MLS NEXT Pro season 5 is officially underway after a thrilling first week of action.
After the first 13 matches, there’s already plenty to talk about across the league but, while it’s far too early to draw firm conclusions, the opening results offered an early glimpse at which teams might be ready to make some noise this season.
With that said, let’s take a look at the first edition of the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Power Rankings:
New year. Same CITY2.
St Louis CITY2 made a statement in their first outing of 2026, putting four goals past SKC II to kick off the season in style.
Cooper Forcellini stole the show with a goal and an assist in a dominant CITY2 performance.
It’s a long season, but if this opening match is any indication, David Critchley already has his squad firing on all cylinders - and that’s bad news for the rest of the West.
Last match: 4-0 win vs SKC II
Next match: vs MNUFC2 on 03/08
MORE: : MLS NEXT Pro Honors: Matchweek 1
For a moment, it looked like it might be a long day for Crown Legacy FC after conceding a goal less than a minute into their first match.
But Kevin Sawchak’s side shook off the early setback, responding with four unanswered goals to take the three points against Chattanooga FC.
Nimfasha Berchimas capped off the win with a curling beauty for the fourth goal and will be hoping for a bounce-back season after injuries sidelined him for much of last year.
Last match: 4-1 win at Chattanooga FC
Next match: vs Huntsville City FC on 03/06
The defending champions wasted no time making their case to become the first back-to-back winners in MLS NEXT Pro history.
A strong core from the 2025 title team returns, and although players like Adri Mehmeti and Matthew Dos Santos are now making an impact with the first team, the group still looks capable of producing the same results and numbers that powered last year’s run.
Four first-half goals were more than enough to secure a comfortable win over Columbus Crew 2.
Now the question remains: just how good can this team be again in 2026?
Last match: 4-2 win over Columbus Crew 2
Next match: vs Inter Miami II on 03/08
It was all systems go for Houston in their season opener, earning their first clean sheet and win of the year against the defending Western Conference champions.
Dynamo 2 made the most of their chances in front of goal, scoring twice in the second half despite seeing limited possession.
The youthful squad has plenty of players to watch, but keep an eye on the duo of Matthew Arana (15) and Mattheo Dimareli (16) as they take a bigger role in the Dynamo 2 squad this season.
Last match: 2-0 win vs Colorado Rapids 2
Next match: vs Tacoma Defiance on 03/08
Although Marcus Caldeira stole the show with a Matchweek 1 hat trick, it was Momoh Kamara who ran the show from midfield, recording an assist and creating three chances.
The 4–2 victory was exactly what this new-look MNUFC2 squad needed after many key pieces from last season’s Western Conference Final run departed or were loaned out for the season.
Darius Randell and Kieran Chandler also put in strong performances and will be counted on if MNUFC2 hopes to keep the momentum going this year.
Last match: 4-2 win at Austin FC II
Next match: at St Louis CITY2 on 03/08
A lone Malik Jakupovic goal was all Philadelphia needed to earn their first win of 2026.
The 16-year-old looks poised for a breakout season with many of Union II’s longtime standouts either moving up to the first team or playing elsewhere this year.
Although TFC II controlled much of the match, Union II stayed patient and made the most of their chances to earn the victory.
Kellan LeBlanc and Rafael Uzcátegui were also standouts in Matchweek 1 action and will be key pieces for Philadelphia as the season continues.
Last match: 1-0 win vs TFC II
Next match: vs FC Cincinnati 2 on 03/08
A statement victory to open up their first MLS NEXT Pro campaign is exactly how you want to start your first season ever.
A 3–1 road win over FC Cincinnati 2 showed that with the experience and talent Shavar Thomas has at his disposal, this Conneticut team could make some noise in the Eastern Conference in their first season.
Ibrahim Kasule (on loan from Red Bulls II) found the net and added an assist, while MLS NEXT Pro veterans Steven Sserwadda (also on loan from RBNY II) and Alex Monis (Fire II, Revs II) also made big contributions.
Robbie Mora-Arias, an MLS NEXT Pro newcomer, impressed as well with two goal contributions.
Another road test this week should tell us a lot more about what this team is made of.
Last match: 3-1 win vs FC Cincinnati 2
Next match: at Chattanooga FC on 03/08
The final match of Matchweek 1 put a bow on an exciting opening week with a back and forth contest.
Shak Mohammed scored a brace against his former club, including a long-distance strike that could easily be a Goal of the Week winner.
In the end, Huntsville proved clinical in front of goal, earning a 3–1 road win over Orlando City B to kick off their campaign.
The young HCFC backline will face a strong test in Matchweek 2 when they host Crown Legacy FC, who just put four goals on the board in their season opener.
Last match: 2-1 loss at Portland Timbers2
Next match: at Crown Legacy FC on 03/06
It was a perfect homecoming for former LA Galaxy academy product Julian Placias after signing with Ventura County FC for the 2026 season.
The 19-year-old scored twice in VCFC’s dominant win over Whitecaps FC 2 en route to a 4-2 victory.
Matt Taylor’s side peppered the WFC2 goal all night, finishing with 31 (!) total shots, with 11 of those being on target.
They’ll look to keep the momentum going this week against Austin FC II.
Last match: 4-2 win vs Whitecaps FC 2
Next match: at Austin FC II on 03/08
Dubbed “Mr. Not-So Irrelevant” by the Timbers2 social media team, Maximilian Kissel showed exactly why he was brought into the squad, scoring the game-winner against Earthquakes II in his first minutes of MLS NEXT Pro action.
The 90th and final pick of the 2026 MLS SuperDraft - often dubbed “Mr. Irrelevant” in other sports - Kissel was originally selected by Inter Miami before ultimately signing an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Timbers2 this season.
If his name sounds familiar, you may remember him scoring a memorable Golden Goal in the 2024 NCAA College Cup Final to help Vermont win the national championship.
Timbers2 have yet to reach the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs since the league’s inception, but they’ve started the 2026 season on the right foot.
Next up, they’ll host Whitecaps FC 2 as they look to earn back-to-back victories to start the season.
Last match: 2-1 win vs Portland Timbers2
Next match: vs Whitecaps FC 2 on 03/08
