Soccer
I’m not the only one who never grew out of the joy-filled anticipation of wanting to rip open a box covered in wrapping paper, right?
Alright, phew. Glad we’re on the same page. But this holiday season, I’m not just looking forward to opening my own gifts. Rather, I’m keeping my eyes peeled to see which MLS teams get what they really need this winter.
Here’s one thing that should be on each club’s holiday wishlist for the 2026 campaign.
Designated Players to come good
The Five Stripes’ three DPs – Alexey Miranchuk, Miguel Almirón and Emmanuel Latte Lath – combined for 19 goals and 12 assists last season. Those are Best XI numbers… if accrued by one person rather than three.
Can head coach Tata Martino get those three on the same page? Maybe the front office finds an exit for Miranchuk?
More attacking creativity
Owen Wolff led Austin in open-play shot-creating passes last year, as per FBref. And yet, on a per-90-minute basis? The 20-year-old was in just the 59th percentile in those shot-creating passes compared to his MLS positional peers, as per FBref.
The takeaway? The Verde & Black need to find more creativity this winter – and they have a DP spot to potentially use after transferring out Osman Bukari.
A rejuvenated Wilfried Zaha
Zaha didn’t have a bad 2025, but he didn’t have a spectacular debut season in MLS, either.
With eight non-penalty goals and five primary assists in more than 2,700 regular-season minutes, there’s room for improvement. If a healthy Pep Biel can help create the platform for Zaha to shine, Charlotte will be dangerous.
Jonathan Bamba to step up
While Bamba was the highest-profile addition of the Fire’s 2025 offseason, he only posted nine non-penalty goal contributions in the regular season. With Brian Gutiérrez now gone to Chivas, Gregg Berhalter’s side will need more out of Bamba to help fill the production hole in the final third.
More chemistry between Evander & Kévin Denkey
There’s plenty of firepower at Pat Noonan’s disposal, but that firepower didn’t impress quite as expected in 2025.
Evander and Denkey both performed on an individual level, but more link-up play between the two will help Cincinnati improve on their 19th-place position in FBref’s non-penalty xG statistic.
Matt Wells hitting the ground running
Between additions to their roster this window and back in the summer, and the decision to hire Matt Wells as their new head coach, there’s been plenty of change in Colorado. If the former Tottenham Hotspur assistant can get off to a fast start and have an Eric Ramsay-esque impact on the Rapids, they’ll be a real threat in 2026.
A Darlington Nagbe replacement
Is such a thing even possible? Factoring in the now-retired Nagbe’s leadership and on-field quality, the answer is probably “no.” But the Crew still need to find someone to handle pressure deep in central midfield. General manager Issa Tall will have a press-resistant midfielder on his wish-list.
Help for Petar Musa
Musa is a true difference-maker for FC Dallas and could feature on Croatia’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad. But can he get some help in 2026?
Luciano Acosta was supposed to be that player last season, yet that never panned out and prompted his summertime exit for Fluminense in Brazil.
Whether help arrives in the form of another attacking star or a more durable structure behind him, support for Musa is the goal.
Someone to feed Tai Baribo
D.C.’s biggest splash of the winter (so far) is acquiring Baribo from the Philadelphia Union. A proven goalscorer in MLS, the Israeli international is a strong addition – now he needs service. Adding a clever central playmaker to the mix has been a major need in Black-and-Red for years now. This winter is the time to pull the trigger.
More attacking dynamism
Only nine MLS teams generated fewer non-penalty xG than Houston in 2025. The front office is reportedly taking steps to bolster the attack this winter, which can only be a good thing. More speed – and more central playmaking – could elevate the Dynamo.
More possession savvy
Ready for one of my favorite stats from last year? Even with their attacking stars, LAFC ranked just 12th in the league in passes into the box during the 2025 regular season. Now with Marc Dos Santos in charge, there’s room for them to become more effective on the ball in the final third.
A Riqui Puig-led vibe shift
The equation in Carson seems simple: with Puig, the Galaxy are one of the league’s toughest teams to beat. Without him? They struggle mightily. A healthy Puig post-ACL tear should transform LA’s 2026 season – and bring back the good vibes, too.
A Sergio Busquets replacement
With Busquets now retired, Miami will have “find a new No. 6″ written clearly near the top of their offseason to-do list. That player won’t play the exact same way as Busquets, of course. No one does. But finding someone to supplement Yannick Bright is certainly a need.
We’ll also note the defending MLS Cup champions’ Jordi Alba replacement is already in hand, with Spanish left back Sergio Reguilón formally signing in mid-December.
