MLS Matchday 31: Messi, Texas Derby and Hell is Real
Western Conference seeds and the final Eastern Wild Card spot hang in the balance with five matches left in the regular season.
Lionel Messi’s pursuit of a historic third consecutive Landon Donovan MLS MVP award collides with Atlanta United’s fading playoff lifeline this weekend as Major League Soccer enters the final five matches of its 2026 regular season.
Inter Miami CF travel to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET) already assured of an Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs berth following a midweek clinch. The defending champions are targeting the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed while attempting to become the first back-to-back title winners since the LA Galaxy accomplished the feat in 2011 and 2012. Miami arrives riding consecutive shutout victories over D.C. United and New York City FC by a combined 6-0 margin.
Messi anchors that momentum with a league-high 37 goal contributions, recording 23 goals and 14 assists. He operates alongside Luis Suárez, Rodrigo De Paul, and Casemiro in a squad built for deep postseason runs. No player has won three straight MLS MVP awards since the honor was renamed after Landon Donovan in 2015.
Atlanta sit six points below the East’s final Wild Card spot under head coach Tata Martino. The Five Stripes have proven capable of disrupting Miami’s rhythm, forcing a 2-2 draw in early September behind goals from Designated Players Miguel Almirón and Breel Embolo. Atlanta reinforced that potential Wednesday with a 3-0 victory over CF Montréal.
While the Eastern Conference features a desperate chase for survival, the Western Conference playoff bracket faces a potential shakeup Saturday night when Houston Dynamo FC host FC Dallas (8:30 p.m. ET) in the Texas Derby. Only four points separate third-place Dallas from fifth-place Houston, making the fixture a critical juncture for both clubs’ seeding hopes.
The winner claims El Capitán, the rivalry trophy awarded to the season-series victor. Dallas currently hold the edge after winning the first meeting 4-3 earlier this year.
Houston rely heavily on Guilherme, the Brazilian forward acquired from Santos FC during the winter transfer window. His 16 goals and nine assists position him as a leading candidate for MLS Newcomer of the Year. Dallas counter with Croatian international Petar Musa, whose 19 goals rank second in the Golden Boot race. Musa arrived at this stretch off a summer appearance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he scored against England.
The Texas Derby reflects a broader structural reality in MLS: intra-conference rivalries frequently double as direct elimination precursors. With the top nine teams in each conference qualifying for the playoffs and seeds determining home-field advantage through the early rounds, dropping points to a geographic rival carries compounded mathematical damage.
That dynamic defines Sunday Night Soccer (presented by Continental Tire), where FC Cincinnati host Columbus Crew in the latest chapter of the Hell is Real rivalry. Cincinnati currently occupy the ninth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. Columbus trail their Ohio rivals by four points following a turbulent campaign marked by a midseason coaching change that installed Laurent Courtois on an interim basis.
Columbus attempted to salvage their season during the summer transfer window by adding Designated Players Brais Méndez and Santiago Rodríguez. Cincinnati, managed by Pat Noonan, lean on playmaker Evander (13 goals, 13 assists) and striker Kévin Denkey (17 goals, five assists) to maintain their tenuous grip on the postseason field.
Matchday 31 leaves clubs with exactly five fixtures remaining before Decision Day concludes the regular season schedule.
