Mar 16, 2026, 11:55 AM ET
It's Monday, MLS action is back, and it's time for ESPN's Power Rankings.
Who looks the strongest? Who's in for a long year? Our writers studied the action from across Matchday 4 to come up with this week's order. Let's dive in.
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1. Vancouver Whitecaps
Previous ranking: 1
Wins don't come in much more dominant fashion than the Whitecaps' 6-0 victory over Minnesota. Even a partially rotated Vancouver team battered the Loons, with breakthroughs coming in open play and on set pieces for Vancouver. There's no more well-rounded team than the Caps right now in this league.
2. LAFC
Previous ranking: 2
Following a 2-0 win over St. Louis, LAFC became the first team in MLS history to record four straight shutouts to start a season. The hosts didn't create a bevy of chances, but a brace from Mathieu Choinière midway through the second half did the job.
3. Nashville SC
Previous ranking: 5
When Cristian Espinoza signed with Nashville as a free agent this winter, assists like the one for Hany Mukhtar's game-winner over the Crew are exactly what folks in the Music City pictured. The Argentine's classy work clinched a 1-0 win for the visitors on Saturday.
4. San Diego FC
Previous ranking: 3
While they won't be pleased with a blown lead against FC Dallas, San Diego can take solace in the fact that their 3-3 draw still represents a hard-earned road point. Those points are precious in the midst of lineup rotation for the Concacaf Champions Cup.
5. Inter Miami CF
Previous ranking: 4
Without Lionel Messi in the lineup ahead of a Concacaf Champions Cup clash with Nashville later this week, Miami's attack was predictably more muted in a 0-0 draw with Charlotte on Saturday. It's hard to read much into the result for Miami, though it did remind us just how much they want to win the Champions Cup.
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Charlotte FC vs. Inter Miami CF - Game Highlights
Watch the Game Highlights from Charlotte FC vs. Inter Miami CF, 03/14/2026
6. Seattle Sounders
Previous ranking: 7
The Sounders took the lead in San Jose via a Paul Rothrock goal in the 20th minute and never looked back. They bent but never quite broke in a 1-0 win, even with a few first choice players earning a rest.
7. San Jose Earthquakes
Previous ranking: 6
After three-straight wins to start the season, San Jose finally fell in a 1-0 loss to Seattle. Still, despite the defeat, seeing Timo Werner start for the first time as an Earthquake and look dangerous along the way should excite San Jose fans.
8. Real Salt Lake
Previous ranking: 10
Real Salt Lake might be good. Following their 2-1 win over Austin FC on Saturday, RSL have won three straight and their only defeat on the year came against Vancouver. Slowly returning to full fitness, Pablo Mastroeni's team is one no one wants to play.
9. New York City FC
Previous ranking: 9
No classic No. 9, no problem for NYCFC. Winger-turned-emergency-striker Nicolás Fernández started up top yet again for Pascal Jansen's team and bagged a brace in a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids on Saturday. Outside of New York City, only four other teams can boast of being undefeated at this stage.
10. Red Bull New York
Previous ranking: 11
Saturday's 1-1 draw with Toronto was nervy for RBNY, to say the least. Despite quality buildup play and more than a few dangerous shots, it took a 97th-minute equalizer from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to rescue a result for the visitors.
11. FC Dallas
Previous ranking: 14
Despite falling into a two-goal deficit, Petar Musa's hat trick helped rescue a 3-3 draw for Dallas against a rotated San Diego squad with half an eye on Concacaf Champions Cup play. Musa continues to be one of the absolute best players this league has ever seen.
12. Minnesota United
Previous ranking: 8
There's no way around it: Minnesota suffered an embarrassing defeat against Vancouver on Saturday. The 6-0 loss completely overshadowed James Rodríguez's MLS debut -- it was way too little, way too late by the time the Colombian entered in the second half.
13. LA Galaxy
Previous ranking: 12
The Galaxy earned the unfortunate distinction of being the first team to lose to Sporting Kansas City in 2026, falling 2-1 on Saturday. It's safe to say that LA missed their designated player wingers, with Gabriel Pec suspended and Joseph Paintsil injured.
14. FC Cincinnati
Previous ranking: 13
Just days after beating Tigres 3-0 in Concacaf play, FC Cincinnati lost 6-1 to the New England Revolution in MLS play. How's that for whiplash? Defensive woes and a second-half red card made for an absolute nightmare for Pat Noonan and co. on Sunday.
