BJ Callaghan believes the sky is the limit for his Nashville SC side as they prepare for their first game of the 2026 campaign at home to the New England Revolution. 

Nashville enjoyed a sensational 2025 season, finishing sixth in the Eastern Conference before losing in Round One to eventual MLS Cup winners Inter Miami over three games. 

However, Callaghan, who was named Nashville's manager in July 2024, led the Coyotes to their first-ever title – the U.S. Open Cup – along with breaking several club records.

Indeed, Nashville registered the most single-season MLS wins (17), their longest unbeaten streaks (15 in all competitions, 12 MLS) and most single-season home wins (15). 

That resulted in the 44-year-old putting pen to paper on a contract extension that will keep him at the club through the 2028-29 MLS season. 

"I'm grateful to John [Ingram], Ian [Ayre] and Mike [Jacobs] for the opportunity to come here, and then the opportunity to stay here," Callaghan said. 

"The other thing I'm really grateful for is the people I get to work with and alongside. That's the players, the staff, the coaches. It's really easy to come to work at Nashville SC.

"The city's a great place to live, the club's a great place to work, the players are great to work with.

"We're an ambitious club, we have ambitious ownership, and I don't think there's any real limit on where I want this group to go."

But a team under new management heading into the new season is the New England Revolution, who parted ways with Caleb Porter in September last year.

The Revolution finished 11th in the Eastern Conference and 17 points adrift of a spot in the postseason, with Marko Mitrovic the man tasked with replacing Porter. 

Mitrovic was previously the head coach of the United States' Under-20 side, whom he led to the quarter-finals of the recent 2025 U20 World Cup.

And ahead of his first taste of MLS action, the 47-year-old acknowledged the difficulty of starting the season against a team that finished in the playoffs last year. 

"It's always excitement after a long break, in fact, a longer preseason," Markovic said. "We are looking forward to a game against a competitive team. 

"It is another game in our lives, and that is the approach I think we need to have in the early parts of the season. 

"The season starts with this really difficult game against a team that did well last year, but we feel good, the team feels good, and we're looking forward to Saturday."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Nashville – Sam Surridge

Sam Surridge netted a Nashville record 24 goals during the 2025 season, surpassing Hany Mukthar's 23 from his MVP-winning 2022 season.

In his MLS career, Surridge has netted five goals in five career regular-season games against New England, only scoring more against the Chicago Fire (seven).

New England – Carles Gil

Carles Gil scored a team-high 10 goals in the 2025 regular season, his third season with double-digit goals for New England (2019, 2023).

Indeed, Gil and Taylor Twellman (five times) are the only players to score 10+ goals in at least three different seasons for New England.

MATCH PREDICTION: NASHVILLE WIN

Nashville secured a 3-2 win at New England last June in the last meeting between the sides. Neither team has won consecutive matches against the other in all competitions (11 meetings).

But the Coyotes will be confident of breaking that stretch. Their 54 points in the 2025 regular season equalled their most in a single season in club history (54 in 2021). Nashville also set club records with 16 wins and 58 goals last season.

Meanwhile, this is New England's 31st MLS season, and the 30th that will begin on the road, only playing their first match of the season at home in 2008. The Revs have opened their season with a win just one time in the last 12 seasons, dating back to 2014 (D5 L6).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Nashville – 59.3%

Draw – 21.2%

New England – 19.5%