The 2025 MLS season is now firmly underway, which means it's time for ESPN's Power Rankings.
Who's climbing the table? Who's in free fall? Our writers studied the action from across Matchday 5 to come up with this week's order of all 30 teams in the league. Let's dive in.
1. Inter Miami CF
Previous ranking: 2
Ascending to the top spot in a week they didn't even play? Aura.
2. Vancouver Whitecaps
Previous ranking: 1
The Caps looked overmatched in a 3-1 loss to the Fire, because they were. Injuries and international duty took a sledgehammer to the Vancouver squad so it's easy to explain the bad result away.
3. Charlotte FC
Previous ranking: 5
Two days after signing Dean Smith to a new contract, Charlotte showed just how far it has come under the manager in a 4-1 victory over San Jose. The Crown were resolute as always in defense, dangerous in transition and added some nice possession play, too, as they dictated the match with the ball for spells. It was a comprehensive win for a very good team.
4. Columbus Crew
Previous ranking: 3
The Crew struggled to get much of anything going in front of goal in a scoreless draw with NYCFC. The lack of bite in the final third continues to be a problem as the Cucho Hernández-size hole up top looks bigger by the week.
5. Philadelphia Union
Previous ranking: 6
The Union are magnificent at squeezing the life out of opponents. Just ask St. Louis, who saw Philly score an early goal and then close the game down to win, 1-0.
6. LAFC
Previous ranking: 9
David Martínez continues to grow and his blast in LAFC's 2-0 win over Sporting was just the latest in the talented teenager's highlight reel. The Black and Gold needed a clinical win over an overmatched team after a pair of losses, and that's exactly what they got.
7. San Diego FC
Previous ranking: 4
SDFC's unbeaten start is no more after falling in Austin, 2-1. They did well to fight back after giving up two goals early on and came close to a late equalizer on several occasions, but their defense was too soft all game and could have easily conceded one or two more. They'll have to play better at the back with LAFC, Seattle, Colorado and Charlotte on tap in a tough four-game stretch.
8. Nashville SC
Previous ranking: 12
The Coyotes' shaky start to the season is firmly in the rearview mirror after they annihilated Montréal, 3-0. Hany Mukhtar is still excellent, but he's got some real support now and they are reliable as ever in defense. The result is a three-match winning streak that has seen them out-score their opponents by a combined 8-1.
9. St. Louis City SC
Previous ranking: 8
City conceded their first goal of the season and promptly took their first loss of the campaign, 1-0 in Philadelphia. While this is unquestionably a good defensive team, it's not exactly clear where the goals are supposed to come from in this very conservative setup, and that puts a hard ceiling on how good they can be.
10. Colorado Rapids
Previous ranking: 7
You don't want to overreact to one loss, especially when it's the first loss of the season, but the Rapids looked putrid as the Timbers rolled, 3-0. The defense was an absolute mess and it hadn't been great in previous games, so that's something to keep an eye on.
11. FC Cincinnati
Previous ranking: 10
It's hard to judge this Cincy team when they were missing nearly all of their center backs, so snagging a 2-2 draw with Atlanta at home is probably a better result than it appears.
12. Chicago Fire
Previous ranking: 15
You're forgiven if you thought it'd take a few months for Gregg Berhalter to sort through the Fire's funky roster. He's taken massive steps and this Chicago team is already pretty good, as Vancouver learned in the Fire's 3-1 win.
13. Minnesota United
Previous ranking: 11
It looked like the Loons would beat the Galaxy, until they retreated into their own half and hoped to just hang on for the win. It failed, and they had to settle for a 2-2 draw. This is the second straight week that they've failed to protect a lead after going very conservative, so hopefully Eric Ramsay adopts a more aggressive approach going forward.
Carlos Garcés scores in the 90'
14. New York Red Bulls
Previous ranking: 14
The Red Bulls have scored either two goals or zero goals in every game this season. On Saturday, they scored two and beat TFC, 2-1. When this team finds its rhythm, it is mighty dangerous, but the consistency is still lacking.
