5 Predictions for the 2026 LA Galaxy
Another edition of season predictions, which is most likely to happen in 2026
The preseason preparations are in full swing for the LA Galaxy. Players are getting back into shape, and LA already played its first closed-door scrimmage of the preseason (A 1-0 win over the Portland Timbers).
It’s been an eventful offseason for the six-time champions. LA’s acquisition of Jakob Glesnes and Justin Haak displayed the club’s ambitions to fix the problems in the backline. However, news of Riqui Puig’s second ACL surgery early this month has added more questions about the team as the season quickly approaches.
As is tradition, here are some of my predictions for the upcoming season. I’ve done this previously for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Lucas Sanabria has a breakout season
Last season was a rough start for Sanabria’s LA Galaxy career. He missed time in the preseason, an important time to get to know your teammates on the pitch and broke his collarbone in his second career MLS game. LA made it clear they view him as a key piece to the future of the team when they bought him from Nacional for a reported fee of $5 million.
The Uruguayan has small flashes during the 2025 season, but now the expectation is for him to take a leap in his performances with the G’s. He has a year under his belt of studying how Vanney wants him to play and getting to know the tendencies of his teammates on the pitch.
Sanabria scored his goals by crashing into the box and exploiting the space that was left behind. It’s a common tactic for midfielders to score goals and be a threat when defenses least expect it. There will be an emphasis on Sanabria to get used to the patterns of play and to use the ball more compared to the last two years of his career. I can envision him having some big moments and taking notable leaps in his game offensively.
Joao Klauss scores 15 goals across all competitions
This is probably my most bold prediction, but I see a world where this can happen. The 28-year-old Brazilian isn’t the flashiest MLS striker, but I can see him flourishing as a member of the LA Galaxy. At the time of writing, reports are circulating that Klauss is close to joining the Galaxy from St. Louis CITY SC.
Klauss has scored 15 goals in his last two seasons on poor St. Louis teams but now he’ll play with the most talented attack in his MLS career. Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil will keep backlines on their toes, and this leaves Klauss’ role to be a quality finisher. The Brazilian also adds an extra dimension with his physicality and consistency in winning aerial duels.
Dejan Joveljic had a couple of years of experience under his belt and showed flashes of being a quality goal scorer despite not always producing goals. I see this same trope playing out with Klauss in 2026. With better players and a system that looks to give strikers quality looks in front of goal, this is the best scenario for him to flourish, as it eventually did with Joveljic.
LA transition into playing in a back three
The roster construction for the upcoming season has heavily bolstered the center-back position. Obviously, LA struggled on the defensive end, but is there another reason to add more depth to this position?
I have a strong feeling that the LA Galaxy, at some point this season, will play in a back three. It feels like this is the next evolution in Vanney’s LA Galaxy.
Justin Haak’s role with the LA Galaxy will determine if this idea of mine comes to fruition. The former NYCFC player spent most of his career playing as a defensive midfielder before spending most of last season as a center back. If he plays in a back three, he can push up into midfield and add an extra player in that sector of the pitch.
Vanney has been hesitant in the past to play in the back three because he doesn’t want to have too many center backs on the pitch. With Haak, you can get an extra midfielder who is extremely comfortable on the ball and can retreat into a center-back role.
Given the current state of the roster at the time of writing, playing in a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 could fit the roster well. Making this the new system would be a bold move, but one that can help LA strengthen its defensive issues while still being able to go attack in transition.
Joseph Paintsil Struggles
It’s a big year for the Ghanaian as he looks to be part of Ghana’s World Cup roster this summer. The speedy winger has been a nightmare for MLS defenders, but he can be neutralized.
Paintsil is a force when he’s moving at speed and being a direct threat. However, when you slow down the game and force him to work in tight spaces, Paintsil’s impact becomes very limited. He’s not stellar in combination play nor when trying to break down a low block in the final third. All of his best moments have come when he’s leading the counterattack or getting the final touch to finish an attack sequence.
If the LA Galaxy plays counterattacking soccer or Paintsil as a striker, he will be productive. But if the Gs want to play more with the ball or teams eliminate space in behind, it’s hard to envision Paintsil putting up a lot of goal contributions.
If he evolves his game to be better in combination play and in different game states, Paintsil would easily be one of the best attackers in the league.
Team Ceiling: Second Round Exit
The LA Galaxy has talent, no doubt about it. But there are still major questions about the attack and who will step up to make the attack feared across the league. The amount of investment in the backline this offseason is a floor raiser as it addresses last season’s biggest issues. But I can’t see LA as a contender now.
The 2024 LA Galaxy frontline struck fear into its opponents and was the major reason why LA won MLS that season. The 2026 LA Galaxy attack is nowhere near that level, with questions about Paintsil, Pec, Nascimento, and potentially Klauss following a down year last season. That core must prove that it can be one of the best without Riqui Puig pulling the strings.
I can see the Galaxy winning a best-of-three series in the Western Conference, but not good enough to be in the Western Conference finals. As of now, the team looks good enough to make the playoffs but not be a contender for the ultimate prize. A player or sector of the team will have to take a massive leap for me to change that opinion.