It’s Monday, MLS action is back, and it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings.
Who looks the strongest? Who’s in for a long year? Our writers studied the action from across Matchday 5 to come up with this week’s order. Let’s dive in.
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– MLS duo banned for life for betting on own games
Previous ranking: 3
It was a dream week for Nashville SC, building upon their elimination of Lionel Messi and Inter Miami during the week in Concacaf Champions Cup play with a 5-0 thrashing of Orlando City at the weekend. Sam Surridge netted a hat trick, taking him to seven goals and an early lead in the Golden Boot race.
Previous ranking: 2
While LAFC was able to create more chances than Austin FC in a 0-0 draw, they couldn’t find a truly dangerous opportunity to beat opposing goalkeeper Brad Stuver. It was a long travel week after a Concacaf Champions Cup triumph in Costa Rica, so LAFC will appreciate the upcoming international break.
Previous ranking: 1
In the stretch of four days, the Caps were eliminated from the Concacaf Champions Cup, then fell 1-0 to the San Jose Earthquakes at home. The sky isn’t falling: It’s their first defeat of the season, and both Thomas Muller and Sebastian Berhalter came into the match as substitutes, but the exuberance from last week’s 6-0 win over Minnesota United has faded.
Previous ranking: 5
It was hardly the prettiest free kick of Lionel Messi’s career, but Inter Miami won’t care. The Argentine scored the equalizer, and Micael’s header in the 74th minute ended up being the winner in a 3-2 victory over NYCFC.
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Lionel Messi scores as Inter Miami downs NYCFC
Inter Miami grabs the 3-2 win as Lionel Messi finds the back of the net in the second half.
Previous ranking: 4
What was a chance for three points turned into a mission to hang onto one, but San Diego accomplished that mission with a 2-2 draw against Real Salt Lake. Despite a late goal conceded and a red card before stoppage time, SDFC stayed undefeated to bounce back from a midweek loss to Toluca in Concacaf Champions Cup action.
Previous ranking: 7
A Beau Leroux stunner just before the halftime break was enough for the Quakes to return to winning ways with a 1-0 triumph over the Vancouver Whitecaps. It’s the fourth clean sheet this season for San Jose, who will be a contender if they can keep defending this well.
Previous ranking: 6
Fresh off a CCC series win over the Vancouver Whitecaps, the Sounders traveled to Minnesota and came away with a point in a 0-0 contest. They also had some decent chances, but couldn’t beat Minnesota United goalkeeper Drake Callender.
Previous ranking: 8
Victor Olatunji popped up at the back post to finish off a cross in the 85th minute and secure a 2-2 road draw for Real Salt Lake against San Diego FC in the Sunday nightcap. While it ends a stretch of three straight wins, it’s another result that will convince RSL fans that Pablo Mastroeni has a team that will be in the hunt this season.
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San Diego FC vs. Real Salt Lake – Game Highlights
Watch the Game Highlights from San Diego FC vs. Real Salt Lake, 03/22/2026
Previous ranking: 9
Nico Fernandez scored his fifth goal of the season and Agustin Ojeda put NYCFC ahead against Inter Miami in the 59th minute. But Messi struck just after that goal, and NYCFC fell 3-2. It’s a result that snaps a three-game winning streak and is the first loss of the season for the Pigeons.
Previous ranking: 11
FC Dallas is creating a bad habit of falling behind and letting Petar Musa bring them back, but it worked once again in a 4-3 rivalry win over the Houston Dynamo. A Logan Farrington double had FCD up 2-0 early, but three goals conceded in five minutes meant Musa was needed as a halftime sub, and he found the winning goal.
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FC Dallas vs. Houston Dynamo – Game Highlights
Watch the Game Highlights from FC Dallas vs. Houston Dynamo, 03/21/2026
Previous ranking: 12
James Rodriguez had a better time in his second MLS match than his first, but the Loons still weren’t able to earn three points, settling for a 0-0 result against the visiting Seattle Sounders. A positive: James created two chances in 13 minutes of play in his home debut.
Previous ranking: 13
Joao Klauss scored in the 30th minute, 10 minutes after suffering a foul that drew a red card, but the LA Galaxy couldn’t find a second and left Portland with a 1-1 draw against the Timbers. It’s a long way from Jamaica, where the Galaxy won in CCC play during the week, but they’ll need to be crisper with Toluca looming in the quarterfinals.
Previous ranking: 10
It’s fair to say the sheen has come off the young Red Bulls, who fell 6-1 to Charlotte FC on Saturday and are now winless in their last three. Four of those goals came after Gustav Berggren was sent off for a second yellow earned by pulling down Idan Toklomati, but it still was a night to forget.
