2025 MLS Week 1 Power Rankings

Week 1 is in the books, and the overreactions are as rampant as ever. A handful of players just tricked you with what will end up being their best performance of the entire season. With the season so fresh, and the parity of Major League Soccer, things will not take shape for months. Some preseason underdogs will need consistent results to prove their worth, while others will certainly not live up to the hype. Admittedly, power rankings still mean next-to-nothing right now. With that being said, the Week 1 Power Rankings:

1. FC CINCINNATI (-) | 1-0 W vs RBNY

FC Cincinnati got the job done thanks to a Kevin Denkey goal over the top. Evander was quiet in his MLS debut, but things are always going to be wacky at the start of the year for the teams participating in the CCC. The defensive effort was solid and Cincy earned a clean sheet against a solid Red Bulls side in game one.

2. ATLANTA UNITED (+1) | 3-2 W MTL

Atlanta United proved that spending money works, although they have had plenty of failures with that in the past. Emmanuel Latte Lath got off the mark with a brace and was very impressive, while Miguel Almiron was active as well. They need more from Alexey Miranchuk and the defense looked leaky, though they had injuries there. If the attack keeps flying like that, Atlanta will be stay near the top.

3. INTER MIAMI CF (-1) | 2-2 D NYC

Inter Miami will not be thrilled with Tomas Aviles' 23rd minute red card, right after scoring the opening goal of the season. It left them exposed throughout the game and allowed NYCFC to jump on opportunities. In the end, a whopping 15 minutes of stoppage time afforded Lionel Messi enough time to set up Telasco Segovia for a debut equalizer to salvage a point.

4. LAFC (+2) | 1-0 W MIN

LAFC looked concerning in the first half against Minnesota United and were hardly the better team. As the game waned, they started to look a lot more like themselves and Jeremy Ebobisse struck from distance to claim the victory. Igor Jesus looks quite promising alongside Mark Delgado, though Timothy Tillman did not play one of his better games. Marlon helped hold it down in the back as LAFC survived a slow start.

5. SEATTLE SOUNDERS (-) | 2-2 D CLT

The Seattle Sounders relied on Jordan Morris in the attack, as he scored both goals in the draw with Charlotte. Albert Rusnak remains phenomenal pulling the strings and Georgi Minoungou is looking increasingly dangerous on the wing. The Roldan brothers both played fantastic games and showed ball-winning prowess. This would have led to a week one victory, if not for a Yeimar own goal at the death. Despite the two goals conceded, Frei did not have to make a single save, so the prolific defense will likely figure it out soon.

6. COLUMBUS CREW (+1) | 4-2 W CHI

Columbus Crew had a rough start to their match against Chicago, but the Fire's mistakes in the back ultimately handed them the game. Jacen Russell-Rowe and Diego Rossi capitalized on errors, and the Crew also got the benefit of an own goal. The Crew scored four, but they will not be provided such easy scoring in the future.

7. CHARLOTTE FC (+1) | 2-2 D SEA

Charlotte FC visited Seattle in week one and nearly left with all three points, without its new star player in Wilfried Zaha. Adilson Malanda once again showed why teams abroad are going to be calling for him in due time. Pep Biel was the most effective player going forward, Pep Biel and Eryk Williamson lacked quality. The Crown still grabbed a road point regardless, so it's certainly something to build off of.

8. LA GALAXY (-4) | 2-0 L SD

LA Galaxy should not be panicking just yet, but life without Riqui Puig and Joseph Paintsil may get ugly. Paintsil will be back, but the Galaxy need to figure out the attacking mid spot without Puig. It may be time to question Marco Reus, who simply has not looked sharp in MLS. Miki Yamane was the only positive performer in the 2-0 loss to San Diego FC, the first game in the expansion club's history.

9. NEW YORK RED BULLS (-) | 1-0 L FCC

The New York Red Bulls played their game in the 1-0 loss to FC Cincinnati, it just didn't go their way in the end. Eric Choupo-Moting had a few attempts and was involved in his debut. Lewis Morgan and Emil Forsberg did not provide much of anything, but the backline was fairly solid outside of the goal conceded. RBNY will look to recover at home against Nashville.

10. MINNESOTA UNITED (-) | 1-0 L LAFC

Minnesota United had a similar situation to the Red Bulls in that they enacted their game plan, but just fell thanks to one moment of brilliance from the opposing striker. Kelvin Yeboah is going to be a problem, he nearly scored on a couple of occasions. Eric Ramsay's decision to sub Joseph Rosales out at halftime proved costly. The loss to LAFC should not discourage Minnesota, though.

11. AUSTIN FC (+3) | 1-0 W SKC

Austin FC played a fantastic defensive game as a team, ceding not much of anything to Sporting Kansas City. The backline and midfield were rock solid. Brandon Vazquez showed a few flashes, while Myrto Uzuni is not yet in the fold. The difference on the scoresheet came from DP winger Osman Bukari, who was somehow left wide open on a corner kick.

12. COLORADO RAPIDS (+1) | 0-0 D STL

The Colorado Rapids went on the road to claim a road point in week one, which is the goal of many away teams, especially ones playing in multiple competitions. Zack Steffen was the star of the show with his five saves to keep the game at zeroes. The new-look defense and midfield played well. The attack, however, was useless. Cole Bassett is much better in the double pivot than on the wing, and Djordje Mihailovic created not a thing in the draw.

13. HOUSTON DYNAMO (-2) | 2-1 L DAL

Houston Dynamo is certainly trending downward after a brutal 2-1 home loss to their Texan rivals. Petar Musa absolutely killed them and resurfaced questions of why they decided to roll with 31-year-old MLS journeyman Andrew Tarbell in net. The bright spot was Jack McGlynn, who is shaping up to be one of the best central midfielders in MLS. Otherwise, the Dynamo looked flat and need to make some real adjustments.

14. ORLANDO CITY SC (-2) | 4-2 L PHI

Orlando City really could not have had a better opening 10 minutes to the season, and followed it up with the 80 worst possible minutes. Marco Pasalic struck eight minutes in and the fans were elated that he effectively replaced Facundo Torres. He ended up scoring again later on, but Pedro Gallese and Rodrigo Schlegel nightmare performances led to a shocking 4-2 home loss.

15. NYCFC (+1) | 2-2 D MIA

NYCFC is looking positive after week one, going on the road and getting a point off of Miami is no easy task. They'll be disappointed with the amount of stoppage time and the fact the inevitable equalizer came in the 100th minute. Alonso Martinez continues to be one of the best pure finishers in the league, but he needs more support from his wingers if this team wants to succeed going forward.

16. FC DALLAS (+5) | 2-1 W HOU

FC Dallas did not get direct contributions from blockbuster addition Luciano Acosta, and they still went on the road and grabbed a win in week one. Petar Musa showed why he is a Golden Boot candidate, and even played a Lucho-like ball to set up Anderson Julio. It was a solid debut for center back Osaze Urhoghide as well. Winning a game without Acosta on the score sheet is a good sign, because he will get his name there very soon.

17. SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (+5) | 4-0 W RSL

The San Jose Earthquakes were absolutely on fire during a 13-minute stretch in the second half against Real Salt Lake. The first 45 was good and produced a goal from two youthful players in Jamar Ricketts and Beau Leroux. Cristian Espinoza continued to be one of the top chance creators from the wing, with Rodrigues and Daniel playing incredible matches to earn a clean sheet. The Quakes won 4-0 without involvements from either of their marquee strikers, which could be good or bad. Bruce Arena's side still needs to prove itself against better attacking teams.

18. NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (-) | 0-0 D NSH

The New England Revolution did its job in week one in earning a positive road point with a brand-new roster. Brayan Ceballos was incredible in the back, while Mamadou Fofana had some good moments next to him. Ignatius Ganago was the most active attacking player and looks like a future problem for defenses. Luca Langoni and Leonardo Campana were largely uninvolved with the lack of New England attacking possession. The Revs have a great test against Columbus in the upcoming home opener.

19. ST. LOUIS CITY SC (-) | 0-0 D COL

St. Louis City was undoubtedly the better team in the scoreless draw against Colorado, but the goal just never came. Marcel Hartel is an unreal player and is poised for a huge season, he created seven chances in the game. It was a job well-done on the defensive, but the striking pair of Simon Becher and Joao Klauss absolutely need to get into better positions to score.

20. REAL SALT LAKE (-5) | 4-0 L SJ

Real Salt Lake was pretty clearly the loser of week one, it all unraveled for the visitors in San Jose. Forster Ajago at striker was worrisome preseason, and even more so now. There was hardly a good performance across the entire team, though Pablo Ruiz turned in his first start in a year and created six chances. The Quakes absolutely took it to them and now they have to focus on Costa Rican side CS Herediano midweek.

21. PHILADELPHIA UNION (+3) | 4-2 W ORL

The Philadelphia Union was filled with negative pretenses prior to kickoff, and they proved everyone wrong with a statement 4-2 opener in Orlando. Tai Baribo was fantastic in front of goal, and Daniel Gazdag did enough. The Union played their game with the fullbacks, Kai Wagner registered an assist, per usual, while Homegrown right back debutant Francis Westfield provided one of his own in the win.

22. VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (+3) | 4-1 W POR

The Vancouver Whitecaps dominated Portland in every regard on Sunday after an early Kamal Miller red card. The Timbers have now suffered a combined 9-1 spanking from Vancouver across their last two MLS games. Jayden Nelson was simply unreal for the Caps on the wing, providing three assists along with a goal of his own, and showed blazing pace. Ryan Gauld did his thing, while Pedro Vite took an important step up. Sam Adekugbe and the whole defensive unit looked cohesive, it was a dream start for Vancouver.

23. PORTLAND TIMBERS (-6) | 4-1 L VAN

The Portland Timbers are on the opposite side of things, hosting Vancouver in a worst-case home opener. Nothing the way of the Timbers, but it was also not a preferred lineup, plus they were down a man the whole game. Jonathan Rodriguez and Santiago Moreno were missing in action, while David da Costa only played a half. Adapting to life without Evander will be difficult, and it will be even more difficult if they don't have their best players playing one day into the campaign.

24. CF MONTREAL (-4) | 3-2 L ATL

CF Montreal's drop is probably a bit harsh because they truly played a solid game in Atlanta. Nathan Saliba continues to be the rising young star that this team needs in the midfield. Prince Owusu was incredibly dangerous at every last moment and very nearly tied the game at three, after equalizing at two previously. George Campbell was solid as well, but the defensive effort as a whole needs to be cleaned up. Montreal cannot be counted out, the team is largely young, scrappy and hungry.

25. SAN DIEGO FC (+3) | 2-0 W LA

San Diego FC, the story of MLS opening weekend. The newest franchise played the defending champions off their own field on the first edition of Sunday Night Soccer. There is no other conclusion to arrive at besides that Anders Dreyer is the real deal, his magical left foot provided both of the first goals in team history. Keep that in mind for future trivia. SD moved the ball quickly and looked comfortable in possession. Hirving Lozano was sharp on the opposite wing as well. Their first home game next weekend and the next few matches will give a better sense of if San Diego are St. Louis City repeats, or it was just the first-game energy.

26. CHICAGO FIRE (-3) | 4-2 L CLB

Chicago Fire hit on the signing of Jonathan Bamba, he assisted both goals to Brian Gutierrez in the loss. Gutierrez was the Fire's best player last season and is off to a great start in 2025. Otherwise, it was putrid for Gregg Berhalter. Sergio Oregel was a disaster in the midfield, Carlos Teran scored a horrific own goal and the rest of the squad faltered. It was a true mess at the back, Chicago handed Columbus three goals on a silver platter. Hugo Cuypers only played a half, but they'll need more from him, too.

27. NASHVILLE SC (-1) | 0-0 D NE

Nashville SC looked improved in the opening 0-0 draw with New England. Hany Mukhtar showed some flashes in the chance creation and cross department. Sam Surridge headed home a goal that was ruled out for offside in a very close decision. Edvard Tagseth was quite active in his debut as well. Andy Najar's Nashville debut was also successful. Injuries forced Nashville to play a few young players that did well in their minutes. They need the dynamism of Jacob Shaffelburg back as soon as possible, and Gaston Brugman will help in the middle.

28. SPORTING KANSAS CITY (-1) | 1-0 L ATX

Sporting Kansas City lost in week one, which puts it on track for its 2025 projections, not a good year of soccer. Good performances were few and far between on the SKC side of things. Dejan Joveljic played one half and had a top contribution of a yellow card, while Manu Garcia's one half yielded decent results at the very least. Logan Ndenbe was their best player, it was a whole bunch of nothing elsewhere. This team needs some help, but it must focus on the CCC matchup with Inter Miami first.

29. DC UNITED (-) | 2-2 D TFC

DC United should be disappointed with its lack of a victory against widely bottom-ranked Toronto FC. Christian Benteke did what he does, jump above everyone else and score a thunderous header, but it wasn't enough. DC continues to rely solely on its striker for everything going forward. On the bright side, central midfielder Boris Enow stepped up in a big way with a lovely all-around performance, but he needs more help across the board.

30. TORONTO FC (-) | 2-2 D DC

Toronto FC came into the season ranked dead last by nearly everyone, and it will stay that way in week one. Alonso Coello played well in the midfield and debutant Markus Cimermancic put in a good shift. Federico Bernardeschi has a servere lack of assistance in this team, which everyone already knew. Getting a road point, though, is not the worst start in the world for Toronto. Perhaps it will provide a little spark ahead of a road trip to Orlando.