Once again, we have polled top team soccer officials from around MLS — chief soccer officers, general managers, technical directors and sporting directors — for their takes on the best (and sometimes worst) offerings in the league.
Last year, such officials correctly had FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami top of voting for Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup contenders, but missed out on the Philadelphia Union being the actual Shield winner. They loved Atlanta United’s moves for Miguel Almirón and Emmanuel Latte Lath (a miss), but nailed Patrick Agyemang as the best value contract, with his production eventually leading to a move to the English Championship.
We’re back for Year 5 of the survey, in which we spoke to 22 execs across the league (representatives of all 30 teams were contacted, but some declined to participate or did not respond). In exchange for their candor, participants received full anonymity, and no respondents could to vote for anyone associated with their own clubs.
In Part 1, we polled on the best players, transfers, rosters, coaches, sporting directors, stadiums and training facilities. In tomorrow’s Part 2, the focus shifts to bigger-picture league issues, with a focus on the World Cup’s impact.
Onto the survey (you can use the tabs at the bottom of your screen to scroll more easily between topics):
It’s little surprise that executives around MLS believe Inter Miami will repeat as league champion (Sam Navarro / Imagn Images)
Clubs
The majority of CSOs believe Miami and Lionel Messi will win a second consecutive MLS Cup. “With the (Germán) Berterame signing and Micael coming in to sort out the issues,” one executive said, “whatever issues you think they had in the back, it’s hard to see anyone being able to outlast Miami this year.”
LAFC, which soundly beat Miami to open the season, was another popular favorite. The caveat, said one CSO, is whether the club can hold onto striker Denis Bouanga. Seattle, with two votes, continues to garner respect in front offices.
Miami dominated here as well, which tells you how strong many believe the defending champions will be in 2026. For the executives, it was a virtual no-brainer to predict an MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield double. “They’re really f***ing good,” one CSO said.
“I just don’t think there’s anyone in the West that’s going to be consistent enough over the course of the year,” said another. While there is plenty of respect for LAFC, Miami’s core, new No. 9 and deeper squad suggest that it will be the most consistent team in 2026.
At one point during the survey, Berterame and Espinoza were deadlocked. Both signings were applauded by CSOs across the board. Espinoza’s arrival on a free transfer shocked fans, and CSOs were surprised, too. “Are you kidding me? A free transfer?” one CSO asked in jest. “Espinoza is a good fit for Nashville,” said another. “And obviously with the opportunity there after San Jose f***ed it up.”
Berterame, signed from Monterrey for a reported $15 million, eventually won out. A naturalized Mexican citizen, he’s expected to make Mexico’s World Cup roster. “They didn’t have a real dog up top,” said one executive. “(Luis) Suárez was on his last legs last year. They’re going to be better this year.”
One CSO labeled Freeman’s transfer “a great testament to the league and to what we’re trying to do.” Minnesota’s swoop for James was deemed “very smart” by one executive. “With the amount of open space that MLS offers, James could surprise people,” one said.
In what turned into a theme in the early going, there was a lot of admiration for Miami’s roster and its ambition. “It’s unlike anything we’ve seen before in MLS,” one CSO said. “(Tadeo) Allende as a non-DP. Berterame is a top, top MLS player. Adding (goalkeeper Dayne) St. Clair. It’s wild what they’ve been able to do. They got better this year, which is scary.”
That Houston so decisively finished second in the voting was somewhat of a surprise. They had major roster turnover, declining options or moving on from a huge chunk of the 2025 squad and adding Bogusz and Brazilian Guilherme as the marquee signings.
Denis Bouanga has been a prolific goalscorer in MLS for the last three seasons (Kiyoshi Mio / Imagn Images)
Players
With Messi and Son objectively on their own tier, we made them untouchable. That led to a two-horse race between Bouanga and Evander, who swapped places from last year’s survey. The Cincinnati star, who exited opening night with an injury after 15 minutes, still commands a lot of praise.
“It’s gotta be him,” said a CSO of Evander. “That guy is filthy, man,” said another. But Bouanga rolled off the tongue of more CSOs. He is universally feared by his opponents, as one CSO explained. “He’s powerful. He’s fast. He causes problems for defenses, for sure.”
Miami’s newly minted signing and reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year took the nod over Bürki, who CSOs picked in 2025. One executive said that Kahlina “is the best when he’s hot,” a subtle acknowledgment of his inconsistency.
One CSO believes MLS is in a rut when it comes to the goalkeeper position. “I feel, bizarrely, that it’s not a very good time in our league for goalkeepers.”
Few CSOs voiced clear confidence in their pick. “We need to get some better defenders in this league,” one exec said.
Picking of the current crop “depends on what you want,” another CSO said. “I’d take Andrade over Glesnes any day, but Glesnes is a workhorse and a beast. If you play a high line, I think it’s probably Blackmon.”
The Glesnes trade to the Galaxy earned some overall praise: “That was a great move,” one CSO said.
