The 2026 MLS regular season is coming down to wire, with most teams having four games left to battle above the playoff line.

This postseason will keep the system used since 2023: nine teams in each conference, with the eighth- and ninth-place finishers playing a one-game Wild Card match to determine who advances to face the top seed in the first round’s best-of-three series.

While some teams have thrived from the first kick of a ball back in February, others have adjusted and improved throughout the lengthy campaign. Now with just a few weeks left to go, it’s becoming clear which teams are the true contenders, most likely to hoist the MLS Cup on Dec. 15.

Here, Sports Illustrated ranks the five favorites to capture glory.

5. Philadelphia Union

Cavan Sullivan has the Philadelphia Union in contention for MLS Cup.…