Ranking the Best Signings of the MLS Offseason
The 2026 Major League Soccer season gets underway at the end of February, and the upcoming campaign promises to be a monster one in North America’s premier footballing league. Last term, Lionel Messi finally managed to lead Inter Miami to the MLS Cup at the third time of asking, with the mercurial Argentine netting a whopping 43 goals in 49 appearances, the most he has managed in a single campaign since heading to South Beach. However, if he wishes to help the Floridian outfit become the first team since the Los Angeles Galaxy 12 years ago to retain the title, he will have to do so without two of his most important comrades.
Both Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, two of the Inter Miami captain’s closest allies, both in his Barcelona days and now in his time on the East Coast, hung up their boots at the back end of the season, retiring after glittering careers. Messi has opted to go on, penning a new two-year deal to remain in South Beach until past his 40th birthday. However, without two of his favored technical wizards alongside him, the task to retain the title just got that much tougher.
Champions Miami Lead the Betting Charts
Even so, online betting sites still make the champions the team to beat. The latest Lucky Rebel soccer odds currently list Miami as the narrow 4/1 favorites to retain their title in 2026, closely followed by the 11/2 LAFC. The Californians added former Tottenham hotshot Son Heung-min to their ranks last term, and the South Korean superstar was prolific throughout his first few months in SoCal. If he can continue that form into his first full season with the club, there’s a very real chance that he could push Messi and Co. all the way this season.
While ‘Sonny’ was perhaps the biggest signing of last season, each of the MLS’s 30 teams has been working hard throughout the offseason to strengthen their squads and close the gap to Messi’s Miami. But which of them managed to complete the biggest name signings of the winter? Let’s take a look.
Rodrigo De Paul to Inter Miami
Argentina international Rodrigo De Paul has been one of Messi’s closest allies on international duties with the Albiceleste. They combined to lead the South American giants to the trophy in Qatar four years ago, securing Messi’s status as the greatest player who’s ever lived in the process. This summer, they will attempt to defend their global crown in North America, but not before the two also try to defend their domestic title on South Beach, or at least hit the ground running in the opening weeks of the new campaign.
De Paul arrived in Miami last summer, signing on loan from Atletico Madrid until the end of the season. The deal was seen as quite the coup at the time, with the tenacious midfielder a genuine marquee name still at the peak of his powers. RDP immediately added some much-needed steel to the midfield of Javier Mascherano’s side, providing the legs and running so that his central midfielder partner, Busquets, could orchestrate freely. Now, the David Beckham-owned team has pulled the trigger on signing the Argentine on a permanent basis.
Miami paid €15m to Atletico Madrid to permanently secure De Paul’s services, and now, he must take on the role of being both runner and playmaker in midfield in Busquets’ absence. There is no doubt the champions will look much different in 2026 than they did last term, and the performances of their big-name central midfielders are crucial to their hopes.
Timo Werner to San Jose Earthquakes
Five years ago, Timo Werner was starting in a UEFA Champions League final for Chelsea, a game the Blues won against Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Manchester City in Porto. Fast forward to now, and the German striker has just made the move to MLS, signing for San Jose Earthquakes on a free transfer after his career had somewhat slowed down.
The Stuttgart-born hitman was prolific in his early years. He became one of the Bundesliga’s most skilled strikers throughout his time with RB Leipzig, netting 95 goals in just 159 appearances in all competitions, including a stunning 34-goal season in 2019/20. Since then, though, failed moves to Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, and a return to Leipzig have seen Werner fall by the wayside somewhat. Now, though, he gets the perfect chance to revive his career in California.
Still just 29, the German still has plenty of gas left in the tank just yet. If he can replicate even half the form that he showed throughout his initial stint with Leipzig, the Earthquakes will have a genuine superstar on their hands.
Facundo Torres to Austin FC
Uruguayan playmaker Facundo Torres has lit up the MLS before. After bursting onto the scene with boyhood club Peñarol, the creative sensation made the move to Orlando for $10m in January 2022, and proceeded to score 13 goals and provide ten assists from attacking midfield in his maiden campaign in Florida. Across the next two years, a further 34 goals in all competitions followed, before Brazilian giants Palmeiras came calling.
In his sole year in São Paulo, Torres finished as runner-up to Flamengo in both the Brazilian Serie A and the Copa Libertadores. Now, he’s back in the States, heading to Austin for just $9.5m, a price which could represent somewhat of a bargain. Just 25 years of age, the Uruguayan will now be the leading light in an Austin team that could be a dark horse to go all the way.