Jul 9, 2026
·Mary Callahan
Major League Soccer hit pause for the 2026 World Cup, but the league’s return on July 16 comes with a new wave of excitement. After weeks of watching national teams, breakout performances and global stars on the biggest stage in soccer, fans can now follow many of those same players back to their club teams across the United States and Canada.
This year’s tournament features a record 45 active MLS players from 22 clubs and 17 countries, giving fans plenty of World Cup talent to follow as league play resumes.
Who are the biggest World Cup stars playing in MLS?
The full MLS World Cup list runs 45 players deep, but a handful of names stand out for fans deciding which MLS teams to follow once MLS play resumes.
Lionel Messi, Inter Miami CF and Argentina
Messi is still the biggest name in MLS and one of the defining players in soccer history. He gives Inter Miami the league’s most obvious World Cup star power, and is the clear driving force behind one of MLS’s most watched teams.
Son Heung-Min, LAFC and South Korea
Son gives LAFC one of the biggest international names in the league. The South Korea forward is one of the most recognizable Asian players of his generation, and his presence makes LAFC one of the clearest MLS teams to follow for fans who want a direct link between the World Cup and club soccer.
James Rodríguez, Minnesota United FC and Colombia
Rodriguez remains one of the tournament’s most recognizable playmakers thanks to his breakout 2014 World Cup run with Colombia. For Minnesota United fans, he brings a rare level of international pedigree and gives the club one of the most familiar World Cup names in MLS.
Rodrigo De Paul, Inter Miami CF and Argentina
De Paul gives Inter Miami another major Argentina connection beyond Messi. A World Cup winner and key midfield piece for Argentina, he makes Miami more than just a one-star World Cup story and gives fans another reason to follow the club after the tournament.
Matt Freese, New York City FC and United States
Freese became one of the most relevant MLS-based U.S. players at the 2026 World Cup by taking over as the USMNT’s starting goalkeeper. That makes New York City FC a natural team to follow for American fans who want to keep watching one of the tournament’s biggest U.S. storylines.
Tim Ream and Miles Robinson, MLS and the United States
Freese may be the top U.S. MLS storyline, but Ream and Robinson give the league two more important USMNT connections. Ream brings veteran leadership at Charlotte FC, while Robinson gives FC Cincinnati a World Cup-tested defender who has been part of the U.S. national-team picture for years.
Miguel Almirón, Atlanta United and Paraguay
Almirón gives Atlanta United a familiar World Cup name with deep MLS roots. He helped define Atlanta’s early MLS rise before starring in the Premier League, and his return to the league gives Paraguay fans and Atlanta fans a clear player to follow.
Stephen Eustáquio, Jacob Shaffelburg and Canada’s MLS core
Canada has more MLS-based World Cup players than any other country, and LAFC is at the center of that connection with Stephen Eustáquio, Jacob Shaffelburg and Mathieu Choinière. Add in names like Maxime Crépeau, Richie Laryea and Jonathan Osorio, and MLS gives Canadian fans several ways to keep following their national-team players during the club season.
Complete list of World Cup players in MLS
Below is the full list of active MLS players named to 2026 FIFA World Cup rosters. Each player is listed with their MLS team, World Cup team and position.
Player | MLS team | World Cup team | Position |
Miguel Almirón | Midfielder | ||
Matías Galarza | Atlanta United | Paraguay | Midfielder |
Jayden Nelson | Midfielder | ||
Tim Ream | |||
Chris Brady | United States | Goalkeeper | |
Mbekezeli Mbokazi | Chicago Fire FC | Defender | |
Joel Waterman | Chicago Fire FC | Canada | Defender |
Miles Robinson | United States | Defender | |
Lucas Herrington | Defender | ||
Max Arfsten | United States | Defender | |
Steven Moreira | Columbus Crew | Defender | |
Louicius Deedson | Forward | ||
Herman Johansson | FC Dallas | Defender | |
Petar Musa | FC Dallas | Forward | |
Rodrigo De Paul | Midfielder | ||
Lionel Messi | Inter Miami CF | Argentina | Forward |
Dayne St. Clair | Inter Miami CF | Canada | Goalkeeper |
Mathieu Choinière | Canada | Midfielder | |
Stephen Eustáquio | LAFC | Canada | Midfielder |
Son Heung-Min | LAFC | Forward | |
Jacob Shaffelburg | LAFC | Canada | Midfielder |
Michael Boxall | Defender | ||
Carlos Harvey | Minnesota United FC | Midfielder | |
James Rodríguez | Minnesota United FC | Colombia | Midfielder |
Ahmed Qasem | Forward | ||
Matt Turner | United States | Goalkeeper | |
Matt Freese | United States | Goalkeeper | |
Aiden O’Neill | New York City FC | Australia | Midfielder |
Kai Trewin | New York City FC | Australia | Midfielder |
Maxime Crépeau | Canada | Goalkeeper | |
Braian Ojeda | Orlando City SC | Paraguay | Midfielder |
Marco Pašalić | Orlando City SC | Croatia | Forward |
Danley Jean Jacques | Haiti | Midfielder | |
Olwethu Makhanya | Philadelphia Union | South Africa | Defender |
Finn Surman | New Zealand | Defender | |
Juan Manuel Sanabria | Defender | ||
CJ dos Santos | Goalkeeper | ||
Aníbal Godoy | San Diego FC | Panama | Midfielder |
Cristian Roldan | United States | Midfielder | |
Derrick Etienne Jr. | Haiti | Forward | |
Richie Laryea | Toronto FC | Canada | Defender |
Jonathan Osorio | Toronto FC | Canada | Midfielder |
Sebastian Berhalter | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | United States | Midfielder |
Andrés Cubas | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Paraguay | Midfielder |
Rayan Elloumi | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Forward |
MLS published the same 45-player pool by both country and club, confirming the complete list of active MLS World Cup players across the league.
