The 2026 World Cup brought over 1,000 soccer players to North American shores, and for many, it meant training at Major League Soccer facilities, exposing some of the world’s best talents to MLS in at least one way for the first time.
With the tournament bringing massive attention to soccer, there’s hope it can boost MLS viewership and more, as the league was the sixth-most represented among leagues across the global game. Now, with the new World Cup cycle underway, could some of the tournament’s stars be bound for the 30-team U.S. first division?
