It was a quiet week in the 2025 MLS season with only four matches on the schedule due to the September international window, but it still brought some intriguing storylines as the MLS Cup Playoffs creep closer.
For some teams, the next few weeks will be filled with pressure in the Supporters’ Shield race; others are fighting for playoff seeding, and some are playing out the schedule in hopes of a better year in 2026.
Regardless of how teams stand, we check in across the league in the latest Sports Illustrated MLS Power Rankings.
MLS Power Rankings Matchday 32: Clubs 30–16
30. St. Louis CITY SC (Previous: 30)
29. LA Galaxy (Previous: 28)
28. D.C. United (Previous: 29)
27. Atlanta United (Previous: 27)
26. CF Montréal (Previous: 25)
25. Real Salt Lake (Previous: 24)
24. Sporting Kansas City (Previous: 26)
23. New England Revolution (Previous: 21)
22. New York Red Bulls (Previous: 22)
21. Houston Dynamo (Previous: 23)
20. FC Dallas (Previous: 20)
19. Colorado Rapids (Previous: 18)
18. Toronto FC (Previous: 17)
17. San Jose Earthquakes (Previous: 16)
16. Portland Timbers (Previous: 15)
15. Austin (Previous: 17)
Austin FC were one of just six teams to hit the pitch during the September international break, and put up a 2–1 win over Sporting Kansas City with goals from Owen Wolff and CJ Fodrey. While SKC dominated much of the play, Austin were able to cash in on their few chances, linking back-to-back wins for the fourth time this season.
They were without several key players, including Dani Pereira and Myrto Uzuni, who were away on international duty, so grabbing all three points and rising to sixth in the Western Conference was as good as things could get.
14. New York City (Previous: 13)
New York City FC weren’t on the pitch this weekend and for good reason, with eight players absent on international duty. While they got the week off, they look ahead to their next match against the Chicago Fire, before taking on three challenging opponents in red-hot Charlotte FC, Columbus Crew and Inter Miami.
13. Chicago Fire (Previous: 14)
Chicago Fire FC did not have to deal with many international call-ups, only missing newly acquired center back Joel Waterman to the Canadian men’s national team. With their top players available, they took a 3–0 lead over the New England Revolution early on, but nearly gave it up, ultimately ending in a 3–2 win.
It was far from a perfect performance from head coach Gregg Berhalter’s side, but it brought Hugo Cuypers to 16 goals on the season to keep him in the running for the MLS Golden Boot, and saw the Fire hit 42 points, good for ninth in the Eastern Conference.
They have six matches remaining and have shown inconsistent qualities throughout the season, but will hope to iron out issues and clinch a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs over the next month.
12. Columbus Crew (Previous: 12)
Columbus Crew weren’t on the pitch this week, but they will hope the next few weeks go better than their recent run of form. Head coach Wilfried Nancy’s side has not won in four straight games and has only won once in their last six MLS contests.
All eyes will be on marquee summer signing Wessam Abou Ali in the run to the MLS Cup Playoffs, as the Palestinian star striker adjusts to MLS and ramps up in minutes and involvement.
At the same time, the club will aim to get more out of Dániel Gazdag, who has underwhelmed since arriving from the Philadelphia Union, and further help Diego Rossi, who has led the team with 13 goals and three assists.
11. Nashville SC (Previous: 11)
Nashville SC have lost four of their last five games and will need to turn things around quickly to have any hope in the MLS Cup Playoffs. While their midsummer form has given them some cushion, they need results. Massive tests in their next two games against FC Cincinnati and Orlando City await.
Individually, Sam Surridge looks to maintain his lead at the top of the MLS Golden Boot standings, where he has 20 goals, one more than Lionel Messi.
10. Seattle Sounders (Previous: 10)
The Seattle Sounders are still basking in the glow of their 2025 Leagues Cup triumph, but will soon face the challenge of translating that tournament form back into MLS, as they look towards the playoffs.
Lucky for them, DP winger Pedro de la Vega is playing with more confidence than ever, and Osaze De Rosario has proven a worthy option up front, and could combine with Danny Musovski, who missed the Leagues Cup final but has 13 goals this season.
Seattle have a lot going for them right now, and will hope the remainder of the international window sees no injuries for key players Cristian Roldan, Nouhou Tolo, Georgi Minoungou and Obed Vargas.
9. LAFC (Previous: 9)
Never a doubt 👊
— LAFC (@LAFC) September 6, 2025
Son Heung-Min scores for @theKFA to give them the lead.
pic.twitter.com/0wwiNJ2oxT
LAFC weren’t on the pitch this weekend, but all eyes were on their superstar Son Heung-min, who bagged a goal and an assist for South Korea in a 2–0 trouncing of the USMNT. Additionally, Denis Bouanga scored a hat-trick for Gabon in a World Cup qualifying win over Seychelles and Mathieu Choinière played for Canada in a 3–0 victory over Romania.