Which MLS teams have the most World Cup players?
LAFC leads MLS with four players on 2026 World Cup rosters. Eight other clubs have three call-ups each, giving fans in several MLS markets a chance to watch multiple World Cup players on the same club team.
MLS team | World Cup players |
LAFC | Mathieu Choinière (Canada), Stephen Eustáquio (Canada), Son Heung-Min (South Korea), Jacob Shaffelburg (Canada) |
Chicago Fire FC | Chris Brady (United States), Mbekezeli Mbokazi (South Africa), Joel Waterman (Canada) |
FC Dallas | Louicius Deedson (Haiti), Herman Johansson (Sweden), Petar Musa (Croatia) |
Inter Miami CF | Rodrigo De Paul (Argentina), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Dayne St. Clair (Canada) |
Minnesota United FC | Michael Boxall (New Zealand), Carlos Harvey (Panama), James Rodríguez (Colombia) |
New York City FC | Matt Freese (United States), Aiden O’Neill (Australia), Kai Trewin (Australia) |
Orlando City SC | Maxime Crépeau (Canada), Braian Ojeda (Paraguay), Marco Pašalić (Croatia) |
Toronto FC | Derrick Etienne Jr. (Haiti), Richie Laryea (Canada), Jonathan Osorio (Canada) |
Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Sebastian Berhalter (United States), Andrés Cubas (Paraguay), Rayan Elloumi (Tunisia) |
Atlanta United | Miguel Almirón (Paraguay), Matías Galarza (Paraguay) |
Columbus Crew | Max Arfsten (United States), Steven Moreira (Cape Verde) |
Philadelphia Union | Danley Jean Jacques (Haiti), Olwethu Makhanya (South Africa) |
San Diego FC | CJ dos Santos (Cape Verde), Aníbal Godoy (Panama) |
MLS players by World Cup country
If you are following a specific national team, MLS has players across 17 World Cup rosters.
World Cup team | MLS players |
Argentina | Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami CF), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF) |
Australia | Lucas Herrington (Colorado Rapids), Aiden O’Neill (New York City FC), Kai Trewin (New York City FC) |
Canada | Mathieu Choinière (LAFC), Maxime Crépeau (Orlando City SC), Stephen Eustáquio (LAFC), Richie Laryea (Toronto FC), Jayden Nelson (Austin FC), Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC), Jacob Shaffelburg (LAFC), Dayne St. Clair (Inter Miami CF), Joel Waterman (Chicago Fire FC) |
Cape Verde | CJ dos Santos (San Diego FC), Steven Moreira (Columbus Crew) |
Colombia | James Rodríguez (Minnesota United FC) |
Croatia | Petar Musa (FC Dallas), Marco Pašalić (Orlando City SC) |
Haiti | Louicius Deedson (FC Dallas), Derrick Etienne Jr. (Toronto FC), Danley Jean Jacques (Philadelphia Union) |
Iraq | Ahmed Qasem (Nashville SC) |
New Zealand | Michael Boxall (Minnesota United FC), Finn Surman (Portland Timbers) |
Panama | Aníbal Godoy (San Diego FC), Carlos Harvey (Minnesota United FC) |
Paraguay | Miguel Almirón (Atlanta United), Andrés Cubas (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Matías Galarza (Atlanta United), Braian Ojeda (Orlando City SC) |
South Africa | Olwethu Makhanya (Philadelphia Union), Mbekezeli Mbokazi (Chicago Fire FC) |
South Korea | Son Heung-Min (LAFC) |
Sweden | Herman Johansson (FC Dallas) |
Tunisia | Rayan Elloumi (Vancouver Whitecaps FC) |
United States | Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Chris Brady (Chicago Fire FC), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders FC), Matt Turner (New England Revolution) |
Uruguay | Juan Manuel Sanabria (Real Salt Lake) |
How to get MLS tickets on SeatGeek
Seeing World Cup players in MLS starts with finding the right match. SeatGeek makes it easy to search by team, compare ticket options and find seats that fit your budget.
Go to SeatGeek and search for the MLS team you want to see.
Select the match you want to attend.
Use the seat map to compare sections, prices and views.
Check Deal Score to find strong value for your budget.
Review ticket details, including delivery method and all-in pricing where available.
Check out securely and get ready to watch World Cup talent live.
Whether you want to see Messi and De Paul at Inter Miami, Son and Canada’s LAFC trio in Los Angeles, James Rodríguez in Minnesota or U.S. World Cup players around the league, MLS gives fans a weekly way to follow the stars of the tournament.
🏷️ Tags: World Cup 2026, Lionel Messi