The 2023 Major League Soccer season kicks off on Saturday, Feb. 25, and there's plenty of excitement heading into the new campaign. Apple’s mega 10-year, $2.5 billion deal with MLS means fans can watch every game on MLS Season Pass without blackouts.
Topping last season’s drama will be a tall order for the 2023 edition. In 2022 Los Angeles FC and the Philadelphia Union played arguably the greatest MLS game ever which saw LAFC win their first MLS Cup.
Last year’s finalists are the favorites for 2023, but The18 has a different team in mind to win it all. Here are The18’s 2023 MLS predictions.
2023 MLS Predictions
Daylon Schiffel (Video Editor)
- Champion: Austin FC
- Golden Boot: Brandon Vazquez
- Team or teams that deserve to be relegated: New England Revolution
- Who will the big signing be this season (a signing that hasn't already happened): Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
- Best attendance: Atlanta United
- Worst attendance: New England Revolution
- How will newcomers St. Louis City SC do: Probably better than San Jose :,(
Luis Vidal (Writer)
- Champion: Austin FC
- Golden Boot: Sebastian Driussi
- Team or teams that deserve to be relegated: San Jose Earthquakes & Houston Dynamo
- Who will the big signing be this season (a signing that hasn't already happened): Lionel Messi to Inter Miami, of course
- Best attendance: Atlanta United
- Worst attendance: Colorado Rapids
- How will newcomers St. Louis City SC do: They’ll miss the playoffs narrowly.
Corey Basciano (Straight Up Baller)
- Champion: LAFC
- Golden Boot: Sebastian Driussi
- Team or teams that deserve to be relegated: No comment
- Who will the big signing be this season (a signing that hasn't already happened): Auba is the easy one but let’s get freak and go Messi
- Best attendance: Austin FC
- Worst attendance: No comment
- How will newcomers St. Louis City SC do: FiveThirtyEight says the worst so the worst it is
Connor Fleming (Writer)
- Champion: Toronto FC
- Golden Boot: Lorenzo Insigne
- Team or teams that deserve to be relegated: San Jose Earthquakes
- Who will the big signing be this season (a signing that hasn't already happened): Sergio Busquets to Sporting KC
- Best attendance: Atlanta United
- Worst attendance: Colorado Rapids
- How will newcomers St. Louis City SC do: I hope Klauss gifts us many goals but they'll concede 60+
David Moore (Writer)
- Champion: NYCFC
- Golden Boot: Jesús Ferreira
- Team or teams that deserve to be relegated: D.C. United
- Who will the big signing be this season (a signing that hasn't already happened): Sergio Ramos
- Best attendance: Charlotte FC
- Worst attendance: Chicago Fire
- How will newcomers St. Louis City SC do: Lose in first round of playoffs
