Real Salt Lake’s Diego Luna is among players to watch as MLS kicks off a new season

MLS, which kicks off its 30th season on Saturday, is a league that balances young up-and-comers with a handful of aging icons.

Lionel Messi will remain the league’s most recognizable face, as has been the case everywhere he has played, but there are many fascinating plotlines that will play out beyond south Florida. The offseason involved a lot of roster turnover, and many clubs enter the 2025 season with a point to prove. Many individual players do, too, and there are several intriguing figures heading into the new season.

Here is a 4-2-3-1 base formation of players who merit your attention in 2025, with World Cup hopefuls, rising stars and reclamation projects among them:

Goalkeeper

Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United

After a few years backing up Vito Mannone and alternating starts with Tyler Miller, St. Clair has had a clear perch atop the Loons’ depth chart since 2022, and he has also vaulted up the pecking order for Canada’s national team. St. Clair has started four of Canada’s last six games; with a World Cup on home soil less than 500 days away, he will want to be at his best — and that starts with showing more consistency than he provided Minnesota in 2024, a bounce-back year for the club.

Listed at 6-foot-3, St. Clair has many skills required to be a top modern goalkeeper. His reflexes are keen, he is fired up when the stakes are highest, and he has improved his sweeping actions and short-range passing over the years. The trick now will be to put it all together.

Right back

Reggie Cannon, Colorado Rapids

When the former FC Dallas player left MLS in 2020, his move to Boavista was seen as a chance to cement his standing ahead of the World Cup. Cannon’s time in Europe ultimately failed to provide that kind of season, as a messy split with the Portuguese club resulted in a brief move to Queens Park Rangers, which also ended with a contract termination.

Cannon quietly arrived in Commerce City last fall, becoming a starter down the stretch as the Rapids limped toward the playoffs. He still won’t turn 27 until this summer, and right back remains a thin area for the U.S. men’s national team. He could yet play his way onto Mauricio Pochettino’s World Cup radar. He will have to hold off Keegan Rosenberry in Colorado, and younger alternatives in MLS like Jake Davis and Nathan Harriel will also hope to make an impression. But if Cannon is able to log a full season as one of MLS’ best right-backs, his international career could be revived.

Center back

George Campbell, CF Montreal

Montreal acquired Campbell from Atlanta United before the 2023 season. His second year with the club was revelatory, as he was proficient when building possession out from the back in the system of coach Laurent Courtois, while still performing above league average with his underlying defensive metrics — especially his aerial and on-ground duel win rates.

Campbell will turn 24 in June and already has made considerable strides with his development since leaving Atlanta. Center back is an open question ahead of the 2026 World Cup, and it isn’t ludicrous to think that Campbell could make a strong case after debuting for the U.S. team under Pochettino in January.

Nicksoen Gomis, Toronto FC

Toronto unearthed a possible developmental project in Gomis, a center back who made just one first-team appearance across nearly six years with Sheffield United and Beerschot. After signing just before the start of 2024, Gomis eventually became a starter. There’s a lot left to refine in his game, but he performed surprisingly well in what was truly his first consistent run at a professional level.

Of the 92 players who logged at least 900 minutes at center back, only 12 were 23 or younger. It’s surprising, then, to see that Gomis was arguably MLS’ best center back in terms of tackling effectiveness and among its stingiest when opponents tried dribbling past him. More often than not, Gomis makes an impact when going into a challenge.

Left back

Pedro Amador, Atlanta United

A summer signing from Moreirense, the Portuguese left back was an immediate hit last year with Atlanta, accumulating eight assists in just 1,218 minutes. Atlanta has revamped its attack, spending big to bring in Emmanuel Latte Lath on a record fee and bringing Miguel Almirón back from Newcastle. The hope is that, under new coach Ronny Deila, Atlanta can revive that “unstoppable freight train” energy that typified its 2018 title run led by Almirón and Josef Martínez.

The high-end changes shouldn’t hurt Amador in the least. While defenses are trying to keep up with Almirón, Latte Lath, Alexey Miranchuk and Saba Lobzhanidze, Amador could be well positioned to generate the team’s best looks. Don’t be surprised if he challenges for the assist crown at season’s end.

