MLS Power Rankings: Messi-less Miami stays on top, eyes points record

It’s Monday, and another week of MLS action is in the books, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings.

Our Power Rankings are derived from a combination of key season statistics (points per game, goal differential, expected goal differential), recent performance, the Opta computer ratings and the observations of our writers.

Who’s climbing the table? Who’s in a free fall? We’ve ranked all 29 clubs in the league. Let’s dive in.

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Previous ranking: 1

Inter Miami are picking up points at a record clip right now. Its big win over the Chicago Fire launched it up to 2.19 points per game, putting it on pace for 74 points. The current MLS record: 73 points, set by the 2021 New England Revolution. This one’s doable, folks.

Previous ranking: 2

Think you have a draw done and dusted against the Columbus Crew? Think again. Wilfried Nancy’s squad scored two goals in second-half stoppage time to turn a 2-2 draw into a 4-2 win. This team rules.

Previous ranking: 5

There’s nothing quite like a home game against CF Montreal to get you back to winning ways! Cincy flexed its muscles for the first time in nearly a month with a 4-1 win against an overmatched Canadian foe.

Previous ranking: 3

It’s a testament to how consistently excellent LAFC has been that a shellacking at the hands of the Houston Dynamo only dropped it one spot in these rankings after that 2-0 loss. But make no mistake: LAFC was shredded by Ben Olsen & Co. This team needs a breather.

Previous ranking: 4

Missing Riqui Puig due to card accumulation, the Galaxy didn’t look like themselves in their 2-1 loss on the road in St. Louis on Sunday. When Marco Reus and his new teammates get on the same page, though, watch out.

Previous ranking: 8

RSL did exactly what a team with trophy aspirations should do against the Revs by beating them 2-0 in straightforward fashion. That it picked up those three points even without Cristian Arango might be the best news of all.

Previous ranking: 6

The Rapids weren’t perfect in Frisco on Saturday, but they posed enough threat on the break in the gap between Dallas’ outside center backs and wingbacks to snag three goals. Colorado still have their eyes on a top-four seed out West.

Previous ranking: 9

No Brian White? No problem. Vancouver controlled the game at Q2 Stadium this weekend, created the better chances, and benefited from Ryan Gauld’s class before he heads off to Scotland camp during the international break.

Previous ranking: 10

With Felipe Mora and Brian Rodríguez out suspended, the Timbers’ attack wasn’t at its best against the Sounders. But the defense? It held strong en route to a 1-0 win. It sure is sweet to beat your biggest rivals, isn’t it?

Previous ranking: 14

Sure, they played LAFC at the perfect time — it was the sixth game in three weeks for Steve Cherundolo’s team. But the Dynamo were insanely good against LAFC. Their buildup play was borderline perfect. Ben Olsen’s team is the closest thing we have to the Crew.

Previous ranking: 7

Felipe Carballo, RBNY’s new Designated Player, debuting in the midfield? That’s a good thing. Losing 2-0 to the Philadelphia Union? That’s much less of a good thing. The Red Bulls are downright uninspiring right now.

Previous ranking: 12

Despite the frustration that comes from shipping goals and dropping points in stoppage time, there’s no shame in losing to the Columbus Crew. Still, NYCFC are very clearly a tier below the best of the best in the East.

Previous ranking: 15

Without enough reinforcements arriving in the summer, Atlanta United are in an uphill battle to finish out this year. Aleksei Miranchuk’s first start as the team’s new No. 10 should lift plenty of spirits for the Five Stripes. The former Atalanta man looks like an extremely high quality addition.

Previous ranking: 11

Winless in their last four MLS games, Charlotte FC need more juice in the attack. Pep Biel showed a few flashes in his first start after joining in the summer window, but Dean Smith’s team is still lacking where it counts.

Previous ranking: 16

Since Oscar Pareja circled back around to his 4-2-3-1 (but with Martín Ojeda as the No. 10 and Facundo Torres firmly in the half spaces), things have been looking up for Orlando City. Saturday’s 3-0 win over Nashville brought them to five wins in their last seven MLS matches.

Previous ranking: 13

The Sounders can’t quite crack the attacking code this year. They came up empty at Providence Park this weekend, failing to register many dangerous attacking sequences. Oh, and Stefan Frei had to exit early in the first half with a head injury. Not great.

Previous ranking: 19

I didn’t have “the Union don’t really miss Julián Carranza when he leaves for the Dutch top flight” on my bingo card for the year, but here we are. Tai Baribo and Mikkel Uhre snagged a goal apiece in Philly’s 2-0 win over the Red Bulls.

Previous ranking: 18

This Minnesota United team is fun. Kelvin Yeboah looks the part up top, Robin Lod continues to be one of the most underrated playmakers in MLS, and they have newfound depth in every line of the field after the summer window. Beating the Quakes isn’t a high bar, but the Loons did it in style.

Previous ranking: 27

St. Louis City’s moves came a window too late for them to be legitimate contenders in the Western Conference this year. Even after their 2-1 win over the Galaxy, they still sit nine points below the playoff line. But the new pieces are hitting. Cedric Teuchert and Marcel Hartel both scored on Sunday.

Previous ranking: 20

The midfield? Awesome. Asier Illarramendi is a gem and needs to stay healthy forever, if for no other reason than for my personal enjoyment. But the defense? Uh, it’s still rough. Conceding three goals to the Colorado Rapids is just the latest example of that fact.

Previous ranking: 21

The Sebastián Driussi striker experience hasn’t been anybody’s favorite thing. Osman Bukari laid an egg. Dani Pereira was poor at the base of midfield. It was a whole lot of bad for Austin FC in their loss to Vancouver.

Previous ranking: 23

It sure was nice for D.C. United to avoid having to deal with Federico Bernardeschi thanks to his card accumulation suspension. Up against a toothless Toronto team, Troy Lesesne’s squad snagged all three points on the road.

Previous ranking: 17

Lorenzo Insigne hasn’t been good enough to carry Toronto FC on his own this year. It’s that simple. In Bernardeschi’s absence, Insigne’s Toronto couldn’t land a single point this weekend.

Previous ranking: 22

Nashville did a whole lot right between the boxes against Orlando City on Saturday, but ended up losing 3-0. Even when things go right, they go wrong for Nashville.

Previous ranking: 24

Today in the most unsurprising news on the planet: the Chicago Fire couldn’t keep up with Inter Miami. The Fire don’t have enough top-end talent to cause the best teams problems. That’s the reality.

Previous ranking: 25

After booking their spot in the U.S. Open Cup final with a win over the USL Championship’s Indy Eleven, SKC enjoyed a bye weekend. Winning the Open Cup against LAFC is the last hope for Kansas City’s year.

Previous ranking: 26

Dylan Borrero and Luca Langoni need to start. It’s that simple. Without those two in Caleb Porter’s lineup, the 4-2-31 is stale and toothless much like it was in the loss to RSL.

Previous ranking: 28

Allowing nine goals in two games? Yeah, that’s not great. Montreal couldn’t hang with FC Cincinnati this weekend. They’ve done a whole lot of “not hanging” in 2024.

Previous ranking: 29

Hernan Lopez hasn’t been very good and the defense is downright bad. San Jose lost 2-1 to Minnesota and continue to look like the worst team in MLS.