Previous ranking: 14
Just when it looked like FC Cincinnati was going to suffer a fourth consecutive MLS defeat, Tom Barlow and Kévin Denkey came to the rescue with late goals that pushed FCC to a 4-3 win over CF Montreal. It may somewhat soften the blow of the 5-1 loss they took to Tigres during the week that saw them eliminated from CCC play.
Previous ranking: 15
Hugo Cuypers and Jonathan Bamba got on the scoresheet for the Fire in a 2-1 road win over the Philadelphia Union, and the team kept creating chances even after Philip Zinckernagel went off with a head injury just after the half-hour mark. All good signs for Gregg Berhalter’s club.
Previous ranking: 17
Charlotte enjoyed a goal explosion, thumping the New York Red Bulls 6-1 to extend their unbeaten run to three matches. Pep Biel had an early assist and scored from a low free kick after the Red Bulls went down to 10 men in the 53rd minute.
Previous ranking: 18
An early goal by the visitors seemed to snap St. Louis City to attention, as Yoann Damet’s side ran off three unanswered goals in a 3-1 victory over the New England Revolution. The win, capped by Marcel Hartel’s must-see half-volley from distance, snapped a three-match losing run from St. Louis.
Previous ranking: 19
A late push was rewarded with an 83rd-minute goal from Walker Zimmerman, who headed in a corner from Djordje Mihailovic to give TFC a 2-1 win over the Columbus Crew. That makes it seven points from five matches this season: a modest return, perhaps, but it took them nine weeks to hit the same mark in 2025.
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Walker Zimmerman’s fine header wins it for Toronto
Walker Zimmerman rises to the moment to score the winner for Toronto over Columbus.
Previous ranking: 16
The Dynamo tasted a frustrating 4-3 defeat in a Texas Derby contest, taking a 3-2 lead into the halftime break after a wild first half, but ultimately unable to head back down I-45 with even a point. Erik Sviatchenko’s second yellow card in the 68th minute came just after substitutions, making it all the more difficult to rescue anything from the contest.
Previous ranking: 20
Rapids matches this season look to promise plenty of goals, and this weekend it was the Rapids themselves who delivered them in a 4-1 win at Sporting Kansas City. Paxton Aaronson scored twice and also had a hockey assist in a performance that hinted at big potential for an attacking unit led by him, Darren Yapi and Rafael Navarro.
Previous ranking: 22
D.C. United settled for a drab draw with Atlanta United, returning home after a 0-0 result that saw D.C. try just four shots, and only two inside the box. Goalkeeper Sean Johnson will be pleased with his second clean sheet of the season.
Previous ranking: 24
The good news for Austin FC? They were able to keep LAFC’s powerful attack from finding the back of the net. The bad news? Those creativity issues that have dogged them for the last two years are still present, and they couldn’t score in a 0-0 stalemate.
Previous ranking: 29
While the Timbers conceded after going a man down thanks to Kamal Miller’s red card, they were able to limit the damage and see out a 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy. James Pantemis made six saves to help Portland hold on.
Previous ranking: 26
After winning 6-1 last time out, the Revs took an early lead thanks to a 14th-minute strike by Ilay Feingold. But they couldn’t make it stick, falling 3-1 to St. Louis City SC.
Previous ranking: 21
An early goal from Wessam Abou Ali had Columbus hoping it would be able to secure a first win of the season, and Diego Rossi nearly doubled the lead with a shot off the post in the 52nd minute. But the Crew conceded twice in the second half and fell 2-1 to Toronto FC. Though the coach just arrived in the winter, it’s not too early to wonder if Henrik Rydstrom is already on the hot seat.
Previous ranking: 28
One step forward, two steps … sideways? The week after the first win of the campaign, Tata Martino’s Atlanta United offered little in a scoreless home draw with D.C. United, putting just three shots on target.
Previous ranking: 23
Bidding farewell to Oscar Pareja certainly hasn’t solved Orlando’s issues. Two weeks after making a managerial change after a 5-0 defeat, it was another loss by the same scoreline as the Lions were dominated by Nashville SC. Antoine Griezmann’s reported arrival would help, but there’s much to be done.
Previous ranking: 25
The Union are the defending Supporters’ Shield champions but look very far from a trophy right now. A 2-1 loss to the Chicago Fire could’ve been even worse had the visitors been more efficient. Out of the Concacaf Champions Cup and sitting on a 0W-5L-0D record in league play, Alejandro Bedoya called it the “worst rut” he’s seen during his decade-long run in Chester.
Previous ranking: 27
While Shapi Suleymanov was able to respond to the Colorado Rapids’ opener, SKC didn’t have any answer for the visitors in the second half of a 4-1 defeat. The loss plummets SKC into the Western Conference basement.
Previous ranking: 30
Montreal was up a goal and up a man on FC Cincinnati in the 64th minute but managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in a 4-3 loss Sunday. That’s not the way to climb out of the bottom spot in the power rankings.
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