15. Atlanta United
Previous ranking: 16
Expectations were high for Emmanuel Latte Lath after Atlanta paid an MLS-record transfer fee to sign him, and he continues to live up to it. The striker scored another goal and gave the Cincinnati defense fits all game in a 2-2 draw over the weekend, but the Five Stripes aren't doing nearly enough to help out their star right now. They haven't won since the opener and that's going to have to change with three straight at home coming up.
16. Seattle Sounders
Previous ranking: 13
The Sounders were the better team, had their chances and yet had to settle for a draw. Sound familiar? Seattle had to be frustrated with its 0-0 draw against Houston.
17. New York City FC
Previous ranking: 18
The Pigeons had three 17-year-olds on the field together at one point in their scoreless draw against Columbus. Scratching out solid results while blooding in so much youth is no small feat.
18. Austin FC
Previous ranking: 20
Two goals in the first 20 minutes is all it took for Austin to take down San Diego, 2-1. The Verde should have added to their lead and won this one easily instead of hanging on late, but they walked away with a good three points all the same.
19. Orlando City
Previous ranking: 19
The Orlando attack continues to shred defenses, with Marco Pasalic banging in his fourth of the season in a 4-1 win over D.C., but it's the depth of the attacking talent that really stands out. Martín Ojeda had a goal and two assists, while Luis Muriel added a goal and assist of his own as both hit six goal contributions on the campaign.
20. San Jose Earthquakes
Previous ranking: 17
The Quakes' bright start to the season is well and truly dead after a third straight loss, this one 4-1 to Charlotte. This team really struggles to play from behind, opening up a leaky defense as they chase without really creating much up front.
21. Portland Timbers
Previous ranking: 24
The Timbers turned in their first truly good showing of the season in a 3-0 thumping of the Rapids. David Da Costa is looking more comfortable by the week.
22. FC Dallas
Previous ranking: 23
It's tempting to see Dallas' performance in its 1-0 win over RSL as a big step forward, but it played more than an hour up a man. Still, FCD took care of business.
23. Real Salt Lake
Previous ranking: 22
RSL still can't string together consecutive good showings, and they certainly weren't helped by Ariath Piol's 23rd-minute red card in their 1-0 loss to Dallas.
24. Houston Dynamo
Previous ranking: 25
It wasn't pretty, but a draw in Seattle is always a good result. Plus, if Ondrej Lingr really is coming to Houston then the Dynamo may have the antidote to their attacking ills.
25. D.C. United
Previous ranking: 21
If a team breaks D.C.'s press, United are mighty vulnerable. Orlando had no problem picking apart their guests as D.C. fell, 4-1.
26. LA Galaxy
Previous ranking: 26
The Galaxy are still winless, but they're looking much better. They followed up last week's draw at Portland with a 2-2 draw in Minnesota as their defense showed some much-needed signs of life, but the reigning champions have a long way to go in the midfield.
27. Sporting Kansas City
Previous ranking: 27
SKC lost to LAFC, 2-0, and still have just one point on the season, but what should concern the club most is what's happening in the stands. There were empty seats throughout Children's Mercy Park and, unlike when they got off to an awful start last season, the fans in attendance showed no real anger or made any demands for change. It's full-on apathy in Kansas City, and apathy is what can kill a club.
28. CF Montréal
Previous ranking: 28
It was an ugly outing in Nashville as CFM looked bad in front of their own goal, were outclassed in the midfield and rarely got anywhere near the opposing box as they lost, 3-0.
29. Toronto FC
Previous ranking: 30
TFC were thrilled to see Lorenzo Insigne make his debut. Unfortunately, he looked very much like a guy who hasn't played this season in a 2-1 loss to RBNY, but the Reds still showed some positive signs and it's not hard to see them being a bit feisty once Insigne knocks the rust off.
30. New England Revolution
Previous ranking: 29
Dropping to the cellar in a bye week? It's been that type of season for New England.