Matchday 24: Messi’s momentum, Vancouver’s test & more! | MLSSoccer.com

The MLS Secondary Transfer Window closed Wednesday night, as teams rushed to complete moves before Matchday 24 this weekend.

With summertime signings settling in and the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs race beginning in earnest, here are the biggest games on deck.

Lionel Messi called time on his legendary international career earlier this week, bidding farewell to his beloved Argentine national team with an emotional letter shared on social media.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup champion is still full steam ahead at club level, though, and is determined to help Inter Miami CF contend for a second straight MLS Cup presented by Audi title.

The back-to-back Landon Donovan MLS MVP has a league-high 28 goal contributions (18g/10a) this year to lead the Golden Boot presented by Audi race, and is fresh off a historic 4g/1a performance in last weekend’s 7-1 home rout of CF Montréal.

The Swiss international was acquired last month from French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais for one of the largest transfer fees in MLS history (reportedly around $18 million).

Embolo, who competed at the 2026 World Cup, will look to link up with Paraguayan star Miguel Almirón and spark a road upset.

The Walmart Saturday Showdown spotlight heads to Los Angeles, where the Galaxy hope midseason roster reinforcements can lead them into the playoff places.

FC Barcelona alum Sergi Roberto, Mexican winger Chucky Lozano and Japanese forward Kyōgo Furuhashi are the headliners for the six-time MLS Cup champions, who have just one win in eight games since the World Cup break.

That trio joins up with Marco Reus and Joseph Paintsil, who have combined for 9g/12a and are counted on to provide a spark.

New England provide a tough test, as they enter the weekend sixth in the Supporters’ Shield race and continue to stack results under first-year head coach Marko Mitrović.

Club captain Carles Gil is their main man, providing a team-high 16 goal contributions (8g/8a) while earning his fifth MLS All-Star nod earlier this summer.

The Revs are also boosted by a summer signing, with Jack Harrison chipping in six assists through five games upon his return to MLS. The former New York City FC standout lines up opposite homegrown winger Peyton Miller.

One season removed from making the MLS Cup final, Vancouver are proving their 2025 success was no fluke.

The Whitecaps have a four-point lead atop the Western Conference standings, sitting above Houston Dynamo FC with a game in hand.

Thomas Müller remains the star attraction. But the Whitecaps are all about the collective and are flourishing in head coach Jesper Sørensen’s attack-minded system.

Now, Vancouver encounter a St. Louis CITY team that’s riding a 12-game unbeaten streak (eight wins, four draws) and arguably “won” the summer transfer market.

Holse and Navarro are both Designated Players, and the latter just arrived via a trade with the Colorado Rapids for a club-record $12 million. 

Can all these new pieces hit the ground running and build off the momentum created by first-year head coach Yoann Damet?