Major League Soccer's six-week break ends Thursday as the league restarts between World Cup semi-finals and the third-place match. The timing means teams must quickly shake off rust with more than half the regular season remaining, plus the Leagues Cup still to come.
Forty-four players scattered across MLS rosters left mid-season for Qatar. Seven of them carry storylines that will define their clubs' push toward playoffs.
The goalscoring questions that won't go away
Son Heung-min arrives back to Los Angeles FC empty-handed on both fronts. He managed just one shot on goal across seven attempts for South Korea before the team crashed out of the group stage. At LAFC, his drought runs deeper: 13 appearances, zero goals in 2026. With only one shot landing on target from 19 attempts taken outside the box, Son's positioning has become a tactical puzzle his club must solve. His eight assists keep the team competitive, but LAFC's record signing needs to find space inside 12 yards.
At FC Dallas, Petar Musa scored immediately for Croatia against England before fading from the tournament entirely. His World Cup arc was brief but instructive: one moment of brilliance followed by benching and invisibility. Dallas faces a delicate task getting him back to last season's form, when he averaged 0.74 goals per 90 minutes across his MLS stint. He's been arguably the league's best center-forward since arriving, but scoring 46 goals in 5,632 minutes means opponents will game-plan differently now that the film exists.
Miguel Almiron's World Cup was carnival chaos wrapped in a stunning upset win. He earned a yellow card through mistaken identity VAR, then a red card that sparked viral memes, but finished strong by starting Paraguay's upset of Germany. Atlanta United desperately needs him to channel that final-match momentum into consistent scoring. The club has spent heavily but still flounders, making Almiron's offensive production critical to any turnaround.
Chicago Fire gained Robert Lewandowski after a storied European career, but the question now centers on younger talent. Mbekezeli Mbokazi, just 20, had a strong World Cup backing South Africa's first knockout appearance. The defender has already acclimated quickly to MLS with Chicago sitting third in the East while conceding the conference's second-fewest goals. How he adjusts as Lewandowski settles in will reveal whether the Fire's defensive structure can absorb a new attacking focal point.
Contract drama and departure rumors
Sebastian Berhalter's performances off the bench for the United States caught attention. The 25-year-old London-born midfielder became Vancouver's possession engine, roaming freely while keeping the Whitecaps tactically sharp. He's among the league's best right-footed set-piece specialists and a crucial cog in Concacaf's most organized team.
His contract ends in December. Vancouver's future remains uncertain, which could open doors for rivals to pursue him aggressively. Will another MLS team spend significantly to upgrade their midfield, or does Berhalter leave North America entirely? The answer determines whether Vancouver can build momentum or faces another roster rebuild.
Lionel Messi's World Cup absence raised an existential question: how much longer does he stay? He signed an extension last fall keeping him through December 2028, though his role as part-owner complicates any retirement timeline. His emotional displays after Argentina's tournament run suggest the end nears. Inter Miami just opened a new stadium with a stand bearing his name, maximizing his present while his future remains unwritten. Whether he continues motivating tens of thousands across North America without a World Cup preparation cycle in sight will reshape MLS's next chapter.
Orlando City returned four players from World Cup rosters: goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau for Canada, defender Braian Ojeda for Paraguay, and midfielder Marco Pasalic for Croatia all saw knockout action. Crepeau's surprise selection over Miami's Dayne St Clair might boost his confidence. Pasalic delivered 12 goals and five assists last season. Yet Orlando entered the break 12th in the East with minus-21 goal difference, four points from playoff contention. With Antoine Griezmann now arriving, the Lions could ascend rapidly in an open Eastern Conference.
Author James Rodriguez: "These storylines will make or break club seasons down the stretch, but the real test is whether MLS can keep these players invested when the next World Cup is still three years away."
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