Lionel Messi begins a pivotal Major League Soccer campaign this weekend, with the 2026 World Cup looming large over a season the league hopes will redefine its global standing.
Now in his fourth year with Inter Miami CF, Messi headlines Saturday’s curtain-raiser against Los Angeles FC at the 70,000-seat Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The fixture pits the Argentine icon against South Korea captain Son Heung-min in what is expected to be the most attended opening weekend in MLS history.
The 2026 tournament, to be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico, will split the MLS campaign with a seven-week pause in June and July. Five MLS stadiums will host World Cup matches, while others will serve as training bases and fan zones.
League commissioner Don Garber described the year as “a seminal moment” for the sport in North America. MLS plans to capitalise on heightened interest during the global showpiece, with reports suggesting a marketing drive worth between $15 million and $30 million aimed at converting casual viewers into long-term supporters.
The domestic season will resume during the rest period between the World Cup semi-finals and final, followed swiftly by the All-Star Game.
While MLS has leaned heavily on Messi’s global appeal since his arrival, the signing of Son by LAFC in 2025 — reportedly for a record $26.5 million fee — has broadened the league’s international footprint, particularly among the sizeable Korean-American community.
Other high-profile arrivals include James Rodriguez at Minnesota United FC, seeking form ahead of Colombia’s World Cup campaign. Argentina-born Mexico striker German Berterame has joined Messi at Inter Miami, who are co-owned by David Beckham.
German forward Timo Werner has signed for San Jose Earthquakes, adding to the growing Bundesliga influence that already features Thomas Muller at Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Marco Reus with LA Galaxy.
Looking beyond 2026, MLS has announced that from July 2027 it will shift from its current spring-to-autumn calendar to a summer-through-spring format. The move aligns the league with competitions such as the Premier League and La Liga, enabling synchronised transfer windows and reducing clashes with international tournaments.
Garber insists the change reflects MLS’s ambition “not just to align with the best leagues in the world but to compete with them”, though critics warn it will mean direct competition with established American sports such as the NFL, NBA and NHL.
