MLS (Major League Soccer) continues to consolidate its international growth and arrives at the 2026 World Cup with a figure that reflects its impact on global soccer. According to official league data, 44 players who play for MLS clubs have been called up by their respective national teams to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
With this figure, MLS is positioned as the league with the most World Cup players in the Americas, surpassing Liga MX by far and confirming the progress that soccer in the United States and Canada has experienced in recent years.
An increasingly international league
The 44 World Cup 2026 call-ups represent 17 different countries, a testament to the diversity and reach that MLS has achieved.
Among them are international figures such as Lionel Messi, captain of Argentina and Inter Miami player.
As well as James Rodriguez with Colombia and Son Heung-min with South Korea.
The teams with the largest presence of MLS players are the United States and Canada, with eight representatives each.
Countries such as Paraguay, Australia, Haiti, Panama, Croatia, Cape Verde, New Zealand and South Africa have also been called up.
In addition, the World Cup players belong to 21 different MLS clubs.
This shows that international talent is not concentrated in just a few franchises.
A figure that reflects its impact on global soccer
QuéOnnda.com
MLS surpasses Liga MX
One of the most striking data is the comparison with Liga MX.
While MLS contributes 44 players to the 2026 World Cup, the Mexican championship has 26 players.
Of those 26 Liga MX players, almost half are part of the Mexican National Team.
The rest are distributed among teams such as Uruguay, Panama, Ecuador, Colombia and the United States.
The impact of MLS academies
Another highlight is the role of training academies.
According to official league figures, 79% of the players called up by the United States and Canada for the 2026 World Cup have played in MLS or passed through one of its youth academies.
The evolution of these development programs is one of the factors behind the growth of soccer in North America.
For the first time in history, approximately half of the players called up by both national teams were trained within the MLS academy system.
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