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New England Revolution vs. FC Cincinnati - Game Highlights
Watch the Game Highlights from New England Revolution vs. FC Cincinnati, 03/15/2026
15. Chicago Fire
Previous ranking: 15
Despite taking the lead at home in the 81st minute, Chicago fell 2-1 to D.C. United on the back of two late concessions. A deflected shot-turned-goal and a penalty kick after a handball turned Saturday's match on its head for a Fire team still trying to find some rhythm.
16. Houston Dynamo
Previous ranking: 17
In the 15th minute of second half stoppage time (yes, you read that correctly), new designated player Mateusz Bogusz snagged the go-ahead goal for the Dynamo in a 3-2 win over the Portland Timbers. After a week off, victory tastes even sweeter.
17. Charlotte FC
Previous ranking: 19
Ordinarily, holding Inter Miami scoreless is worth a round of applause. However, with Messi and several other key players for the South Florida side not in the lineup ahead of a Concacaf Champions Cup game later this week, Charlotte don't earn as much credit for their 0-0 draw. The point counts all the same, though.
18. St. Louis City SC
Previous ranking: 18
It's been an emotional week for St. Louis City, who fell 2-0 to LAFC on Saturday. Midfielder Eduard Löwen's wife Ilona passed away on March 9th after a two-year battle with cancer. Many, many things are more important than soccer.
19. Toronto FC
Previous ranking: 22
Josh Sargent's start to life in MLS nearly began with a goal soon after his introduction in the second half against Red Bull New York on Saturday. The striker couldn't find his breakthrough, however, and Toronto failed to hold their lead in what turned out to be a 1-1 draw.
20. Colorado Rapids
Previous ranking: 21
The Rapids didn't play a bad game on the road in New York City, but they were outgunned in a 3-1 defeat to the Pigeons. That 21-year-old attacker Darren Yapi has found new life as a winger, though, is a genuine positive for Matt Wells' team.
21. Columbus Crew
Previous ranking: 16
Though former FC Barcelona midfielder André Gomes made his debut -- and impressed on the ball ahead of the center backs -- for Columbus, the Crew still looked off the pace in a 1-0 loss to Nashville. There's plenty of work for Henrik Rydstrom to do yet, it seems.
22. D.C. United
Previous ranking: 24
D.C. United have been inconsistent in 2026, but they've also been able to win ugly. Saturday's 2-1 come-from-behind victory over the Chicago Fire certainly fit into that category. A late, deflected equalizer and an even later penalty winner from Tai Baribo helped the visitors collect three points.
23. Orlando City
Previous ranking: 28
In their first game this decade without Oscar Pareja serving as the club's manager, Orlando enjoyed a straightforward 2-1 win over CF Montreal. There's work to do yet, but a get-right victory soothes all the same.
24. Austin FC
Previous ranking: 25
An inability to create chances plagued Austin FC for much of last season, and that issue returns this year. After taking an early lead against Real Salt Lake, Austin never pressed its advantage en route to losing 2-1 on the road.
25. Philadelphia Union
Previous ranking: 20
Alarm bells are sounding for the Union right now. After a 3-1 loss to Atlanta, Philadelphia finds itself winless through four games in MLS play. Last time out, it was the Union's chance creation that failed them. Against Atlanta, it was shoddy defending. Problems keep popping up for coach Bradley Carnell.
26. New England Revolution
Previous ranking: 30
Sunday's 6-1 win over FC Cincinnati had to feel good for New England. The first win of the Marko Mitrović era was a resounding one. Will it be the start of a trend?
27. Sporting Kansas City
Previous ranking: 27
It didn't take long for new defensive midfield signing Lasse Berg Johnsen to make his mark for Kansas City. The 26-year-old who recently joined from Malmo scored Sporting's second goal in what finished as a 2-1 victory over the LA Galaxy. There's work to be done, but something is starting to take shape for SKC.
28. Atlanta United
Previous ranking: 29
Perhaps no team needed a victory more than Atlanta this past weekend. Finally able to collect all three points at home in a 3-1 win over the Union, Tata Martino's team looks like it's starting to jell.
29. Portland Timbers
Previous ranking: 23
The return of designated player David Da Costa wasn't enough to improve the Timbers' form. Da Costa's impact was limited, and Portland turned an even scoreline and a man advantage into a 3-2 loss in the final moments on Saturday.
30. CF Montréal
Previous ranking: 26
Montreal fell to Orlando City 2-1 on Saturday and failed to cause real problems for their hosts outside of Prince Owusu's first-half finish. Perhaps last weekend's win over Red Bull New York was a blip.
