Major League Soccer

MLS 2026: Nashville set the pace, Messi leads the scoring race

Major League Soccer is the top division in the United States and Canada, played since 1996, and LA Galaxy have won the most MLS Cups. Thirty clubs are split into two conferences of 15 and play 34 regular-season games. The top seven in each conference go straight into the MLS Cup Playoffs, the clubs in eighth and ninth meet in a wild-card game, and the team with the best overall record wins the Supporters' Shield.

After 28 games, Nashville SC have the best record in the league with 63 points, twelve more than anyone else. They are unbeaten at Geodis Park, with 13 wins and a draw, and have the meanest defence in MLS with only 22 goals conceded. Inter Miami are second in the East on 49 points and have the league's highest-scoring attack with 68 goals, ahead of the Chicago Fire (48), New England and Charlotte (46 each).

The Western Conference is much closer. The Vancouver Whitecaps lead with 51 points, a point ahead of St. Louis City, with FC Dallas (47), San Jose (46) and Houston (45) close behind. At the bottom, Sporting Kansas City have conceded 68 goals, the most in the league, and CF Montréal are last in the East.

Lionel Messi leads the scoring charts with 23 goals and has also provided 11 assists. FC Dallas' Petar Musa has 19 goals, and Brian White, Rafael Navarro and Milan Iloski have 17 each. San Diego's Anders Dreyer leads the assist charts with 12.