The first portion of the 2026 MLS season is in the books. It's all eyes on the World Cup now, as the 2026 edition of the tournament descends upon North America and 13 cities across the United States and Canada, plus three in Mexico.
This weekend's Matchday 15 slate saw some teams allow World Cup-bound players to sit out, while others fielded top-choice lineups hoping to enter the extended international break with a win and good vibes.
From outstanding showdowns on the West Coast to Lionel Messi's concerning exit in a record-smashing 6–4 Inter Miami victory over the Philadelphia Union, the final pre-World Cup weekend didn't disappoint.
Sports Illustrated dives into the weekly MLS Power Rankings, with the league set to resume with a six-game Matchday 16 slate on July 16, between the World Cup semifinals and the July 19 final.
MLS Power Rankings: Matchday 15
Clubs 30–11:
30. Philadelphia Union (Previous: 30) | 29. Atlanta United (Previous: 29) | 28. Sporting Kansas City (Previous: 27) | 27. Colorado Rapids (Previous: 26) | 26. St. Louis CITY SC (Previous: 28) | 25. Austin FC (Previous: 24) | 24. Orlando City (Previous: 21) | 23. CF Montréal (Previous: 25) | 22. D.C. United (Previous: 23) | 21. Toronto FC (Previous: 22) | 20. Portland Timbers (Previous: 20) | 19. San Diego FC (Previous: 17) | 18. Columbus Crew (Previous: 19) | 17. Red Bull New York (Previous: 18) | 16. Houston Dynamo (Previous: 16) | 15. LA Galaxy (Previous: 15) | 14. Minnesota United (Previous: 14) | 13. New York City FC (Previous: 11) | 12. Charlotte FC (Previous: 13) | 11. New England Revolution (Previous: 10)
10. FC Dallas
While some teams are limping into the World Cup break, things couldn't be going any better for FC Dallas. This weekend saw the Toros grab a 2–1 win over the Colorado Rapids, bringing them to four wins in their last five and up to fourth in the Western Conference.
Even without talisman and World Cup-bound Croatian international Petar Musa, they found a way to nab a pair of goals through Logan Farrington's sixth of the season and Santiago Moreno, both from the penalty spot.
Outside of the top-tier attack, Jonathan Sirois has found some form between the sticks, giving manager Eric Quill a true battle between the Canadian and Michael Collodi.
9. FC Cincinnati
Talk about heading into the World Cup with a bang. FC Cincinnati took full advantage of a dismal Orlando City defense, putting up six goals in a 6–2 win, now having scored at least three goals in four of their last five matches.
After starting the season at a lower level of production than usual, Evander has found his form in the past several weeks. In the Orlando beatdown, he posted an outstanding two goals and three assists, while also stringing together 10 key passes.
That has him at nine goals and six assists this season, trailing only Messi in total goal contributions. Cincinnati returns to MLS action in July against Western Conference leaders, Vancouver Whitecaps, in what looks to be a thrilling matchup.
8. Real Salt Lake
The biggest news for Real Salt Lake came pre-match on Saturday, when reports revealed that star midfielder Diego Luna and outstanding teenager Zavier Gozo would not make the U.S. men's national team squad for the upcoming World Cup.
Gozo played as if he took that to heart, ramping up his energy down the right flank even more so and setting up Zach Booth for the 22-year-old right wingback's first MLS goal in the 22nd minute.
While Luna wasn't in the matchday squad, the Claret and Cobalt allowed a 93rd-minute equalizer. They shouldn't worry too much — it's three wins and four games unbeatenheading into the break.