The 2026 MLS season resumes Thursday, with the league cleverly scheduling its return in the window between the World Cup semi-finals and the third-place game.
Fans of all 30 teams will be scrambling to recall where things stood before a six-week pause, with more than half of the regular season still to play.
Through the quarter-finals, MLS ranked sixth in total minutes by its players, the highest of any league outside Europe’s big five.
Twenty-two of MLS’s 30 clubs had at least one player make a World Cup squad, with 44 players leaving their teams midway through the season for the tournament.
Son Heung-min’s ineffectiveness in front of goal played a part in South Korea’s stunning group-stage exit, with just one of his seven shots landing on target.
Son has also failed to score in 13 MLS appearances for Los Angeles FC, and 19 of his 39 attempts this season have come from outside the penalty box.
His eight assists have kept LAFC near the top of the Western Conference, but the club will need to find ways to get the league’s record signing into better shooting positions.
Sebastian Berhalter’s stock rose significantly with composed performances for the United States, regularly being the first man off the bench for Mauricio Pochettino during the tournament.
The 25-year-old London-born midfielder arrived at Vancouver Whitecaps as a bargain signing and is approaching the end of his contract in December, opening the door for potential suitors.
Whether an MLS rival moves to secure his signature or Berhalter departs the league altogether remains one of the most intriguing questions heading into the second half of the season.
Orlando City enter the resumption sitting 12th in the East with the conference’s worst goal difference of minus-21, yet they sit just four points outside the playoff places.
Maxime Crépeau, Braian Ojeda and Marco Pasalic all saw action for knockout-stage nations at the World Cup and could provide a meaningful lift alongside Antoine Griezmann joining the squad.
Miguel Almirón endured one of the more chaotic World Cups of any MLS player, earning a yellow card through a mistaken identity VAR review before receiving a red card in Paraguay’s next match.
He recovered to start Paraguay’s last-32 upset of Germany, and is one of four Paraguayans returning to MLS clubs, alongside Ojeda, Matías Galarza and Andrés Cubas.
Petar Musa scored a leveler against England in Croatia’s opening group game but struggled for involvement thereafter, receiving a half-time substitution in their second match and not featuring again.
Musa has been arguably MLS’s best all-around centre-forward since joining FC Dallas, recording 46 goals in 5,632 MLS minutes at a rate of 0.74 per 90, and head coach Eric Quill will be relieved to have him back.
Mbekezeli Mbokazi impressed at the World Cup as South Africa’s most dependable defender, helping Bafana Bafana reach their first knockout stage at just 20 years old.
Gregg Berhalter’s Chicago Fire sit third in the East and are about to receive a massive boost with Robert Lewandowski joining after his distinguished European career.
Lionel Messi signed a contract extension last fall keeping him at Inter Miami through December 2028, and his role as part-owner adds an additional layer to any conversation about his eventual retirement.
His emotional reactions throughout Argentina’s matches and the scenes from his final pre-tournament friendly suggest the end of his extraordinary career may be closer than many Miami fans would care to admit.
The post Son Heung-min’s Goal Drought, Sebastian Berhalter’s Future And Lionel Messi’s Next Chapter Headline MLS Return appeared first on Gooner Daily.
