after beating Houston 2-1. They pressed and forced the Dynamo to make plays, then pounced on their rivals' mistakes. It won't be that easy as opponents get sharper with time, but getting an away win on the first matchday is everything for this club.
18. Chicago Fire
The Gregg Berhalter era got off to a good start as Brian Gutiérrez scored twice in the first 22 minutes, but the Fire looked a long way from getting a hold of their new manager's system. They were a mess and gifted the Crew chance after chance en route to a 4-2 loss. Berhalter's going to need more than 90 minutes to get things going in Chicago.
19. CF Montréal
It's a shame that Montréal didn't leave Atlanta with at least a point for how well they played, but they gifted the home side a goal and that was enough to sink them 3-2. Still, CFM have to feel good about how they played, especially in possession.
20. Portland Timbers
Not sure you could draw up a worse season opener than going down to 10 men after just 11 minutes against your Cascadia rival. Portland was in no man's land in their 4-1 loss to Vancouver.
21. Colorado Rapids
Hopefully, the Rapids didn't use up all their good luck in the first week of the season because they got battered in St. Louis and somehow walked away with a scoreless draw.
22. Nashville SC
Edvard Tagseth looked bright in his Nashville debut and the Coyotes held down the center of the pitch well, but there was little going forward in a scoreless draw with New England.
23. Real Salt Lake
RSL can tell themselves that the Quakes finished especially well, or that they had plenty of chances of their own that they'd finish on another day, but there's no polishing a 4-0 loss. The squad is undermanned and looked like a mess in the opener.
24. Houston Dynamo
The Dynamo changed goalkeeper and center-backs in the offseason so it's no surprise that they struggled in their first game together, but Houston couldn't have expected them to be quite the disaster they were. It cost them a 2-1 loss to Dallas.
25. San Jose Earthquakes
Look who's on top of the Supporters' Shield standings! Bruce Arena couldn't have gotten off to a better start in San Jose, where the Quakes rocked RSL 4-0. The roster still needs some work, but there's nobody better at turning a team into more than the sum of its parts than Arena and that was on full display on Saturday.
26. San Diego FC
Anders Dreyer wrote himself into the SDFC record books with not just the first goal in club history, but the first two. And for those to be the only two goals in a 2-0 win over the defending MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy? The man should have a parade in his name through the city.
27. Toronto FC
The Reds went down to D.C. and were clearly the better side. Unfortunately, they only managed a 2-2 draw, but an away point is valuable and if they can sign a striker, TFC might be able to get into the hunt for a playoff spot.
28. D.C. United
Christian Benteke was back to his goal-scoring ways, and Boris Enow and Hosei Kijima looked bright as D.C. drew Toronto 2-2, but they were clearly second-best at home against a team that missed the playoffs a year ago.
29. Sporting Kansas City
SKC lost to Austin 1-0, but it was actually a fairly encouraging performance. The attack they spent so much time fortifying in the winter was dormant, but their new signings started on the bench, while their undermanned defense held up. If the back line is indeed as competent as they looked in Texas then there's a path to competitiveness this season.
30. New England Revolution
The Revs made it through the first half-hour of their season without going down to 10 men, so that was already an improvement on last year, then they held on for a well-earned 0-0 draw in Nashville. Success.
