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The 2026 MLS play resumes Thursday, cleverly holding its return connected nan days betwixt nan World Cup semi-finals and third-place game. Fans of immoderate of nan league’s 30 teams will beryllium trying to callback nan authorities of affairs aft a six-week pause, pinch much than half of nan regular play still to beryllium played and nan Leagues Cup further congesting nan schedule.
The convention was curiously absent from nan World Cup, only cited during nan broadcasts viewed by millions if a commentator named an progressive player’s nine and whose scope mostly depended connected nan in-market efforts of its franchises. And yet, done nan quarter-finals, MLS classed sixth successful full minutes by its players, nan highest of immoderate convention extracurricular Europe’s large five. Twenty-two of MLS’s 30 clubs had astatine slightest 1 man make a tourney squad.
Forty-four players near their teams midway done nan MLS play for nan World Cup. Here are 7 pinch storylines that’ll travel them backmost to their time jobs.
Son struggled for Korea. Will issues proceed successful LA?
Son Heung-min’s ineffectiveness successful beforehand of extremity played a portion successful South Korea’s stunning group-stage exit. The ex-Tottenham icon led nan squad pinch 7 shots, but conscionable 1 landed on-frame. If not for nan Concacaf Champions League and a May friends against Trinidad and Tobago, Son would beryllium goalless for nine and state passim 2026, arsenic he has besides grounded to ripple nan nett successful 13 MLS appearances for Los Angeles FC.
Son is their 2nd scoring option, down downhill winger Denis Bouanga. Nineteen of Son’s 39 attempts person been taken from extracurricular nan box, while conscionable 7 of his shots person travel from wrong 12 yards of goal. His 8 assists person kept LAFC astir nan apical of nan West, but if they’re to get much retired of nan league’s grounds signing, they’ll request to get him successful shooting spaces acold person to goal.
Does Berhalter time off Vancouver – aliases MLS?
Sebastian Berhalter’s banal roseate greatly pinch his composed performances for nan United States. He was nan first man disconnected nan chair connected astir occasions for Mauricio Pochettino. He besides plays a important domiciled for nan Vancouver Whitecaps arsenic a possession epicenter pinch licence to roam astir nan section and support nan league’s astir tactically sound outfit whirring. He’s besides among nan champion right-footed set-piece takers successful nan convention and successful nan American men’s talent pool.
Berhalter arrived pinch Vancouver arsenic a bargain flyer and is nearing nan extremity of his statement successful December. As nan club’s early hangs successful nan balance, different suitors whitethorn person a clear way to unafraid his signature. Will an MLS rival backmost up a Brinks motortruck to amended their motor room, aliases will nan 25-year-old London-born midfielder time off nan convention altogether?
Can Crépeau, Ojeda and Pasalic thief salvage play pinch Griezmann?
Orlando City were 1 of nan best-represented MLS teams astatine this World Cup, pinch Maxime Crépeau (Canada), Braian Ojeda (Paraguay) and Marco Pasalic (Croatia) each seeing nan section for knockout-stage sides. And yet, nan Lions struggled mightily successful nan season’s first trimester, entering nan World Cup break 12th successful nan East pinch nan conference’s worst extremity quality (minus-21).
Despite this, they’re conscionable 4 points beneath nan playoff places and should beryllium acold amended pinch Antoine Griezmann joining nan cause. Crépeau amazed immoderate by being Canada’s starting goalkeeper complete Miami’s Dayne St Clair, a move that could bolster his assurance aft their tally to nan past 16. Pasalic besides sewage much run-out than expected for Croatia and had a 12-goal, five-assist MLS run successful 2025. In a wide-open East beyond nan apical 2 teams, Orlando could make a accelerated ascent.
What’s adjacent for Almirón and Paraguay fans aft a chaotic tournament?
Miguel Almirón had a doozy of a World Cup. An ill-timed flop against nan US saw him beryllium nan first subordinate to gain a yellowish paper from a “mistaken identity” review. In nan adjacent game, different VAR cheque resulted successful him earning a reddish paper that hatched a viral location anthem. Fortunately, he was capable to return to commencement successful Paraguay’s last-32 upset of Germany, capping his tourney connected a precocious note.
Atlanta United proceed to flounder contempt spending big, but getting Almirón backmost among nan goals would do wonders toward that end. He’s 1 of 4 Paraguayans returning to MLS teams aft that celebrated triumph complete Germany, joined by Ojeda (Orlando), Matías Galarza (Atlanta) and Berhalter’s midfield partner successful Vancouver, Andrés Cubas. Each has a chance to transportation their cult leader position backmost to their nine teams.
Where does Petar Musa’s early lie?
Petar Musa wasted nary clip rewarding Croatia’s Zlatko Dalic for starting him against England, scoring a leveler midway done their eventual 4-2 defeat. He struggled to build upon that opening salvo, however, getting a half-time hook successful their 2nd group lucifer and failing to spot nan section thereafter.
Musa has been arguably MLS’s champion all-around center-forward since joining FC Dallas, and his return will beryllium a alleviation to caput coach Eric Quill. Dallas primitively signed Musa from Benfica successful 2024, and galore expected him to garner transportation liking aft scoring 46 goals successful 5,632 MLS minutes (0.74 per 90 minutes). Assuming teams aren’t banging down Dallas’ doors asking astir his availability, he’ll person to move their heads by resuming his erstwhile high-level scoring.
How will Mbokazi do backstopping Lewandowski?
Mbekezeli Mbokazi had a beardown World Cup, pinch nan 20-year-old being South Africa’s astir dependable defender arsenic Bafana Bafana reached their first knockout stage. He’ll soon slot into nan MLS All-Star team, and still has conscionable a half-season nether his loop pinch nan Chicago Fire.
Gregg Berhalter’s broadside is astir to get a brighter spotlight pinch Robert Lewandowski joining after a distinguished profession successful Europe. The Fire beryllium 3rd successful nan East, having conceded nan second-fewest goals successful nan convention successful portion owed to Mbokazi’s speedy acclimation. The goals should travel much steadily arsenic Lewandowski gets his bearings.
With nan World Cup down him, what’s near for Messi to do?
Since 2023, it has been nigh-on-impossible to talk MLS without citing its header employee. Lionel Messi has achieved almost everything he can pinch Inter Miami, including opening a caller stadium pinch a guidelines named aft him. He signed an hold past autumn that keeps him nether statement done December 2028, but his domiciled arsenic part-owner makes it a spot easier to talk a imaginable status plan.
Messi’s tears aft each hard-fought Argentina comeback stress really imminent nan extremity of his storied profession whitethorn be. The scenes of his last pre-tournament friends successful Argentina seemed to adjacent nan door connected a imaginable Copa América coda. The knock-on effect of his exit, whenever it comes, will beryllium steeply felt passim Miami’s statement and beyond crossed MLS. Will he support entertaining tens of thousands crossed North America without nan inducement of staying crisp for a World Cup defense?
