As MLS enters its fourth decade, the league's star power has never been greater.
Headlined by eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, the quality of player has risen exponentially in the past several seasons, including 2025, which saw Thomas Müller, Son Heung-min and Rodrigo De Paul all make their way to the American top division.
While past eras of MLS were defined by stars that became known for their achievements overseas, the new era is different. Those types of players still remain, joined by MLS-grown talents and players who have elevated their play in the league.
Here’s Sports Illustrated breakdown of the top 10 stars of the 2026 season.
10. Dayne St. Clair (Inter Miami)
The 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, Dayne St. Clair, has a chance to be a standout player at the 2026 World Cup, where he is likely to start for Canada, one of the host nations alongside the United States and Mexico.
While his 6'3" frame isn’t the most intimidating, his versatile skillset stands out. Showstopping reflexes, alongside his ability to read attacking patterns and launch counterattacks as a sweeper-keeper, make him one of the best on show.
In 2025, he led the league with a 77.93 save percentage and recorded the most saves (113) with Minnesota United, sparking a move to Inter Miami to play with Messi and the MLS Cup favorites.
9. James Rodríguez (Minnesota United)
James Rodríguez announced himself as a global superstar at the 2014 World Cup, lighting up the tournament with six goals to win the Golden Boot. Now heading into the twilight of his career, the Colombian has moved to MLS with Minnesota United hoping to get himself back in top form for the 2026 World Cup.
Rodríguez went on to play for Real Madrid and Bayern Munich among others following his 2014 exploits, and has close to 300 goal contributions to his name across a storied career. He’s not quite the player he was, but he’s still a marquee signing for Minnesota.
Only assured of a place with the Loons through June—the club have an option to extend through the rest of 2026—Rodríguez has plenty to prove—it’s now time to see if he can deliver.
8. Facundo Torres (Austin FC)
Facundo Torres returns to MLS in 2026 and could be the lone MLS player to play for manager Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay at the World Cup, should he stand out in his first season with Austin FC.
Now 25 years old, Torres played three seasons with Orlando City between 2022 to 2024, scoring 47 goals and 25 assists. He then moved to Brazilian giants Palmeiras, where he scored 10 goals and contibuted six assists.
Boasting 22 appearances for Uruguay, Torres joins an Austin FC side vaulted by a healthy Brandon Vázquez, whom he will hope to regularly link up with in order to make a big splash.
7. Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami)
Rodrigo De Paul arrived in MLS from Atlético Madrid last year, elevating the profile of the league further still by linking up with Argentina international team-mate Messi.
Known for his aggressive playstyle, De Paul became a more versatile and transitional player in his first MLS year, and linked up nicely with emerging Inter Miami star Tadeo Allende, who broke the record for the most goals in a single MLS Cup playoff campaign.
De Paul finished his debut year in the league with four assists in nine regular-season games before scoring a goal in the MLS Cup final win over Vancouver Whitecaps.
6. Evander (FC Cincinnati)
FC Cincinnati’s Evander has been a superstar in MLS for several years and remains one heading into 2026. First bursting onto the scene as an artistic yet aggressive attacking midfielder with the Portland Timbers, he has established himself as a key cog in FC Cincinnati’s setup.
With Cincinnati in 2025, he scored 18 goals and 15 assists, despite not linking up well with the club’s marquee striker option, Togo international Kévin Denkey. In total, he boasts 42 goals and 24 assists in his 87-game MLS regular season career thus far. If he were not Brazilian, he would be a surefire lock to become an international star.
FC Cincinnati has always been a good regular-season team, and so has Evander. In 2026, they’ll aim even higher, with a Concacaf Champions Cup and MLS Cup run well within reach.
5. Anders Dreyer (San Diego FC)
Anders Dreyer burst onto the MLS scene with 2025 expansion side San Diego FC and quickly established himself as one of the league’s best players on a team few expected to do well, let alone top the Western Conference through the regular season.
A Denmark international winger, Dreyer netted 19 goals and 19 assists, while missing not a single match in the 34-game regular season, showcasing attacking potency and consistency that few other players have.
Although San Diego faltered against Vancouver in the 2025 Western Conference final, Dreyer’s debut season will go down as the best ever by a player on an expansion roster and he will look to replicate it in 2026.
4. Denis Bouanga (LAFC)
Denis Bouanga's time with LAFC has been nothing short of exceptional, with the Gabon international establishing himself as one of the best players in the league.
With electrifying pace and tactical versatility, Bouanga has led several eras of LAFC, first with Gareth Bale and most recently, alongside Son Heung-min. Through it all, he has amassed 65 goals and 20 assists across 101 MLS regular-season games, helping the club claim the 2022 MLS Cup in his first season, followed by dominant regular seasons and the 2024 U.S. Open Cup.
Given the global interest in his success, LAFC can consider itself lucky to still have him around for 2026, at least for now.
3. Son Heung-min (LAFC)
A veteran of 10 seasons with Tottenham Hotspur and one of the best Asian soccer players ever, Son Heung-min has further elevated his profile at LAFC even after standing out as one of the best players in the Premier League.
Joining LAFC for an MLS record incoming transfer fee of $26.2 million, Son made an immediate impact, scoring 12 goals and four assists in his first 12 games. At the same time, he forged a quick partnership with LAFC talisman Bouanga and scored an iconic free kick in an eventually futile effort in his first crack at the MLS Cup playoffs.
In 2026, he will adapt to a new coach, Canadian Marc Dos Santos, and look to continue his dominance in a year when he will turn 33 while leading South Korea at the 2026 World Cup.
2. Thomas Müller (Vancouver Whitecaps)
Few soccer players rival the number of trophies that Thomas Müller has won in his career. In total, he has scooped 35 trophies for club and country—including the 2014 World Cup—which is the most by any German player in history.
After nearly two decades with Bayern Munich, he joined Vancouver Whitecaps in 2025 and helped the club secure a fourth straight Canadian Championship title, then won the Western Conference before losing to Miami in MLS Cup.
He got off to a blistering start after joining the Whitecaps midseason, with seven goals in seven regular-season games. He’ll be targeting 20+ with a full year under his belt.
1. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
It doesn’t get any bigger than Lionel Messi when it comes to superstars in global soccer. For many, being 38 years old may mark the twilight of a career, but the Argentine No. 10 is still playing at an outstanding level.
Since signing with the Herons midway through the 2023 season, Messi has scored 77 goals and 44 assists across all competitions, helping Miami win the 2023 Leagues Cup and reach a regular-season points record to win the 2024 Supporters’ Shield. He followed those up with a win in MLS Cup, claiming a significant victory over his longtime rival, Thomas Müller.
He’s signed with the Herons through 2027-28 and enters the 2026 season after becoming the first back-to-back MLS MVP in 2024 and 2025.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Top 10 Stars in MLS in 2026—Ranked.
