Rating Messi And Müller’s Title Hopes

The 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs begin on Wednesday night. And now that we know how the 18-team field stacks up, it’s time to re-assess who is the most likely to win the Philip F. Anschutz trophy.

Our first MLS Cup Playoff Power Rankings take not only the team’s overall quality into consideration, but also their recent form and possible path through the bracket

Here how we grade the field, from most likely to least likely to take home the league’s top honor.

1

Inter Miami

League Finish: (3rd in the East, 3rd in the Supporters’ Shield)

Sam Navarro | Imagn Images

Round One opponent: Nashville SC

Best playoff finish: Round One (2022, 2024)

Inter Miami CF clearly got the best early draw in the East, facing a Nashville side they’ve beaten five straight times across all competitions. After his Decision Day hat trick, Lionel Messi has scored 11 goals against the Coyotes in seven appearances across all competitions.

2

Philadelphia Union

League Finish (1st in the East, 1st in the Supporters’ Shield)

Round One opponent: Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire winner.

Best playoff finish: MLS Cup final (2022)

Having already clinched the Supporters’ Shield, a Decision Day defeat at Charlotte shouldn’t concern Philadelphia Union fans too much. More worrying might be the overall attacking form, with the Union scoring multiple goals in only two of their last eight league games.

3

LAFC

League Finish: (3rd in the West, 6th in the Supporters’ Shield)

Round One opponent: Austin FC

Best playoff finish: MLS Cup winner (2022)

Los Angeles FC’s six-game winning streak ended on Oct. 12, but the Black-and-Gold are still unbeaten in their last six in games where both Son Heung-Min and Denis Bouanga are available. Their first-round opponents have yet to play LAFC when both are on the field.

4

San Diego FC

League Finish (1st in the West, 4th in the Supporters’ Shield)

Round One opponent: Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake winner

Best playoff finish: N/A

After some hiccups down the stretch, San Diego FC got right in a big way in their last two games, winning both while scoring eight total goals. Anders Dreyer would be a clear MVP favorite in a normal, non-Messi year.

5

Vancouver Whitecaps

League Finish: (2nd in the West, 5th in the Supporters’ Shield)

Round One opponent: FC Dallas

Best playoff finish: West semifinal (2015, 2017)

The Vancouver Whitecaps have the best overall body of work in the Western Conference and probably the deepest squad. They’d be ranked higher, except they drew an undeservedly tough Round One assignment against Dallas, a team transformed since Luciano Acosta’s exit.

6

FC Cincinnati

League finish: 2nd in the East, 2nd in the Supporters’ Shield

Round One opponent: Columbus Crew

Best playoff finish: East final (2023)

FC Cincinnati have been masters of the one-goal win again this season. But there has to be some dread among their fans to see the Crew looming again after Columbus’ previous playoff heroics in the Hell is Real Derby.

7

Seattle Sounders

League finish: (5th in the West, 10th in the Supporters’ Shield)

Round One opponent: Minnesota United

Best playoff finish: MLS Cup winner (2016, 2019)

The Seattle Sounders have come back to earth a bit since their post-Club World Cup bounce. But you have to favor their quality and experience, as well as a favorable matchup against a Minnesota United side for whom Seattle has been a playoff bogeyman.

8

Charlotte FC

League finish: 4th in the East, 7th in the Supporters’ Shield

Credit: Cory Knowlton-USA TODAY Sports

Round One opponent: New York City FC

Best playoff finish: Round One (2024)

Wilfried Zaha’s foolish red card means Charlotte FC will be without their joint top scorer for the first match of their Round One series against the Cityzens. But Dean Smith has built his squad in his smartly enough that they may be able to handle the absence.

9

Columbus Crew

League finish: 7th in the East, 12th in the Supporters’ Shield

Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Round One opponent: FC Cincinnati

Best playoff finish: MLS Cup winners (2008, 2020, 2023)

On the surface, the Columbus Crew SC’s struggles down the stretch might seem alarming. But they’ve looked much improved in their last two games since the return of Diego Rossi from injury, and they have plenty of pedigree.

10

Minnesota United

League finish: 4th in the West, 8th in the Supporters’ Shield

Credit: Matt Blewett-USA TODAY Sports

Round One opponent: Seattle Sounders

Best playoff finish: West final (2020)

Minnesota Unitedhave lost three of their last five down the stretch, and the specter of facing Seattle will haunt fans with memories of the 2020 West final. Selling Tani Oluwaseyi may have been the right move for the club’s long-term future, but it makes the present more difficult.