Minnesota United and San Jose Earthquakes draw the curtain on their 2026 Major League Soccer regular season campaign when they lock horns at Allianz Field on Sunday morning.

While the home side head into the league finale needing maximum points to stand a chance of securing back-to-back playoff appearances, San Jose will aim to finish the campaign strong and gather momentum ahead of the post-season quest.

Match preview

A strong showing at the business end of the season has put Minnesota United in contention for playoff qualification ahead of a crunch final-day showdown, with the Loons securing a 3-1 win over Los Angeles FC on Monday to maintain their newfound form.

Joaquin Pereyra turned in an eye-catching display at the BMO Stadium, netting on either side of Cherrion Valerius’s 34th-minute strike to put the visitors three goals up, before Sergio Vasquez pulled one back for Los Angeles FC in the 89th minute.

Coming off a 3-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City on October 29, Minnesota United have now picked up three wins in their most recent four outings and are unbeaten in six straight matches (3W 3D), having lost each of the five games preceding this run.

This late-season resurgence has seen Cameron Knowles’s men surge into 12th place in the Western Conference standings with 41 points from 33 matches, just two points behind ninth-placed Colorado Rapids in the final playoff qualifying spot.

Attacking improvements have been integral in Minnesota’s upturn in form, with 2+ goals scored in five of their last six games, and they will also hope to make home advantage count against an opposing side who have failed to win their last six league visits to Allianz Field, losing four and claiming two draws since a 3-1 victory in May 2018.

Having seen their form take a dip in recent weeks, San Jose Earthquakes finally rediscovered their winning touch last Saturday when they held on to see out a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake and record their first victory since late September.

In an action-packed first half at PayPal Park, Ousseni Bouda and Benjamin Kikanovic netted in a 15-minute spell to put the Quakes in a commanding lead, and after Juan Sanabria halved the deficit with a 23rd-minute strike, the home side did well to repel Real Salt Lake and leave with all three points.

Prior to that, San Jose saw their nine-game unbeaten league streak come to an end on October 25, when they were hammered 3-0 by FC Dallas at the Toyota Stadium, four days before playing out a 2-2 stalemate with Colorado Rapids on home turf.

After enduring a disappointing 2025 campaign that saw them finish 10th in the West and narrowly miss out on the playoffs, Bruce Arena’s men have enjoyed a significant turnaround this season, collecting 52 points from 33 games to sit third in the conference standings, three points behind second-placed Dallas.

With playoff qualification already assured, San Jose will be keen to finish the regular season on a high, but a run of just one win in eight matches since August suggests they still have work to do before the campaign concludes.

Minnesota United Major League Soccer form:

San Jose Earthquakes Major League Soccer form:

Team News

Experienced midfielder Wil Trapp has missed each of Minnesota United’s last three matches due to the MLS concussion protocol, and the 33-year-old will play no part in Sunday’s finale.

American youngster Kayne Rizvanovich was left out of the team list against Los Angeles FC last time out, and the 19-year-old goalkeeper is also expected to sit out this weekend's matchup.

Kelvin Yeboah has been a standout performer for Minnesota this season, and the Italian striker, who has racked up 18 goals and four assists in 29 league starts, will be one to keep an eye on.

San Jose Earthquakes will be without several players down the spine of the team, including Darius Johnson and Jonathan Gonzalez, who have been ruled out through injuries.

Nigerian forward Nonso Adimabua is currently recuperating from a muscle problem while DeJuan Jones continues his lengthy spell on the sidelines through an Achilles tendon injury.

Minnesota United possible starting lineup:

Callender; Valerius, Diaz, Duggan, Markanich; Chancalay, Triantis, Gene, Gonzalez; Pereyra, Yeboah

San Jose Earthquakes possible starting lineup:

Edwards Jr.; Kikanovic, Munie, Roberts, Romney; Harkes, Fernandez; Bouda, Tsakiris, Ricketts; Judd

We say: Minnesota United 2-1 San Jose Earthquakes

Buoyed by their victory over Real Salt Lake, San Jose Earthquakes will head into the season finale in high spirits, but they have their work cut out against an in-form Minnesota United side who have their sights set on a top-nine finish.

However, San Jose’s form on the road leaves a lot to be desired, and we predict Minnesota will outscore Arena’s men this weekend and extend their impressive home record in this fixture.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.