The remainder of the season will be defined by Son and what he brings to the team on the pitch, as the off-the-pitch excitement of his signings begins to fade into regular noise. Luckily for them, they should be able to get on a run as well, being the likely favorites in their remaining matches against the San Jose Earthquakes, Real Salt Lake, St. Louis CITY SC, Atlanta United, Toronto FC, Colorado Rapids and Austin FC.
8. Inter Miami (Previous: 8)
Inter Miami were among the headlines this week with Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Tomas Aviles all earning suspensions from the Leagues Cup after the 3–0 loss to Seattle in the final.
Lionel Messi had an emotional week away from the Herons as well, scoring a brace for Argentina in what will likely be his last competitive game for La Albiceleste on home soil, a 3–0 win over Venezuela.
The challenges ramp up now, though, for head coach Javier Mascherano’s squad. They are set to tackle their remaining nine regular-season matches in a span of just 35 days, no easy task on an aging roster that lacks depth.
7. Vancouver Whitecaps (Previous: 7)
The Vancouver Whitecaps will head into next week’s matchup with Supporters’ Shield leaders, the Philadelphia Union, having not played for three weeks. They had a matchup with Orlando City postponed due to the Lions’ run in Leagues Cup, and were not scheduled to play during the international break.
Thomas Müller made his way back to Germany for part of the downtime and returned to the Sabender Straße to train with FC Bayern Munich to stay fit. While training with an old club may irk some teams, it appeared to be just fine for Müller during his time off.
⚠️ Surprise appearance in this video! pic.twitter.com/ptvS8g3Tba
— 🇺🇸 FC Bayern US 🇨🇦 (@FCBayernUS) September 3, 2025
The Whitecaps have all eyes on MLS Cup Playoff success now, but also remain in the hunt for the Supporters’ Shield and will hope to win a fourth-straight Canadian Championship as well, currently in the semifinals of that competition.
6. Charlotte FC (Previous: 6)
Charlotte FC may have preferred to play this weekend in order to keep momentum going from their eight-match win streak, but got the week off with three players away on international duty, including USMNT’s Tim Ream and Canada’s Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty.
They are just one match away from tying the 2018 Seattle Sounders for the longest win streak in MLS history, outside of the shootout era, and will hope to reach that mark in their next match when they take on Inter Miami.
5. Orlando City SC (Previous: 5)
Orlando City won four straight matches before falling 5–1 to Nashville SC with a rotated squad, just days before their Leagues Cup semifinal loss against Inter Miami.
Martín Ojeda is a bona fide MLS MVP candidate with 14 goals and 14 assists this season, and has a lot to work with given Luis Muriel’s nine goals and five assists, as well as Marco Pašalić’s 11 goals and four assists.
They should be able to get three points in their next match against D.C. United, and then have a chance at revenge against Nashville SC.
4. FC Cincinnati (Previous: 4)
FC Cincinnati will need to turn their form around ahead of the playoffs, after losing three of their last four matches. They’re still in the Supporters’ Shield race too, but have three challenging games against Nashville SC, LAFC and Orlando City up next.
3. Minnesota United (Previous: 3)
As Tani Oluwaseyi made his debut for Villarreal, Minnesota United head coach Eric Ramsay continued to plan what the rest of the season will look like without their talismanic and physical presence up top.
Losing Oluwaseyi was a massive blow to Minnesota’s hopes. Still, they will look to DP midfielder Joaquín Pereyra to bear some creative load, as well as Kelvin Yeboah and Robin Lod to replace the Canadian’s output by committee.
They’re up against San Diego FC in their next match, which will be a challenging contest at the top of the Western Conference.
2. Philadelphia Union (Previous: 2)
The Philadelphia Union have all eyes on next week, as they look to grab a third-straight win against Vancouver. If they win that match against Müller, a player whom they declined in the summer, it could make them heavy favorites to capture the Supporters’ Shield in head coach Bradley Carnell’s first season.
1. San Diego FC (Previous: 1)
It’s been a dream season for San Diego FC, and they will be hoping it's far from over as they enter the final five matches of the regular season. Facing Minnesota United in their next game, they could also solidify their spot atop the Western Conference and keep pace in the Supporters’ Shield race.
While they have enjoyed tremendous success as a team, several players could also be in the running for individual honors, including Anders Dreyer whose 14 goals and 16 assists has him among the favorites for MLS MVP.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as MLS Power Rankings: An International Window Check-in After Matchday 32.