Lionel Messi leads record MLS contingent as 44 active players named to 2026 World Cup squads

Major League Soccer announced a record 44 active players have been named to FIFA World Cup 2026 rosters, the most in the league's 33-year history. The league has more World Cup participants than any pro league in the Western Hemisphere. MLS is No. 2 among leagues outside the Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga and Serie A. In total, 103 players at the tournament have spent time in MLS.

MLS highlighted the impact of its player development with 42 current or former players at the World Cup, having come through the league through an academy or MLS NEXT Pro. The league said Alex Freeman, Rayan Elloumi and Esmir Bajraktarević became the first players to progress from MLS NEXT to MLS NEXT Pro, make first-team debuts and later earn spots on World Cup rosters.

According to MLS, 79 percent of the players named to the United States and Canada World Cup squads have played in MLS, developed in an MLS academy or both. The league also reported exactly half of the combined U.S. and Canada rosters came through MLS academies, a significant milestone for North American player development.

MLS stated 21 clubs will be represented at the World Cup, the most of any domestic league worldwide. LAFC leads all MLS clubs with four call-ups, while players from 17 countries across six continents will represent MLS on soccer's biggest stage. The league's representation spans 11 of the tournament's 12 groups.