MLS Sets Historic Record Ahead of 2026 World Cup

The World Cup kicks off in less than two weeks across North America, home to the U.S.’s top flight, Major League Soccer.

MLS has 44 players named to FIFA World Cup squads. | Megan Briggs/Getty Images; Cory Knowlton/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images; Laura Brown - Real Salt Lake/MLS via Getty Images

Ahead of welcoming soccer’s most coveted global event to its home, Major League Soccer has set a historic record.

The U.S.’s top flight, with three Canada-based clubs as well, will have 44 active players at the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer, the most in league history and up from then-record 36 active players at the 2022 Qatar edition, proving the league as a burgeoning hub for elite soccer’s stars. Those 44 players represent 21 of the league’s clubs and 17 countries.

The upcoming tournament, co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada, will see 103 total players that have spent time in MLS, also showcasing the league as a successful developmental pathway.

The U.S. men’s national team alone has eight MLS players on its roster, including probable starting goalkeeper Matt Freese of New York City FC and veteran captain Tim Ream of Charlotte FC. Canada’s national team also includes eight MLS players, including Inter Miami star goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair. Most famously, though, Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul of Inter Miami, will pursue their title defense for Argentina.

With soccer under a special spotlight in the U.S. this summer, MLS has a tremendous opportunity to promote its league, as several World Cup matches will be played in MLS home stadiums, including Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home to Atlanta United; Lumen Field, home to the Seattle Sounders; and BC Place, home to the Vancouver Whitecaps. Plus, with many active players competing on the global stage, that will only further promote the growing league.

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Healthy Competition Between MLS Teammates

Sebastian Berhalter of the Vancouver Whitecaps could be a star for the USMNT this summer. | Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

Vancouver Whitecaps star midfielder Sebastian Berhalter has taken MLS by storm this season to seal his World Cup fate. The 25-year-old, son to current Chicago Fire manager and former USMNT World Cup manager Gregg Berhalter, has recorded six goals and seven assists in 14 league games thus far and will make his World Cup debut for the USMNT this month.

After largely anticipated to be a substitute off the bench for the likes of superstars Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Malik Tillman, Berhalter may be in the midst of earning himself a starting position. He started in the USMNT’s latest friendly, a 3–2 victory over Senegal on Sunday, logging 76 minutes, the most of any player in Stars and Stripes, while showcasing his lethal box-to-box movements.

Should he take the pitch in the U.S.’s opening match against Group D foe Paraguay on June 12, he may come head-to-head with fellow Vancouver midfielder, Andrés Cubas, one of three MLS players representing Paraguay. Atlanta United’s Matías Galarza and Miguel Almirón will also compete for the South American side.

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