One caveat: we took No. 10s out of the equation for this category to focus on some of the less-heralded midfielders.
San Diego’s Danish midfielder Tverskov stood out, his cerebral approach establishing himself as a fundamental part of coach Mikey Varas’ possession-based tactics.
A monumental 2025 for Berhalter impressed several CSOs, too. “Talk about a guy with a great mentality,” said one executive. “He had a major breakout year and now he’s a national team guy.”
Roldan, a U.S. World Cup hopeful, earned plaudits. “Cristian is super smart as a player and he competes for everything,” a CSO said. “If they take him out of that team, I don’t know what happens to them.”
Shoutout to Müller, who finally got a nod in a category in the survey, and to Musa, whom multiple CSOs referred to in their “other votes” categories as they mulled potential winners before ultimately landing on Bouanga or Evander.
Bouanga may not be the most technical player in the league apart from Messi or Son. His strengths lie in his ability to be among the most decisive players, though. “He’s just so effective,” an executive said.
“Perennial,” one CSO said of Roldan, the most universally loved player in the survey. “He just wins,” another said. “He doesn’t know anything else but winning.”
“Zawadzki is absolutely excellent,” one CSO added. “That he can do what he does in central midfield and center back for a team that plays like that.”
Dreyer got mentions in the best attacking player category, but no votes — and just one vote in this one.
“Dreyer is insane,” one CSO said. “19 (goals) and 19 (assists). Insane season.”
It was 18-year-old American Zavier Gozo, an RSL striker, that won out in this category.
“I’m going to cheat a little bit and say the Gozo kid from Salt Lake,” one CSO said, pointing to The Athletic’s Tom Bogert reporting that Gozo is already attracting interest from Aston Villa and Atlético Madrid.
Berhalter made MLS Best XI last season on just $385,000 — a bargain. He is in contract negotiations, and multiple CSOs mentioned that the numbers being discussed will most certainly disqualify him from this category.
The other vote-getters show how value can be seen differently. It wasn’t just minimum-deal players as the likes of Zinckernagel and Martinez were seen as bargains because they produced at DP levels on non-DP deals.
Jesper Sørensen made an immediate impact upon taking over the Vancouver Whitecaps (Jerome Miron / Imagn Images)
Coaches and front office
There is some recency bias, but it’s hard to argue against the impact of Sørensen, who turned the Whitecaps into one of the best teams in MLS, with appearances in both the Concacaf Champions Cup and MLS Cup finals. He was rewarded Friday with a new deal through 2027-28.
“For the body of work he did last year, and in multiple competitions,” one GM said.
“A quick turnaround he’s engineered over there,” another said.
Jansen got love, too, including in the below category. There was also one odd vote: Sorber, the former USMNT defender and longtime MLS assistant coach who is now a lieutenant under RBNY head coach Michael Bradley.
“I know he’s an assistant coach … but if you look at his record as an assistant his teams always win,” the CSO said.
Varas came up time and again on the previous question as one to keep an eye on, so it was no surprise he ended up taking this category.
“He had an MLS Next Pro guy at right back playing for the first time … and they blew out Pumas,” one CSO said.
“We might have to say Mikey Varas (for best coach) if they keep playing like this,” another CSO said. “They don’t have a lot of big-money players. Dreyer is a $5 million player, but they have kids who keep coming in and playing.”
Schmetzer got more votes here than he did above despite his success and trophies with the Sounders.
“All they’ve done is win forever,” one CSO said. “They win all the time and they win a trophy every year.”
Carnell earned votes in both categories, as well: “He has a really defined philosophy,” one CSO said. “You saw what he did the first year in St. Louis and then they just got their personnel all wrong. But the best players keep getting ripped out of that Philly team and they just find a way to keep it turning over because he’s a system coach.”
Jansen was a top vote-getter across the two categories, too.
“He does a really good job there without much,” one exec said.
And one CSO acknowledged that the job in Miami isn’t as easy as it might look from the outside.
“It sounds weird, but I do think Javier Mascherano did a fantastic job,” he said. “Everyone talks about Messi. I think being a coach in Miami, you have to handle all those personalities and all the noise that comes with that. I actually don’t think he’s gotten enough credit for it.”
It isn’t often in MLS that we see sporting directors move from one team to another, and it’s clear that those around the league see Sporting Kansas City’s move to sign Lee as a smart one.
“It’s a big deal, I think,” one CSO said.
Columbus’s move to replace Nancy with Rydström also gained a ton of momentum.
“When you have a coach like Wilfried who plays such a unique style, it’s hard to go to market and get something quite close and they managed to do that with an experienced coach,” one CSO said.
Martino’s return to Atlanta got plenty of love, too, and LAFC got praise for what some might have seen as an unsexy hire.
Dos Santos “is such an impressive soccer mind,” one exec said. “I think he’s a really good fit at LAFC.”
