If you had told a casual fan three years ago that the 2025 major league soccer season would end with Lionel Messi hoisting a trophy alongside Rodrigo De Paul while Thomas Müller looked on from the opposing side, they probably would’ve laughed you out of the stadium. Honestly, it sounds like a video game fever dream. But that’s exactly where we landed.
The 30th anniversary of MLS wasn't just a milestone on a calendar. It was a chaotic, high-scoring, star-studded blur that fundamentally shifted how the rest of the world looks at soccer in North America. We saw the arrival of San Diego FC, a summer transfer window that felt like a heist on European giants, and a playoff run that proved the "Messi effect" isn't just about ticket sales—it's about winning the whole damn thing.
The San Diego Experiment and a Danish Revelation
Everyone expected San Diego FC to make a splash, but nobody predicted they’d actually be good right out of the gate. Usually, expansion teams spend their first year tripping over their own shoelaces. Not these guys. They walked into the league with Chucky Lozano and a relatively unknown (to Americans, anyway) Dane named Anders Dreyer.
Dreyer was a total monster.
Basically, he spent the entire 2025 major league soccer season proving that you don't need a household name to dominate this league. He ended up with 19 goals and 19 assists. That’s absurd for a debut year. He nearly snatched the MVP from Messi, which sounds like blasphemy, but if you watched the tape, you’d get it. San Diego turned Snapdragon Stadium into a fortress, and for a minute there, it looked like they might actually pull off a "Vegas Golden Knights" style run to the final.
They didn't, obviously. They fell short in the playoffs, but they set a new gold standard for how to build an expansion roster. No more "year one is for learning" excuses.
💡 You might also like: Navy Notre Dame Football: Why This Rivalry Still Hits Different
That Absurd Summer Transfer Window
If the winter window was about building foundations, the summer was about pure, unadulterated ego. MLS front offices decided they were done being a "retirement league" and started acting like a "why not us?" league.
- Son Heung-min to LAFC: This was the one that broke the internet. Son leaving Tottenham for Los Angeles felt like a glitch in the matrix. He only played 10 regular-season games, but he scored nine goals. His partnership with Denis Bouanga was arguably the most lethal attacking duo the league has ever seen.
- Thomas Müller to Vancouver: The "Raumdeuter" in British Columbia? It felt weird until you saw him play. He didn't have the pace anymore, but he turned the Whitecaps into a tactical machine.
- Rodrigo De Paul to Inter Miami: This was the move that sealed the deal for Miami. They didn't need more flashy attackers; they needed a bodyguard for Messi. De Paul provided the grit that allowed the aging legends to do their thing without getting bruised every five minutes.
Why the 2025 Major League Soccer Season Felt Different
It wasn't just the names on the back of the jerseys. The league finally leaned into its own weirdness. We had a month-long break for the Club World Cup and the Gold Cup, which kind of split the season into two distinct chapters.
The first half was the "Philadelphia Union/FC Cincinnati" show. Philly actually won the Supporters' Shield—their second one—by being the most consistent, boringly brilliant team in the league. They didn't have a Son or a Messi. They just had a system that worked.
But the second half? That belonged to the stars.
The scoring rate skyrocketed. We saw Nashville beat Chicago 7-2. We saw a 5-4 thriller between Atlanta and Columbus. The league average was about three goals per match, which is high-octane stuff compared to the tactical stalemates you often see in Europe. It's clear the league is prioritizing entertainment over "proper" defending, and honestly, the fans aren't complaining.
📖 Related: LeBron James Without Beard: Why the King Rarely Goes Clean Shaven Anymore
The Messi Records (Because Of Course)
We have to talk about the GOAT. Messi didn't just play; he demolished the record books. 29 goals in 28 appearances. A 1.03 goals-per-game average. He became the first player to have ten multi-goal games in a single season.
There was a stretch from late May to July where he scored multiple goals in five straight games. That's not supposed to happen when you're 38. Even when he wasn't scoring, he was the primary playmaker, finishing with 19 assists. He ended the regular season with 48 goal contributions, just one shy of Carlos Vela’s "untouchable" 2019 record.
The Road to Chase Stadium
The playoffs were where the drama peaked. Vancouver Whitecaps, led by the tactical brain of Müller and the craftiness of Ryan Gauld, became the Cinderella story of the North. They took down the giants in the West, eventually facing Inter Miami in the final on December 6th.
The MLS Cup Final at Chase Stadium was a masterpiece of narrative.
It had everything.
An early own goal put Miami ahead, but Vancouver refused to die. Ali Ahmed equalized in the 60th minute, and for about ten minutes, you could hear a pin drop in Fort Lauderdale. The dream was slipping. Then, the "Argentine Connection" happened. Messi found De Paul in the 71st minute for the go-ahead goal. Tadeo Allende—who had a record-breaking postseason with nine goals—slotted home the dagger in the 96th minute.
👉 See also: When is Georgia's next game: The 2026 Bulldog schedule and what to expect
Miami 3, Vancouver 1.
It was Messi’s 47th career trophy. It was also the end of an era, as Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets used the victory to announce their official retirements. They went out at the very top.
How to Apply These 2025 Insights
The 2025 major league soccer season taught us a few things that are going to matter for 2026 and beyond, especially with the World Cup looming.
For the casual viewer: Don't sleep on the "smaller" signings. While everyone was watching Son, Anders Dreyer was the one actually winning games for his club. The league's middle class is getting much stronger.
For the tactical nerds: Watch how teams like Columbus Crew under Wilfried Nancy are playing. They’re using "tactical poetry" to dismantle star-studded rosters. High-press systems are becoming the only way to neutralize the older superstars.
For the future of the league: The expansion to 30 teams with San Diego FC worked because they prioritized a mix of youth and veteran experience. Expect the next expansion sides to follow the "San Diego model" rather than the "slow build" of the past.
If you’re looking to get ahead of the 2026 season, keep an eye on Houston Dynamo. They’ve spent the early part of this year (2026) signing leaders like Héctor Herrera and Agustín Bouzat. They clearly learned from 2025 that you need "captains" more than just "talents" to survive the grueling MLS schedule. The 2025 season proved that star power gets you to the playoffs, but depth and grit get you the trophy.