As the 2026 Major League Soccer season rapidly approaches, who are the best MLS players right now?
Predictably, Lionel Messi was instrumental to the Inter Miami’s success last season, but where does he rank among the best players in the league right now?
After all, the GOAT faced stiff competition from the Supporters’ Shield-winning Philadelphia Union, not to mention star players from big-hitters across the league like LAFC, San Diego FC, and FC Cincinnati.
Below, we’ve ranked our top 10 MLS players from 2025.
10. Jakob Glesnes
- Club: Philadelphia Union
- Position: Center-back
A three-time All-Star and former Defender of the Year winner, Jakob Glesnes clocked over 2,600 minutes for the best defense in MLS during the regular season, with the Union conceding just 35 goals en route to the Supporters’ Shield title.
Including Playoffs, Glesnes was first among his teammates for clearances (179) and second for interceptions (57) – the steady rock at the center of a formidable Union backline, as he has been for so long. However, he will join the LA Galaxy in 2026.
9. Cristian Roldan
- Club: Seattle Sounders
- Position: Central midfielder
Cristian Roldan has long been an underrated commodity, but no longer.
The United States international made the Best XI career year in which he completed a team-high 1,985 passes, including 606 final third passes completed and 152 long passes completed.
Roldan also proved invaluable in stopping the opposition, making more tackles (86) and interceptions (45) than any other Sounders player.
8. Dayne St. Clair
- Club: Minnesota United
- Position: Goalkeeper
It would be wrong not to include a goalkeeper on this list, especially one of Dayne St. Clair’s quality.
The Canada international made the MLS Best XI with a career-best 11 clean sheets including Playoffs, alongside 122 saves – both third among MLS goalkeepers – as Minnesota United finished fourth in the West with a franchise-high 58 points, and reached the Western Conference semifinals.
St. Clair — who will join Inter Miami for next season — is pushing hard to be Canada’s No.1 at this summer’s World Cup, and seasons like this make it hard to argue against him.
And that’s without mentioning his incredible trolling on penalties.
7. Kai Wagner
- Club: Philadelphia Union
- Position: Left-back
Returning to that Union defense, Kai Wagner was first among his teammates for tackles (97) in 2025. However, it’s his attacking output that puts him on this list, with the German posting a team-high 10 assists from 103 chances created, while completing a massive 112 crosses.
For good measure, Wagner also scored twice himself and was almost ever-present for Bradley Carnell’s side, playing a team-high 3,039 minutes.
Wagner will be a huge miss as he heads to England with Birmingham City this January.
6. Son Heung-min
- Club: LAFC
- Position: Winger
Son Heung-min only arrived in MLS in August, but what an impact he made.
In just 13 appearances and 1,103 minutes, the Spurs legend hit 12 goals and three assists for LAFC, while creating a whopping 43 chances, and completing 23 dribbles.
Those returns ranked him second, fifth, second, and fourth, respectively, among LAFC players.
Son proved he still has what it takes; we just can’t wait to see what he can do with the Black and Gold across a full season.
5. Sam Surridge
- Club: Nashville SC
- Position: Striker
Sam Surridge has slowly grown in prominence during his time in Nashville, to the point where he was one of the elite attacking forces in the league in 2025.
The English striker scored 25 goals in 37 MLS appearances to come third in the Golden Boot standings – not to mention his six goals in just three US Open Cup games.
Surridge was a formidable target man, winning 106 aerial duels, which is 55 more than any other Nashville player, while only Mukhtar (50) was fouled more (43).
Nashville finished sixth in the East and took Inter Miami to a deciding match in Round One of the Playoffs. None of that happens without Surridge’s firepower.
Key stat: Sam Surridge was third in MLS for goals scored in the regular season and Playoffs combined (25)
4. Evander
- Club: FC Cincinnati
- Position: Attacking midfielder
Evander originally arrived in MLS from FC Midtjylland by joining the Portland Timbers. The Brazilian tore the league apart while in the Pacific Northwest, with a 15g/15a return in the 2024 MLS regular season the pinnacle of his achievements there.
