As MLS action returns for the league’s 30th season, Expected Goals previews upcoming milestones ahead of the opening weekend from expansion club San Diego to return legends like Diego Chara and Miguel Almirón.
San Diego FC Kicks Off Inaugural Season
The league’s 30th club – San Diego FC – makes its official debut on the opening weekend of MLS’ 30th season, as Hirving ‘Chucky’ Lozano, Luca de la Torre, and company travel to face the defending MLS Cup presented by Audi champion LA Galaxy on Sunday (7 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV/Apple TV+).
Only one of the previous six expansion teams to make their MLS debut have emerged victorious – St. Louis CITY SC, who defeated Austin FC, 3-2, in their first match in 2023. The most successful debuting expansion club in the last two decades, St. Louis went on to win its first five games of the 2023 season en route to becoming the first expansion team to win their conference in their debut season.
San Diego will look to follow in St. Louis’ footsteps as they embark on their inaugural campaign and the two clubs will face off on Matchday 2, as San Diego makes their home debut at Snapdragon Stadium on Saturday, March 1 (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
The first MLS matches played by recent expansion clubs:
Chara Starting the Season with Match No. 400
Already an MLS legend, the Portland Timbers re-signed midfielder and captain Diego Chara during the offseason, who is set to enter his 15th season with the club. Chara, 38, is the club’s all-time leader in games played (399), games started (389), and minutes played (34,637) in MLS regular-season action, while recording 12 goals and 34 assists during his career.
The 399 games played number is significant for the Colombian, as on Sunday against Vancouver Whitecaps FC (4 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV / Apple TV+), he can become the first player in MLS history to play in 400 regular season games with a single club. Additionally, Chara will be just the 13th player in league history to appear in at least 400 matches and the fourth active player, joining Columbus’ Darlington Nagbe (415), Seattle’s Stefan Frei (407), and Toronto’s Sean Johnson (400).
The most regular season games played with a club in MLS history:
Josef Martínez Ready to Get the Western Conference Quaking
Donning the blue and black of San Jose in 2025, Josef Martínez has his sights set on shaking up the Western Conference as part of a revamped Earthquakes roster. Martínez will partner in attack with Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango to comprise one of the most dangerous striker duos in the league. With new head coach Bruce Arena at the helm and alongside dynamic midfielders Cristian Espinoza and Hernán López, Martínez should have plenty of opportunities to add to his prolific MLS goal tally.
Next in the Venezuelan’s sights on the all-time goal-scoring leaderboard is MLS Season Pass analyst Bradley Wright-Phillips (117), who currently sits one goal ahead of Martínez in sixth place in league annals. San Jose will kick things off on Saturday at PayPal Park when they host Real Salt Lake (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV) with Martínez looking to eclipse Wright-Phillips in MLS lore.
The players with the most regular season goals in MLS history:
Almirón Reunites with ATL
An instrumental piece of the club’s MLS Cup presented by Audi-winning 2018 season, midfielder Miguel Almirón reunites with Atlanta United ahead of the 2025 season and is set to lead a high-powered offensive attack. In two previous seasons with Atlanta (2017-18), Almirón totaled 49 goal contributions (21 goals, 28 assists), while helping the club’s rapid ascension to the top of the league before spending six seasons with Newcastle United of the English Premier League.
With a goal contribution in the club’s season opener against CF Montréal on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV / Apple TV+), Almirón would become the fourth player in Atlanta United history to reach 50 career goal contributions, joining Josef Martínez (114 goal contributions), Thiago Almada (56), and Julian Gressel (50).
The players with the most goal contributions in Atlanta United history:
Fagúndez a Focal Point for Galaxy in 2025
The LA Galaxy will look to become the fourth team in MLS history to win back-to-back MLS Cups presented by Audi and the first since the club did so in 2011-12. With MLS Best XI midfielder Riqui Puig out for the foreseeable future due to a knee injury suffered in last year’s Western Conference Final, the reigning champs will rely on veteran Diego Fagúndez to create chances in attack.
Fortunately for the Galaxy, Fagúndez is no stranger to scoring and assisting in his MLS career, which included four goals and five assists last season. The Uruguayan is also on the brink of more history as he sits just one goal contribution shy of 150 in his regular season career, a milestone only one other active player (FC Dallas’ Luciano Acosta) currently holds.
The most goal contributions among active MLS players:
