In the quest to win MLS Cup 2025 presented by Audi, heroes emerge for those navigating the treacherous Audi MLS Cup Playoffs roads.
On Saturday, Inter Miami CF host New York City FC in the Eastern Conference Final (6 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV) and San Diego FC welcome Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the Western Conference Final (9 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV).
Which players could put their team on their backs? We've got 10 strong candidates.
Let's get the most obvious choice out of the way.
Messi has been on a different level than everyone else this postseason, setting a new MLS record for goal contributions (12) during a single playoff campaign with 6g/6a in just four matches. That includes 1g/3a in Inter Miami's 4-0 drubbing of FC Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The 31-year-old Argentine international, a blockbuster summer signing from LaLiga giants Atlético Madrid, has helped give Messi the freedom to be a magician.
De Paul has raised his level down the stretch of the regular season and in the playoffs, locking down the center of midfield alongside Sergio Busquets, while completing 88 percent of his passes and adding an assist.
Why was Luis Suárez a supersub against FC Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference Semifinals? The answer is Mateo Silvetti.
The 19-year-old Argentine forward has 1g/3a in the postseason, all coming in consecutive starts, an opportunity that emerged when El Pistolero served a one-game suspension.
With a high-octane attack on the other side, it might take a super-human performance defensively for NYCFC to pull off another upset.
That's not new for them, especially with Freese in net. The USMNT No. 1 goalkeeper was at the heart of upsets over Charlotte FC and Philadelphia Union, making five saves to secure a 1-0 win at his former club in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
To reach MLS Cup, NYCFC will need a goal, likely multiple goals. With leading scorer Alonso Martínez sidelined due to injury (knee), Argentine attacker Nicolás Fernández Mercau is the most likely candidate to step up.
Signed this summer from LaLiga side Elche CF, Fernández Mercau netted a brace against Charlotte in the decisive Game 3 of the Round One Best-of-3 Series. He then added the game-deciding assist in the Cityzens' win at Philadelphia in the Conference Semifinals.
The MLS Newcomer of the Year is second only to Messi in playoff goal contributions (6) with 4g/2a in four matches. The Danish DP has been the driving force of a historic postseason for San Diego, the second-ever expansion team to make a Conference Final alongside the 1998 Chicago Fire.
Dreyer's thunderous strike against Minnesota United FC in the Western Conference Semifinals got them to this stage.
Tverskov is the second part of San Diego's dynamic Danish duo, alongside Dreyer.
The veteran midfielder, who had 2g/13a in the regular season, is often relied upon as the metronome for the expansion team and delivered a huge assist on Dreyer's late winner against the Loons.
This past August, the German legend made a very good team an elite one when he arrived in Vancouver after a storied 17-year career at Bayern Munich.
Müller has 9g/4a in 11 matches (all competitions), helping the Whitecaps reach the Western Conference Final for the first time in club history.
Berhalter is enjoying a breakout season for club and country, looking to solidify his spot on the USMNT roster at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and help Vancouver reach MLS Cup for the first time.
After scoring a golazo in a rout of Uruguay last week, the Best XI midfielder will look to play a starring role in the Western Conference Final.
Lest we forget about Brian White.
Before being sidelined due to a hamstring injury, the 29-year-old striker was on an all-time heater for Vancouver, with 22 goals on the season. That includes five goals in a run to the Concacaf Champions Cup final.
Rest assured, he knows how to step up when the lights are brightest.
