The Columbus Crew are back in action this weekend as the Club travels to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Portland Timbers to open up the 2026 MLS season. As matchweek one approaches, we asked the staff to share their season predictions for who they think will win the Club’s Golden Boot, Defensive Player of the Year, MVP and where the team will finish in the Eastern Conference standings.

Collin Johnson

Conference Standing: 5th – I’m optimistic about the Crew and their performance this year but this is a very tough Eastern Conference with a team still learning a new system. Assuming Messi is healthy, Miami should still be near the top of the East with Philly, Cincy, and Nashville on their heels. I see the Crew in that next group with Chicago, NYRB, NYCFC and Charlotte but wouldn’t be surprised to see the Black & Gold hit the ground running and push for top three in the Eastern Conference. 

Golden Boot: Wessam Abou Ali – Abou Ali was brought to Columbus to score goals, and if he’s healthy he’s going to score goals. If Abou Ali isn’t the team’s Golden Boot winner it means he was either injured or plays so well he earns a massive dollar summer transfer. 

MVP: Daniel Gazdag – Henrik Rydström has specifically highlighted Gazdag and his struggles to leave a counter-attacking system to move to Wilfried Nancy’s ball-dominant system so the new Crew manager clearly understands the need to put Gazdag in a position to succeed. Gazdag will do that this year seeing his goals + assists somewhere between 15 and 20. 

DPOY: Yevhen Cheberko – Cheberko hasn’t been a bust for the Crew but his performances haven’t met the expectations many had for him when he joined the team in 2023. Cheberko’s struggles mostly came when defending one-on-one on a breakaway and when asked to possess the ball near his goal in the Wilfried Nancy system. These are two things I expect Cheberko to have to do much less of under Henrik Rydström. Cheberko will fit well in this system and will be the Crew’s standout defender in 2026. 

Adam Miller

Conference Standing: The Crew will finish 5th in the Eastern Conference this season and 9th in the Supporters Shield. Columbus will benefit from less fixture congestion in 2026 without taking part in the CONCACAF Champions Cup early in the season. The Crew will still have the Leagues Cup and the US Open Cup, which may be the Black & Gold’s best chance at a trophy (outside the Trillium Cup) in 2026. There is a lot for Crew fans to be excited about in 2026 with the return of Diego Rossi and a healthy Wessam Abou-Ali leading the attack. Combine that with the return of Rudy Camacho from injury and the vast majority of the backline returning to protect Patrick Schulte. There are major unknowns in central midfield with club legend Darlington Nagbe and no replacement (officially) announced as of yet. While there is reason to be excited about the new Head Coach, Henrik Rydstrom, it often takes a little bit for new coaches to figure out the league. Additionally, I think the Crew is a team to watch in the summer window. Interest will continue to come for Max Arfsten and Patrick Schulte. Sean Zawadski’s profile continues to rise as well. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few players leave in the summer. Of course, Issa Tall and company would be able to replace them, but there are very few “sure things” when bringing in new players. The 5th feels about right for a team with a lot of answers and a few questions heading into the season.

Golden Boot: Wessam Abou-Ali will win the Crew’s Golden Boot in 2026 and might be a sneaky pick for the MLS Golden Boot in 2026 if anyone wants some unsolicited gambling advice for a high-value Golden Boot Futures wager. Regardless, Abou-Ali scored 3 goals in 5 matches last year. While that pace is hard to sustain and there are some injury concerns, Abou-Ali is good for 15-plus goals if healthy in 2026.

MVP: Diego Rossi will be the Crew’s most valuable player in 2026. A proven entity in the league, Rossi will look to be a bit more of a provider in 2026 when Abou Ali is healthy, which he is capable of. Rossi will likely pull the strings in the Crew’s attack and be able to either draw attention away from Abou-Ali or take advantage of the space afforded to him by teams worried about Abou-Ali. Rossi has historically been at his best as the attack’s second option in MLS and will be “second fiddle” to Abou-Ali in 2026.

DPOY: Steven Moreira will win the DPOY in 2026. Moreira is gearing up for the biggest season of his life as he prepares for the World Cup. I am uncertain where Moreira will play on the field (center back or right back), but he is a shoo-in for the starting lineup and will continue to show what makes him a special MLS defender with his ability to go both ways.

Grant Miller

Conference Standing: The most talented team in MLS reloaded this offseason, and one or two teams are trying to keep up with them in terms of salary spend. After that, the East feels like 11 teams that can all finish between 3rd and 13th. With a new coach that has to implement a system and question marks still in the middle and back line, I think The Crew will do well enough to finish in the middle of the playoff group.

