The 30th edition of the MLS will begin on 22 February and continue, with a break for the Club World Cup and Gold Cup, until mid-October.
The playoffs will then follow later in the year.
With the new addition of San Diego FC thirty teams will now be divided, evenly, between the Eastern and Western conferences.
They will play 34 matches during the regular season, with six of those scheduled to be inter-conference encounters.
The leading side in the overall table will then be awarded the Supporters’ Shield.
As is typical in US sport over half the teams will subsequently contest a post-league cup, the MLS Cup, during the latter part of the year.
After their record breaking 2024 season Inter Miami will go into the new campaign as the Supporters’ Shield holders while LA Galaxy will be looking to extend their hold on the MLS Cup title.
Coached by Javier Mascherano and led on the field by the now 37-year-old MVP Lionel Messi with support from the equally evergreen Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, Miami will probably start the new campaign as solid favourites.
No other team in the MLS can include a superstar such as Messi who shared forty goals with Suarez in 2024 as well as producing the equal third-best number of assists.
His presence alone guarantees packed out stadiums and trepidation amongst the opposition.
Los Angeles FC and LA Galaxy, who finished in the top two positions in last year’s Western Conference, seem likely to present the closest challenge to the Herons.
Steve Cherundolo has guided LA FC to success in the Supporters’ Shield, MLS Cup, and US Open Cup and he will be expected to deliver another solid season for the Black and Gold.
Instrumental in any success is sure to be Gabon striker Denis Bouanga alongside the very experienced French duo of Olivier Giroud and goalie Hugo Lloris.
Their counterparts from the other side of LA, Galaxy, who meet in the well-named El Trafico Clasico, are also strongly fancied to contend for honours in 2025.
One of their ex-players, Greg Vanney, has led Galaxy for the last four years culminating in their first MLS Cup victory since 2014.
Though their current roster doesn’t have the headline names of the past (eg Beckham, Gerard, Ibrahimovic, and Donovan) it can field talented young Brazilian Gabriel Pec, Spain’s Riqui Puig, and German star Marco Reus.
The Eastern Conference runners up Columbus Crew could be one of the other major contenders to topple Messi and co.
After taking over from Thierry Henry at Montreal, French coach Wilfred Nancy moved to the Crew where he soon had success, claiming the MLS Cup, Leagues Cup, and then being awarded MLS Coach of the Year in 2024.
His brand of attacking football saw his team score the most goals of any side, apart from Miami.
Though they will now have to do without star forward Cucho Hernandez (sold to Real Betis) the Crew still have the likes of Uruguayan international Diego Rossi to score the goals.
The well-supported Atlanta United, now being guided by Norwegian Ronny Delia, should also be considered especially after they spent a record fee acquiring Ivorian striker Emmanuel Latte-Lath.
And another team figuring highly in the Forbes soccer rich list, City Football Group’s New York City FC, might well be expected to perform better than last season’s 13th overall position.
Action in the MLS will begin, appropriately, at Chase Stadium when Inter Miami host New York City on February 22nd.
Analysis – John Bethell