MLS-Nashville SC 2026 Season Preview
- Ronan Briscoe
- 9 hours ago
- 2 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
It’s the dawn of a new season as Nashville SC begins their seventh season since joining MLS in 2020, though for only the second time in club history, this season begins with CONCACAF Champions Cup competition.
It will also be the final season under the current spring to fall calendar MLS has used since the league’s inception in 1996.
Ahead of the season opener in Hamilton, Ontario against Atletico Ottawa, here’s a full season preview.
2025 Recap
Last season was an incredibly successful first full season in charge for BJ Callaghan, as the team returned to the playoffs after finishing 6th in the Eastern Conference, as well as collecting the club’s first trophy after defeating Austin FC 2-1 to win the US Open Cup.
The Coyotes finished on 54 points, an 18 point improvement over 2024. However, Nashville was eliminated in three games in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs by Inter Miami.
Fresh faces such as Jeisson Palacios, Eddi Tagseth and Andy Najar shone brightly, while new youngsters like Ahmed Qasem and Matthew Corcoran also showed good promise over the season.
It was a return to form in 2025 for Hany Mukhtar, who combined for 28 goals and assists following a horrid 2024 for the former MVP. However, the biggest star in Music City was actually Sam Surridge, who finished second in the Golden Boot race with 24 goals, while also adding five assists of his own.
Transfers In
Player | Former Club | Fee |
Maxwell Woledzi | Frederikstad FK (NOR) | $1.6m |
Thomas Williams | Orlando City | $100k GAM |
Warren Madrigal | Deportivo Saprissa (CRC) | Undisclosed |
Shak Mohammed | Orlando City | Free |
Isaiah LeFlore | Philadelphia Union | Free |
Cristian Espinoza | San Jose Earthquakes | Free |
Charles-Emile Brunet | SMU | SuperDraft |
Transfers Out
Player | New Club | Fee |
Gaston Brugman | Pescara (ITA) | Free |
Teal Bunbury | Free | |
Julian Gaines | Free | |
Wyatt Meyer | Sporting Kansas City | Free |
Tate Schmitt | Free | |
Walker Zimmerman | Toronto FC | Free |
Jacob Shaffelburg | Los Angeles FC | $1m GAM |
Tyler Boyd | Los Angeles FC | Free |
Isaiah Jones | Chattanooga FC | Loan |
Adem Sipic | Eintracht Braunschweig | Loan |
Jonathan Peres | Chivas Guadalajara | $3m |
Outlook and Expectations
Nashville, ostensibly, are deeper and more talented than last season, where it became evident in the late summer that the Coyotes had used up all their gas a bit too soon.
With other Eastern Conference contenders seemingly staying the course or even perhaps regressing, this is perhaps the best chance Nashville has ever had to really compete in the East.
Inter Miami looms over the conference like the Death Star, but beyond them the picture is a bit less clear. Any of Nashville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Philadelphia or others could find themselves right at the top with them.
The calendar working around the World Cup this year could also benefit some teams, like Nashville who seem to struggle in the late summer, as the league will pause after just 14 league fixtures.
All this is to say, this could be a special, special season in Music City. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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