MLS Returns to the Pitch: What's Next for Messi, Son, and Berhalter After the 2026 World Cup?

While the global footballing audience remains captivated by the final showdowns of the 2026 World Cup, Major League Soccer is preparing for a highly strategic and dramatic restart. The domestic league returns to action this Thursday, cleverly wedging its resurgence into the narrow window between the World Cup semi-finals and the third-place playoff. Following a grueling six-week pause, fans across the league’s 30 franchises are dusting off their scarves and trying to recall exactly where their squads left off. With more than half of the regular season still left to play—and the ever-demanding Leagues Cup looming on the horizon to further congest the schedule—the MLS calendar is about to become incredibly intense. The domestic campaign reboots with a host of compelling storylines that bridge the gap between international duty and club loyalties. All eyes will inevitably be on how international superstars transition back to the daily grind. What is the next chapter for Lionel Messi? Can Son Heung-min overcome his international goal drought at the club level, and what does the future hold for Gregg Berhalter? These are the burning questions that will dominate the headlines as the final stretch of the season begins. Perhaps the most surprising takeaway from the 2026 World Cup, however, was the quiet but undeniable impact of MLS on the global stage. During the mega-event, the league felt curiously absent from the broader narrative, usually only earning a mention when commentators identified a player’s club or relied on the in-market promotional efforts of its local franchises. Yet, the underlying statistics paint a picture of a rapidly elevating league. Through the quarter-finals, MLS ranked an impressive sixth globally in total minutes played by its athletes, marking the highest representation of any single league outside of Europe’s traditional 'Big Five'. Furthermore, the World Cup talent wasn't isolated to just a few marquee franchises. An impressive 22 of MLS’s 30 clubs sent at least one player to the tournament, proving the league's expanding depth. As the domestic season ignites once again, supporters can look forward to watching these returning international heroes battle it out on home soil, transforming their hard-fought World Cup momentum into a fierce pursuit of MLS Cup glory. *Source: Guardian Football*