Last year’s winner took the title again, and it was clear there was admiration for how consistent LAFC has been – which is no easy task in MLS, a league designed to break up winning teams and maintain competitive balance above all else.
“They’ve been so good since Day 1,” one CSO said.
Waibel moved up this year after the Sounders won Leagues Cup last year on an increasingly tight budget.
This is always an interesting category, as it gives an insiders look at the less forward-facing executives who are earning a solid reputation.
Tierney, the former Revs left back, impressed colleagues during his time working in New England under Bruce Arena and Curt Onalfo, while Prizant, a former Inter Miami scout, has had a huge impact in San Diego right away and quickly moved up the list.
This was one of a few new categories we threw in, and it got a few jokes from CSOs wondering if it would look like they were trying to take a friend’s job — or if it meant people were vying for their job.
In reality, this was about trying to gauge what CSOs saw as the best jobs due to a mix of attributes: ownership, market, facilities and budget. It’s no surprise that it is almost all the highest-spending teams in the league that garnered votes, with LAFC winning out.
“A great balance of city, investment from ownership and a little bit of glamor,” one CSO said. “They’re competitive. It’s structured.”
“Ownership, location, resources, city brand,” another executive said. “With LAFC you’re just dealt such an incredible hand in that seat. Not every market has stars lining up for you at a discount. (Thorrington) has a stacked deck.”
The Fire might move further up this list once the new stadium opens in 2028.
“It seems like they have unlimited resources, and it’s the right market and opportunity to create something special,” another GM said.
This section spawned an array of answers, though it was once again the stability, spending and talent of LAFC, plus working with Thorrington, that won out.
“Just the amount of good players they get,” one GM said. “You can be a poor coach and do really well there.”
Said one GM of Cincinnati: “It’s a mix of their current team and the resources they consistently bring to the table.”
Others pointed to the global reach of San Diego, NYCFC and RBNY.
“I think the fact that (San Diego) gives their coach an opportunity to play an exciting style of play, they work with their coach, give them players that fit that game model,” one CSO said. “They have expectations to try to win games, but they’re also built around the idea of trying to give young players a chance to play.”
Said another: “When (NYCFC) get their new stadium, that’s going to be pretty sweet to be a coach there and have a brand new building over in Queens.”
FC Cincinnati fans have a gem of a home stadium (Katie Stratman / Imagn Images)
Facilities
One clear favorite in each conference emerged. It’s no surprise, as Cincinnati’s building, which opened in 2021, has earned high praise internationally. MLS GMs pointed to the facilities in the stadium, the quality of the field and the fan experience and ambiance as reasons why it was top — with similar comments for LAFC’s home.
One CSO said his vote for Q2 Stadium was for the field quality, which ranks as among the very best in the country.
The vote for Providence Park stood out.
“You walk down the steep hill to get down so it’s like you’re like a gladiator walking into the Colosseum,” the CSO said.
A baseball stadium, a football stadium, a multi-purpose stadium, two of the oldest soccer specific-stadiums in MLS and … Audi Field, opened just eight years ago in Southwest D.C.
“It’s so f***ing bad,” one CSO said. “Just the way they built out that one side where it’s just like a cavern underneath. It’s just very bizarre.”
Said another: “Their field is a disgrace. It’s not at our level.”
The turf and environment at Gillette was a no-surprise top vote-getter. “The vibe, the location, everything,” one CSO said.
BC Place, however, took the top spot. It has been in the news for the revenue issues it presents the Whitecaps, but teams don’t like playing there, either. “Both New England and Vancouver are too big for their teams, they both have turf. If I had to pick one, Vancouver’s turf is worse.”
“It’s on concrete and it’s indoors,” another CSO said. “Not a great start.”
After a $25 million expansion to its training facility, which has separate spaces for the first team, second team and academy sides, Atlanta ran away with this category. The new content studio is another impressive addition. “Atlanta’s is pretty incredible,” a CSO claimed.
Many noted they could only vote for the facilities they had seen, saying they were excited to visit Chicago and San Diego, both of which recently opened and have earned high praise.
Chicago’s Endeavor Health Performance Center was billed by one executive as “outrageous.” “It’s gotta be the best,” the CSO added. Inter Miami, Columbus and San Diego all received votes. San Diego’s ambitious set-up was called out by one CSO. “They didn’t have to build a stadium, so they had some funny money. They built a school instead.”
There are times when CSOs don’t want to hurt feelings or sound too harsh. But when it comes to training facilities, honesty really comes through.
“San Jose’s locker rooms are tiny. It’s very poor,” said one executive.
As for the others, “Any training ground where players still get changed in the stadium,” a CSO said. “That’s Dallas and Colorado. That feels like a bygone era in MLS.”
“Minnesota’s is also bad,” added another. “It’s in the basement of a building. At least they have some space.”
Regarding Houston’s, one CSO said, “They’re sharing it with the women’s team, the academy, the second team and the first team all in the same building, which isn’t very big. It’s too crowded.”