Major League Soccer

MLS 2026: Nashville twelve points clear, Messi on 25 goals with four games left

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 30 games Nashville SC have the best record in the league with 67 points, twelve more than anyone else, after a 1-1 draw in San Jose. They are unbeaten at Geodis Park, with 14 wins and a draw, and have the meanest defence in MLS, 23 goals conceded. Inter Miami, 3-1 winners in Atlanta, are second in the East on 55 points with the league's highest-scoring attack, 73 goals, ahead of New England (52), who beat the Chicago Fire 1-0, Chicago (48) and Charlotte (47).

In the West the Vancouver Whitecaps won 2-1 in Austin and lead with 55 points, four ahead of St. Louis City and FC Dallas, with San Jose (48) and Houston (47) next. At the bottom, Sporting Kansas City have conceded 75 goals, the most in the league, and CF Montréal are last in the East.

Lionel Messi leads the scoring charts with 25 goals and shares the assist lead, 12, with San Diego's Anders Dreyer and LAFC's Son Heung-min. FC Dallas' Petar Musa has 20 goals, Milan Iloski 19 and Rafael Navarro 18.