But Evander has taken things to an even greater level since joining FC Cincinnati for 2025, hitting 18 goals and 14 assists in 36 appearances in MLS play to fire the Orange and Blue to second in the East and the Eastern Conference semifinals – where they were eventually stomped 4-0 by Inter Miami.
The 27-year-old also topped out among Cincy players in a host of key metrics in MLS this season, including chances created (84), final third passes completed (451), and shots attempted (125).
Key stat: Evander created 84 chances in MLS play this season, at least 27 more than any other FC Cincinnati player
3. Denis Bouanga
- Club: LAFC
- Position: Winger
Denis Bouanga made a slow start to 2025, but once he got going, he really got going. His run of 10 goals and two assists in his final seven regular-season appearances took him to 24 goals and seven assists on the campaign – second only to Messi for the Golden Boot.
Then he added another two goals and two assists in the Playoffs to fire LAFC into the Western Conference semifinals, where they lost on PKs to the Vancouver Whitecaps.
But that return tells you all you need to know about how important Bouanga is to this team. He’s not been overshadowed by Son Heung-min. In fact, the two complement each other perfectly.
Bouanga now has 101 goals and 42 assists to his name in an LAFC jersey, winning MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield, and US Open Cup titles along the way.
Key stat: Denis Bouanga registered 10 goals and two assists in the final 49 days of the regular season, with only Lionel Messi (10g/8a) posting more direct goal involvements in that time frame
2. Anders Dreyer
- Club: San Diego FC
- Position: Winger
For a long time, Anders Dreyer was many people’s pick for MVP, until Messi went on a ridiculous tear at the end of the season, which we’ll get to in a moment.
First, though, we need to pay tribute to a player who has taken to Major League Soccer beautifully.
Dreyer started quickly and maintained an incredible level to end the campaign with 23 goals and 17 assists in MLS, while sitting in the top 10 for chances created (8th), shots attempted (6th), and crosses attempted (8th).
He was a more than deserving winner of the Newcomer of the Year award, and so close to being the MVP.
Key stat: Anders Dreyer posted 40 direct goal involvements in the 2025 MLS season (23g/17a), at least double any other San Diego player
1. Lionel Messi
- Club: Inter Miami CF
- Position: Forward
Unfortunately for Dreyer, there’s just no beating the GOAT right now in MLS.
Messi actually started relatively slowly by his standards, with five goals and two assists in his first 10 games, failing to score in half of them. Then the boulder started rolling down the hill, and nobody could stop it.
By the end of the regular season – in which Messi posted five goals and five assists in the last three games, including a hat-trick against Nashville on Decision Day – he had 29 goals and 16 assists in 28 games to steal the Golden Boot. In the Playoffs, he got even better, scoring six goals in his first four games, then turning provider to register seven assists in his last four to fire Miami to their first-ever MLS Cup title.
Those two runs overlapped, with two goals and an assist in the third game against Nashville, then a goal and an assist hat-trick in the Eastern Conference semifinals against Cincy.
Messi did Messi things all season. He dazzled when needed, scored all the big goals, and was the perfect teammate in terms of creativity and selflessness.
There’s still nobody better.
Key stat: Lionel Messi is the only player in MLS history to retain the MVP award
Honourable mentions: Pep Biel, Hugo Cuypers, Yohei Takaoka, Tai Baribo, Alonso Martinez, Philip Zinckernagel, Eric Choupo-Moting, Diego Rossi, Alex Roldan, Nathan Harriel, Hirving Lozano, Miles Robinson, Walker Zimmerman, Andre Blake, Diego Luna, Kristijan Kahlina, Tadeo Allende, Sebastian Berhalter, Hany Mukhtar, Thomas Muller.
*Assist stats based on Opta definition