MLS return storylines: Berhalter’s future, Son’s goal drought and what’s next for Messi?

After a quiet World Cup for South Korea, Son Heung-min will look to return to form with Los Angeles FC. Photograph: Bill Barrett/ISI Photos/Getty Images The 2026 MLS season resumes Thursday, cleverly holding its return on the days between the World Cup semi-finals and third-place game. Fans of any of the league’s 30 teams will be trying to recall the state of affairs after a six-week pause, with more than half of the regular season still to be played and the Leagues Cup further congesting the schedule. The league was curiously absent from the World Cup, only cited during the broadcasts viewed by millions if a commentator named an involved player’s club and whose reach largely depended on the in-market efforts of its franchises. And yet, through the quarter-finals, MLS ranked sixth in total minutes by its players, the highest of any league outside Europe’s big five. Twenty-two of MLS’s 30 clubs had at least one man make a tournament squad. Forty-four players left their teams midway through the MLS season for the World Cup. Here are seven with storylines that’ll follow them back to their day jobs. Son struggled for Korea. Will issues continue in LA? Son Heung-min’s ineffectiveness in front of goal played a part in South Korea’s stunning group-stage exit . The ex-Tottenham icon led the team with seven shots, but just one landed on-frame. If not for the Concacaf Champions League and a May friendly against Trinidad and Tobago, Son would be goalless for club and country throughout 2026, as he has also failed to ripple the net in 13 MLS appearances for Los Angeles FC. Son is their second scoring option, behind downhill winger Denis Bouanga. Nineteen of Son’s 39 attempts have been taken from outside the box, while just seven of his shots have come from within 12 yards of goal. His eight assists have kept LAFC around the top of the West, but if they’re to get more out of the league’s record signing, they’ll need to get him in shooting spaces far closer to goal. Does Berhalter leave Vancouver – or MLS? Sebastian Berhalter’s stock rose greatly with his composed performances for the United States. He was the first man off the bench on most occasions for Mauricio Pochettino. He also plays a crucial role for the Vancouver Whitecaps as a possession epicenter with license to roam around the field and keep the league’s most tactically sound outfit whirring. He’s also among the best right-footed set-piece takers in the league and in the American men’s talent pool. Berhalter arrived with Vancouver as a bargain flyer and is nearing the end of his contract in December. As the club’s future hangs in the balance, other suitors may have a clear path to secure his signature. Will an MLS rival back up a Brinks truck to improve their engine room, or will the 25-year-old London-born midfielder leave the league altogether? Can Crépeau, Ojeda and Pasalic help salvage season with Griezmann? Orlando City were one of the best-represented MLS teams at this World Cup, with Maxime Crépeau (Canada), Braian Ojeda (Paraguay) and Marco Pasalic (Croatia) each seeing the field for knockout-stage sides. And yet, the Lions struggled mightily in the season’s first trimester, entering the World Cup break 12th in the East with the conference’s worst goal difference (minus-21). Despite this, they’re just four points below the playoff places and should be far better with Antoine Griezmann joining the cause. Crépeau surprised some by being Canada’s starting goalkeeper over Miami’s Dayne St Clair, a move that could bolster his confidence after their run to the last 16. Pasalic also got more run-out than expected for Croatia and had a 12-goal, five-assist MLS campaign in 2025. In a wide-open East beyond the top two teams, Orlando could make a rapid ascent. What’s next for Almirón and Paraguay fans after a chaotic tournament? Miguel Almirón had a doozy of a World Cup. An ill-timed flop against the US saw him be the first player to earn a yellow card from a “mistaken identity” review. In the next game, another VAR check resulted in him earning a red card that hatched a viral house anthem . Fortunately, he was able to return to start in Paraguay’s last-32 upset of Germany, capping his tournament on a high note. Atlanta United continue to flounder despite spending big, but getting Almirón back among the goals would do wonders toward that end. He’s one of four Paraguayans returning to MLS teams after that famous win over Germany , joined by Ojeda (Orlando), Matías Galarza (Atlanta) and Berhalter’s midfield partner in Vancouver, Andrés Cubas. Each has a chance to carry their cult hero status back to their club teams. Where does Petar Musa’s future lie? Petar Musa wasted no time rewarding Croatia’s Zlatko Dalic for starting him against England, scoring a leveler midway through their eventual 4-2 defeat. He struggled to build upon that opening salvo, however, getting a half-time hook in their second group match and failing to see the field thereafter. Musa has been arguably MLS’s best all-around center-forward since joining FC Dallas, and his return will be a relief to head coach Eric Quill. Dallas originally signed Musa from Benfica in 2024, and many expected him to garner transfer interest after scoring 46 goals in 5,632 MLS minutes (0.74 per 90 minutes). Assuming teams aren’t banging down Dallas’ doors asking about his availability, he’ll have to turn their heads by resuming his previous high-level scoring. How will Mbokazi do backstopping Lewandowski? Mbekezeli Mbokazi had a strong World Cup, with the 20-year-old being South Africa’s most dependable defender as Bafana Bafana reached their first knockout stage. He’ll soon slot into the MLS All-Star team, and still has just a half-season under his belt with the Chicago Fire. Gregg Berhalter’s side is about to get a brighter spotlight with Robert Lewandowski joining after a distinguished career in Europe . The Fire sit third in the East, having conceded the second-fewest goals in the conference in part due to Mbokazi’s quick acclimation. The goals should come more steadily as Lewandowski gets his bearings. With the World Cup behind him, what’s left for Messi to do? Since 2023, it has been nigh-on-impossible to discuss MLS without citing its headline employee. Lionel Messi has achieved almost everything he can with Inter Miami, including opening a new stadium with a stand named after him. He signed an extension last fall that keeps him under contract through December 2028, but his role as part-owner makes it a bit easier to discuss a potential retirement plan. Messi’s tears after every hard-fought Argentina comeback emphasize how imminent the end of his storied career may be. The scenes of his final pre-tournament friendly in Argentina seemed to close the door on a possible Copa América coda. The knock-on impact of his exit, whenever it comes, will be steeply felt throughout Miami’s organization and beyond across MLS. Will he keep entertaining tens of thousands across North America without the incentive of staying sharp for a World Cup defense?