The 2026 MLS season began on February 21. On opening day, defending MLS Cup champions Inter Miami CF began the season with a 3-0 shutout loss to 2023 MLS Cup champs Los Angeles FC. Since that setback, Inter Miami is 2-1-1 with wins over Orlando City SC and D.C United and a draw against Charlotte FC. With four games of the 34 regular-season contests behind them, Inter Miami are the favorites to repeat as MLS Cup winners. The LA Galaxy are the last team to repeat as champions, winning back-to-back MLS Cups in 2011 and 2012.
Inter Miami’s main attraction is Lionel Messi. The eight-time Ballon d’Or is signed with the team through the end of the 2028 MLS season. Don’t be surprised if the club is the preseason betting favorite to take home the MLS Cup in each of those years. However, despite their success in 2025, Inter Miami is not the overwhelming betting favorite to win the MLS Cup, Los Angeles FC and Vancouver are also in the running.
Below, we look at the odds, picks, and predictions for the 2026 MLS Cup.
| 2026 MLS Cup Winner |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter Miami | +450 | +450 | +450 |
| Los Angeles FC | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| San Diego FC | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| FC Cincinnati | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| New York City FC | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Seattle Sounders | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Columbus Crew | +1800 | +1800 | +1800 |
| Nashville SC | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 |
| Philadelphia Union | +2200 | +2200 | +2200 |
| LA Galaxy | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| New York Red Bulls | +2800 | +2800 | +2800 |
| Charlotte FC | +3300 | +3300 | +3300 |
| Chicago Fire | +3300 | +3300 | +3300 |
| Houston Dynamo | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
| Minnesota United | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
| Orlando City | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
| Real Salt Lake | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
| Toronto FC | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
| Austin FC | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
| Colorado Rapids | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
| Portland Timbers | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | +5000 | +5000 | +5000 |
| Atlanta United | +6600 | +6600 | +6600 |
| CF Montréal | +6600 | +6600 | +6600 |
| FC Dallas | +6600 | +6600 | +6600 |
| DC United | +8000 | +8000 | +8000 |
| New England Revolution | +8000 | +8000 | +8000 |
| Sporting Kansas City | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
| St. Louis City SC | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
It was huge news when Lionel Messi signed a deal with Inter Miami CF in July 2023. “I’m very excited to start this next step in my career with Inter Miami and in the United States,” Messi said at the time. “This is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project. The idea is to work together to achieve the objectives we set, and I’m very eager to start helping here in my new home.”
Messi only played three games for the team in 2023, and the club finished the year with a 9-7-18 record. The next year, Inter Miami was the No. 1 club in the East at the end of the regular season with a 22-8-4 record. However, the team was bounced from the first round of the playoffs, losing two games to Atlanta United FC. Last year, Inter Miami dipped in the standings, finishing with a 19-8-7 record, but ran through the playoffs, beating Philadelphia Union, New York City FC, and Vancouver Whitecaps by a combined score of 9-4 on the way to their first MLS Cup title.
Inter Miami lost Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba to retirement after last season. They have added Facundo Mura, Micael, Sergio Reguilón, and Germán Berterame to boost the roster.
Look for Inter Miami to compete for the MLS Cup and the Concacaf Champions Cup this year.
The 2022 MLS Cup champions, Los Angeles FC, look to win their second title in 2026. In 2025, Los Angeles was the No. 3 team in the Western Conference, finishing the season with a record of 17-9-8. Los Angeles made it to the Western Conference semifinals, losing that round of the MLS playoffs to Vancouver on penalty shots. The club is 4-0 to start the 2026 MLS season, and has not given up a goal, outscoring their opponents 8-0 in those contests, including a season-opening 3-0 shutout over Inter Miami.
Los Angeles has a new coach this year as former assistant Marc Dos Santos replaces Steve Cherundolo, who held the reins from 2022 through 2025. “I’m honored to step into the role of head coach at LAFC,” said Dos Santos after the announcement. “This is a special club – you feel it the moment you step into the training facility or stadium, when you meet the people who work here, and when you see the passion of everyone involved.“
The big move for Los Angeles happened in early August 2025 when the club signed Son Heung-Min from Tottenham Hotspur of the English Premier League. Son scored 173 goals across all competitions for Tottenham and picked up 101 assists. In 2021-22 he became the first Asian player to win the Premier League Golden Boot. Joining Son this year is Eustáquio, who is on loan from FC Porto. That loan is something to watch as it ends on June 30. However, the team could sign Eustáquio permanently before then. The question of how long he will stay with the team could be the thing keeping Los Angeles from being the betting favorite to win the MLS Cup in 2026.
The Vancouver Whitecaps have been an MLS team since the 2011 season. Last year was the most successful year of the club’s history. The club finished second in the Western Conference with a 18-9-7 record, set an attendance record of 53,957 fans to BC Place to witness the teams playoff win over Los Angeles FC on penalty shots to move onto the Western Conference finals. The Whitecaps downed San Diego FC 3-1 in that contest to earn their first shot at an MLS Cup title. Vancouver lost that game 3-1 to Inter Miami, but the club is among the betting favorites ti take home the 2026 championship.
Vancouver is 3-0 to start the 2026 MLS season, outscoring their opponents 8-1 in those three contests while surrendering a single goal.
For the most part, ownership has kept the 2025 team together for this season while adding depth with Cheikh Sabaly and picking up Aziel Jackson on loan from Jagiellonia Białystok. The team’s biggest recent move was signing Thomas Müller in August 2025. Müller who joined the Whitecaps after playing for FC Bayern Munich from 2008 through 2025. Müller is the top German goalscorer (57) and assist leader (30) in UEFA Champions League history. In 12 games with Vancouver last year, he scored eight goals, which was second best on the team. Müller will be the centerpiece of the Whitecaps in 2026.
Inter Miami is the popular pick to win the MLS Cup in 2026 with a win over Los Angeles FC. However, it’s been a while since a team repeated as MLS Cup winners. Inter Miami has the talent to do that, but we’re going with Los Angeles to beat Miami in the finals, that is, if Eustáquio stays with the club for the entire year.
The betting pick is Los Angeles FC to win the 2026 MLS Cup.
Once you are all up to speed in relation to the array of news and notes coming from the world of MLS soccer, make sure to check out the excellent collection of information for you at SBS. Of course, for even more information on the topic covered here, the MLS betting sites rundown has your back when it comes to all of the latest news and updates coming from the world of MLS. Also, be sure to check out our Premier League betting guide and our guide to the best Champions League betting sites.
About the Author
Trent's your man when it comes to all things sports. He covers a wide range of sports for Sports Betting Sites, and has been published in some pretty reputable outlets, such as USA Today Sports, Vice, Bloody Elbow, Fight! Magazine, UFC 360, and Narratively. Trent's got the inside track on all the happenings in the world of sports.
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