A new goalkeeper
With Dayne St. Clair reportedly set to exchange the Minnesota snow for Miami sunshine, the Loons have a big ol’ set of goalkeeping gloves to fill ahead of 2026. The Canadian international helped fuel an incredibly promising 2025 season en route to winning Goalkeeper of the Year. Who will replace him?
Attacking help
Montréal could benefit from help in several spots. But with some promising young defenders and a distinct lack of firepower at the other end, it’s right to focus on the attack. With only one double-digit scorer last season (Prince Owusu), CFMTL simply need more juice in the final third.
A side-kick for Hany Mukhtar & Sam Surridge
Last year, Jacob Shaffelburg, Alex Muyl, Ahmed Qasem and Jonathan Pérez all auditioned for the role. None of them landed it. Sending out another casting call will, undoubtedly, be near the very top of Nashville SC’s priority list this winter.
Preseason to get here already
Without a ton of top-end roster flexibility as currently constructed, but with a new head coach in Marko Mitrović, it’s easy to imagine the New England Revolution itching to get out on the grass under their new manager. The sooner new principles can be ingrained into a familiar roster, the better.
An Alonso Martínez replacement
With Martínez out for most, if not all, of 2026 after rupturing his ACL late in the year, New York City FC will need a new starter up top to replicate the Costa Rican’s production. Finding that player, of course, is easier said than done. It’s the biggest thing on new sporting director Todd Dunivant’s list.
Find some possession-y players
With Michael Bradley at the helm, tasked with guiding a stylistic shift away from hyper-vertical attacking soccer and towards sustained possession soccer, Red Bull New York need the pieces to make a new game model work. A clever wide player and a ball-progressive central midfielder would work nicely.
A new home for Luis Muriel
In an incredibly competitive Eastern Conference, the Lions need one more top-end piece to keep pace. Finding Muriel a new home back in his native Colombia could be just what the doctor ordered, giving the front office a prime roster spot to fill this winter.
Cover for Quinn Sullivan
When Sullivan tore his ACL late last season, the Union lost their best central chance creator. While an aggressive, pressing game model will take center stage at Subaru Park again in 2026, finding a new attacker who can step up to the plate would be a real boost.
A great sophomore season for David Da Costa
In and out of the lineup and struggling with injury for segments of 2025, Da Costa’s debut season wasn’t as productive as the Timbers envisioned. Now that he’s acclimated to a new city and his teammates, Portland fans should expect bigger and better from the No. 10 (hopefully he recovers quickly from offseason shoulder surgery, too).
Diego Luna to become a superstar
Luna had another good season in 2025, bagging 10 non-penalty goal contributions. But few things in MLS will resonate more than Luna starting 2026 with a bang and playing a key role for the US men’s national team at the World Cup. It’s all on the table for the attacking midfielder this year.
Even more from Chucky Lozano
San Diego’s marquee signing was productive last year, don’t get me wrong: his 15 non-penalty goal contributions ranked second in the squad. But after being benched to end the season, there’s room for Lozano to have an even bigger impact in 2026 for one of the league’s hottest teams.
Goal contributions
With Josef Martínez reportedly gone to LIGA MX and Cristian Espinoza potentially gone in free agency, the Quakes have spaces to fill in their attack. If Espinoza’s DP spot opens, Bruce Arena would have some flexibility to find either a creative No. 10 or a dynamic forward this winter.
Find the starting goalkeeper
Is it finally time for Stefan Frei’s time between the sticks to come to a close? Despite re-signing earlier this offseason, Frei looked sluggish towards the end of last season. Will Andrew Thomas or the newly signed Max Anchor make a play for the starting job?
A clear style of play
A new head coach is on the way in Kansas City, one who will help new chief soccer officer David Lee usher in a clear playing style. With that style of play, SKC can double down on their recruitment efforts both now and in the transfer windows to come. That’s the path back to competitiveness for Kansas City.
Make life easier for Marcel Hartel
While there’s a roster-wide revamp going on under new sporting leadership in St. Louis, finding another final third difference-maker alongside Marcel Hartel will be crucial. It’s reasonable to expect this new version of St. Louis to keep more of the ball, which means they’ll need another attacker comfortable changing games in tight spaces.
A top-end No. 9
Djordje Mihailovic could use a running mate in the attack, couldn’t he? After arriving midseason from Colorado, Mihailovic showed moments of brilliance in Toronto. But he’ll shine even brighter for a reloading team when he has a multi-faceted striker to play off of.
The band to stay together
With a slew of players who performed at a perhaps unexpectedly high level en route to playing in MLS Cup 2025 presented by Audi earlier this month, there will be new contract requests and interest from other clubs when it comes to several of the ‘Caps most important players. But if the band stays together – at least for the most part – more success could follow in 2026.
Read MoreJoan Kazmierczak