Central midfield

Obed Vargas, Seattle Sounders

In the second decade of MLS’ dedication to youth academies, teams can more dependably develop players for their first team. Seattle has a particular knack for bringing up two-way midfielders, with Josh Atencio (who was traded to Colorado), Danny Leyva and Vargas all contributing to their run to the 2024 Western Conference final.

Vargas undoubtedly has the highest upside, a true multitool midfielder whose awareness during a match exceeds expectations for a 19-year-old. He broke out last season, logging 2,841 minutes, and was especially sharp defensively and in his tactical fouling. He will hope to better refine his pass selection in 2025.

Luca de la Torre, San Diego FC

Every expansion team loves fielding a native son, someone that local fans can immediately rally behind when everything is new. But de la Torre isn’t just here to garner good will — he is going to be a vital part of Mikey Varas’ system from the jump.

De la Torre is a great ball progressor, able to shuttle through tight spaces in midfield and play accurate passes in the channel and up the wing. That will help feed star winger Chucky Lozano, but could also help restate de la Torre’s case to make a second World Cup squad. Central midfield is arguably the pool’s deepest point, and the 26-year-old hasn’t yet been selected by Pochettino. Maybe his homecoming will keep him in the U.S. picture.

Right winger

Cristian Espinoza, San Jose Earthquakes

Despite the struggling team around him, Espinoza has been an unheralded star. The 29-year-old Argentine has logged 71 assists since joining San Jose in 2019. That’s the second-highest tally of any MLS player over the past six seasons, trailing only Carles Gil.

San Jose hasn’t been worthy of appointment viewing very often during Espinoza’s tenure. That should change in 2025, as Bruce Arena is now the coach, and one of the league’s best strikers, Chicho Arango, is in tow as well. With a better team around him, this might be the year that Espinoza finally lands on the year-end Best XI list.

Attacking midfielder

Diego Luna, Real Salt Lake

Since emerging midway through the 2023 season, Luna has been among the best young domestic players in MLS. He was a full-time starter last year, helping Real Salt Lake to a fourth-place finish in the West and a serious challenge for the conference title until late in the regular season. Luna was capably contained in the playoffs, however, and Minnesota swept Real Salt Lake in two games.

Despite his considerable skill set and performances, Luna has been oft-overlooked by U.S. Soccer. Even his brightest stretches seldom garnered consideration under Gregg Berhalter, and he turned down an offer to be an Olympic alternate, but Pochettino brought him in for his January camp, and he earned rave reviews for his creativity. If Luna has another level to hit, this is a perfect time to show it.

Left winger

Wilfried Zaha, Charlotte FC

Since leaving Crystal Palace after the 2022-23 season, Zaha has been something of a nomad. He was unable to stick in Galatasaray’s lineup and found even fewer minutes during an autumn loan to Lyon. He is now with Charlotte on an initial loan, with the MLS club having an option to extend until his Galatasaray contract ends in June 2026.

This signing feels very similar to when Orlando City acquired Nani in 2019, adding a one-time Premier League star winger who struggled to find firm footing after leaving England. Orlando benefited greatly, vaulting up the Eastern Conference during Nani’s tenure. If Charlotte can enjoy a similar impact and Zaha can make an All-Star squad or two, it could help the team go from a playoff qualifier to a dark-horse challenger.

Striker

Leo Campana, New England Revolution

Inter Miami’s fondness for young South Americans predates Messi’s arrival, and Campana looked to be among its brightest imports when he joined in 2022. He spent that year backing up Gonzalo Higuaín, then was a rotational figure in the club’s transformative 2023 season and Luis Suárez’s backup in 2024. At long last, an offseason trade to New England gives the Ecuadorian leading-man status.

Despite his inconsistent use, Campana rippled the net 26 times in his three seasons, a return exceeding the “goal every other game” standard for a high-end striker. We’ll see how he translates to a higher complement of full shifts, but Caleb Porter has a penchant for getting good goal returns from his strikers.