Messi has lifted the trophy, but the real work starts now. Miami have decisions to make, Philadelphia's prodigy Cavan Sullivan is waiting for his chance, and every contender is hunting the right signing before February.

And now to the offseason, where things in MLS can get very confusing. So there's this thing called the "salary cap", which means most teams – yes, even the best ones – have to reinvent themselves pretty much every winter. It is debatable if that is indeed a good thing or not. But what it does yield is plenty of room for change and speculation – and ample reports to keep the rumor mill churning. 

The positive to this all is that there isn't a single team in the league that is entirely set for next year. Not every side can win a championship, of course, and there are frightfully few that have the right ambition to do so. But there is plenty of room for some to break into the picture, and others to throw it all away. Inter Miami, for one, have money to spend, but, will they make wise decisions or remain top-heavy as they've historically shown? 

With that, GOAL takes a look at the offseason wishes for every one of MLS's playoff teams (and to be clear, this is from the first round onwards – apologies to Real Salt Lake and Orlando City fans). 

Getty Images SportPortland Timbers: Midfield depth

Right now, the Timbers are thin in the middle, with David Da Costa, Diego Chara, and David Ayala as their obvious options at the position. They could really do with an extra signing or two at the position. The bad news? There isn't loads of cash. But they don't need game changers. Solidity is the priority here, and a little more nous would go a long way. 

AdvertisementImagnFC Dallas: Center back help

FC Dallas are historically pretty reluctant to make big moves in the market, but they still have a big chunk of their roster filled out heading into next year. Still, there are five spots available, including one designated player. The realistic move? Get a top-level center back in and plug and play elsewhere. That seems to be the plan, given there are reports that they are getting a deal for Israeli attacking midfielder Ran Binyamin on a U22 intitiative deal. 

Getty Images SportAustin FC: Getting Brandon Vasquez fit

Pray that U.S. international Brandon Vazquez comes back fully fit. His impact as a No.9 cannot be understated, as he scored five goals suffering an ACL tear. If the striker recovers properly, Austin will be far scarier as a unit. The most obvious need – with Vazquez fully fit – is a creative attacking midfielder. But with no DP slot available, the Texas side will have to get creative there. What would do them well is a left back or center midfielder – hopefully an MLS vet on the cheap. Keep it tidy, and continue to build on what was a solid 2026 campaign. 

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Getty Images SportSeattle Sounders: Central midfield help

This hinges on Obed Vargas. Head coach Brian Schmetzer openly told GOAL that Vargas could leave at any time, so replacing him would be a logical priority. Cristian Roldan can cover plenty of minutes in that role, but it still leaves the Sounders thinner than they’d like. Seattle are well constructed and should cope with turnover better than most, yet adding another central midfielder would make sense – especially if they expect to push deeper into the postseason rather than just scraping through on penalties again.