Golden Boot: Don’t be shocked if he’s even in the running for the MLS Golden Boot. Henrik Rydstrom’s Malmö teams scored a ton of goals; I believe his Columbus Crew teams will as well. We only saw glimpses of Abou-Ali’s scoring prowess last year, but we witnessed looked prolific.

MVP: Is there one man’s game more made more for realism than Rossi? If so, please point him out to me when you see me at a game. Rossi was consistently The Crew’s best player last year, and that won’t change in 2026

DPOY: Team captain, Ohio born and raised, gritty, lays it all on the line, what’s more to love. Zawadzki feels like the ethos of America’s hardest-working team distilled down to player form.

Austin Mucchetti

Conference Standing: I’m going into this season optimistic, possibly to a fault, but I think the Black & Gold will make a decent run this year finishing 5th. Despite the departures of Wilfried Nancy and Darlington Nagbe, the core of the team has remained intact. A drop in form last season was worrisome, but several injuries didn’t help. New head coach Henrik Rydström will aim to reinvigorate the side with his direct approach, and will hopefully continue building on the Crew’s promising foundation. With Wessam Abou Ali back in action up top and others eager to boost their stock as we approach the FIFA World Cup, we could be in for a fun season. And if all goes to plan, the Black & Gold will be playing “…like a [expletive] rock band,’ as Rydström would say.

Golden Boot: Wessam Abou Ali is back, and I couldn’t be more excited. We caught a glimpse of his potential following his much-awaited summer 2025 arrival from Egyptian side Al Ahly, with the DP scoring three goals in five appearances, but an injury kept him sidelined for the remainder of the season. Just months before his transfer to Columbus, he netted a hat trick against Portuguese giants FC Porto in the FIFA Club World Cup, which is a pretty strong indication of what he is capable of. If Abou Ali is able to click with Diego Rossi and Daniel Gazdag in front of the goal, I predict he’ll surpass 20+ goals this season.

MVP: Diego Rossi is an easy shout for MVP this season, but that’s because he has shown time and time again that he is a player the Black & Gold can rely on. When the Crew was in search of goals following the departure of Cucho Hernández, Rossi showed up, recording 16 goals and 4 assists in MLS last season. Since arriving in Columbus, Rossi has consistently proven his quality, helping lead the club to its third MLS Cup title in 2023 and establishing himself as one of the most dangerous attackers in the league. With a true No. 9 in Abou Ali occupying center backs and potentially freeing space in wide and half-space channels, Rossi should find more room to operate. If Gazdag also hits top form, the interconnected movement and combination play between the three could unlock another level in the Black & Gold’s attack. 

DPOY: With Nagbe’s retirement ushering in a new era, the Black & Gold’s new captain has big shoes to fill, but even at 25, I don’t doubt that he’s ready. He has already shown the personality and presence to lead this group. Whether it was anchoring the back line in high-pressure moments or stepping into goal after a red card, Zawadzki has consistently embodied resilience and accountability. He’s vocal, competitive, and composed in possession, and his versatility allows him to impact the game in countless ways. That being said, as I pick him as my DPOY, it is unclear whether we will see him in a back three or shift upward to fill Nagbe’s previous role in the midfield. Regardless, Zawadzki has the opportunity to stake his claim as a top defender, midfielder, and leader in the league, and I think he will take it.

Caleb Denorme

Conference Standing: Crew fans have seen what new regimes can do in their first season at the helm (I’m looking at you, 2023 Crew), but it is also important to realize that a turnaround of that magnitude is not always the case. Columbus returns a strong roster, but there are still a few holes to watch. If Henrik Rydström proves to be a coaching force, the Black & Gold can finish much higher than a low-seeded playoff position, in 5th.

Golden Boot: This one should be simple, but the Crew’s golden boot chase will depend heavily on Abou Ali’s health. If he is able to play 30 games, look for Abou Ali to score upwards of 20 goals in a Columbus squad that knows how to play attacking soccer. Diego Rossi will be hot on his heels as always, but will likely take on a more facilitator role.

MVP: The retirement of club and league legend Darlington Nagbe will leave more than a hole on the field, but also a leadership gap. After being named captain, Zawadzki will need to step up and guide the Black & Gold through Rydström’s first season as the leading voice on the field. On the tactical side, Zawadzki (wherever he ends up playing on the field) will need to shore up a Crew defense that dipped in form last season.

DPOY: This is quite possibly the easiest selection for an award. The simple fact is that Columbus’ defense goes as Moreira does. While the return of Rudy Camacho and a healthy Malte Amundsen will go a long way to restore the strong Black & Gold defenses of 2023 and 2024, Moreira will yet again lead the line with his ball-winning skills and dynamic playstyle. The biggest question mark this season will be the Crew’s backline, so Moreira must get back to his 2024 MLS Defender of the Year form to put doubts to rest.