We’re back.

The Vancouver Whitecaps will look to bounce back from a frustrating 0-0 draw against Cartaginés in the Concacaf Champions Cup when they kick off the 2026 MLS season with their home opener against Real Salt Lake.

The 2025 season was the best and most memorable Whitecaps year in recent memory. Tremendous runs in the Concacaf Champions Cup and the MLS playoffs almost brought unheralded success, while the arrival of Thomas Müller attracted attention the team had never seen before.

All of that played out against a tumultuous backdrop, with questions about the club’s future quietly murmuring away. In this offseason, they have reared their ugly head once again, and the stadium fiasco this winter has far exceeded the chaos we saw last year.

Perhaps that is a good omen for the Whitecaps, and more off-pitch drama could somehow correlate with more success.

Despite losing wingers Ali Ahmed and Jayden Nelson, the roster arguably feels stronger than it did before the transfer window. New signing Bruno Caicedo will help fill the void in that department, with Kenji Cabrera likely to make an impact after impressing in cameos since joining in the summer.

Crucially, the bulk of the squad...