The 2026 World Cup was historic for Major League Soccer, with 46 players from the league’s current season named to nations’ rosters, making it the most-represented league outside of Europe’s five major competitions. While the heavily MLS-influenced U.S. men’s national team and Canada advanced only as far as the round of 16, the tournament brought impressive performances for MLS players across teams from every confederation, including Argentina’s run with Inter Miami’s Rodrigo De Paul and Lionel Messi. Here, Sports Illustrated ranks the top eight MLS players from the 2026 World Cup, a tournament which the league hopes will propel soccer’s popularity in North America. 8. Finn Surman—New Zealand (Portland Timbers)Finn Surman scored for New Zealand against Egypt. | IMAGN IMAGES via ReutersNew Zealand embarked on its 2026 World Cup journey hoping to secure a first-ever win at the tournament. While the All Whites fell short of that— drawing Iran and losing to Belgium and Egypt, they showed a competitive edge through several matches. Headlined by Chris Wood and Elijah Just in the attack, Portland Timbers center back Finn Surman made sure to become a household name in the country from the defensive side. He impressed with a whopping 16 defensive contributions in a 2–2 draw with Iran, before scoring the go-ahead goal off of a corner kick in an eventual 3–1 loss to Egypt. 7. Mbekezeli Mbokazi—South Africa (Chicago Fire)Mbekezeli Mbokazi helped South Africa to the knockout stages. | REUTERSSouth Africa’s return to the World Cup for the first time since hosting in 2010 came with the team’s first advancement to the knockout stages after an impressive win over South Korea in the final group stage game. While its tournament run ended in heartbreaking fashion to Canada in the round of 32, Chicago Fire center back Mbekezeli Mbokazi stood out throughout. The 20-year-old defender played every minute in Bafana Bafana’s four games, posting a whopping 26 combined defensive contributions against South Korea and Czechia, leading his team in both matches. 6. Sebastian Berhalter—USMNT (Vancouver Whitecaps) Sebastian Berhalter was an impact substitute for the USMNT. | John Dorton/USSF/Getty ImagesSebastian Berhalter’s best USMNT game came in the group-stage loss to Türkiye, where he picked up an assist from a corner kick, before scoring from distance for his first World Cup marker. While he didn’t start in the USMNT’s other matches, the Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder was one of the most impactful substitutes. Against Belgium in the round of 16, a long shot nearly made it 3–2 just moments after he entered the match, and in the tournament opener, he stepped up in Christian Pulisic’s absence in the 4–1 win over Paraguay. 5. Steven Moreira—Cape Verde (Columbus Crew)Steven Moreira showed out for Cape Verde at the World Cup. | Image Photo Agency/Getty ImagesIt takes quite a lot to stop a powerhouse like Spain. Steven Moreira did just that with Cape Verde, impressing on the Blue Sharks’ backline with a scoreless draw against La Roja in the World Cup opener and a 3–2 loss after extra time against Argentina in the round of 16. While his attacking upside was minimal in Cabo Verde’s defensively focused run, he stood out in front of now-famed goalkeeper Vozinha. The Columbus Crew defender locked down Gavi, Pedri and Marc Cucurella against Spain with five defensive contributions, before a relatively stifling effort against Thiago Almada, Lautaro Martínez and Enzo Fernández against Argentina. Now teamed up with former Manchester United center back Eric Bailly in Columbus, the Crew’s backline could very well lead them back to MLS Cup contention, buoyed by Cape Verde’s remarkable World Cup showing. 4. Stephen Eustáquio—Canada (LAFC)Stephen Eustàquio scored the biggest goal in Canadian men’s soccer history. | Fran Santiago/Getty ImagesWhile his loan to LAFC expired mid-tournament, Canadian vice-captain Stephen Eustáquio entered the World Cup as an MLS player before returning to Portugal’s FC Porto after the tournament. Fresh from impressing in 14 games with LAFC, he elevated his play on the World Cup stage and played all but 57 minutes in Canada’s five matches, ending with a round of 16 loss to Morocco. The 29-year-old, who wore the armband for most of Canada’s run, scored the biggest goal in his country’s men’s soccer history, netting the 1–0 winner in stoppage time in the round of 32 against South Africa, securing Canada’s first-ever World Cup knockout stage win and deepest run at a men’s World Cup. 3. Rodrigo De Paul—Argentina (Inter Miami)Rodrigo De Paul helped push Argentina to another incredible World Cup run. | Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto/Getty ImagesBalancing time as a substitute and a starter, Inter Miami star Rodrigo De Paul continued to play a key role for Argentina at 32 years old, after entering the tournament in rekindled peak form with Inter Miami.Playing primarily as a right midfielder, he battled defenders to help open up space for Lionel Messi’s creativity, while also providing a defensive effort out of possession, helping Argentina to its second-consecutive World Cup final run.2. Andrés Cubas—Paraguay (Vancouver Whitecaps)Andrés Cubas (left) frustrated Kylian Mbappe (right) and other attackers at the World Cup. | Maddie Meyer/FIFA/Getty ImagesAndrés Cubas played a key role in one of the biggest upsets of the World Cup, shutting down Germany’s midfield in an eventual penalty shootout win in the round of 32 to eliminate the four-time champions. Tasked with taking on Denis Undav, Kai Havertz, Aleksandar Pavlović, Jamal Musiala and others in the heart of the German attack, he finished that match with six tackles and three interceptions, before another stout defensive performance in a 1–0 round of 16 loss to Kylian Mbappé’s France. The Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder has proven to be one of the best defensive midfielders in MLS and has played a key role in Vancouver’s immense success over the past two seasons, which translated right onto the sport’s greatest stage.1. Lionel Messi—Argentina (Inter Miami)Lionel Messi put himself in Ballon d’Or contention as an MLS superstar. | Shaun Botterill/Getty ImagesLionel Messi’s 2022 World Cup heroics already made him the first active MLS player to win a Ballon d’Or, and his even greater production at this summer’s World Cup could propel him to a ninth title.He scored eight goals and had four assists in the seven games ahead of the final, a stellar performance for the reigning MLS MVP and MLS Golden Boot winner, after leading Miami to the 2025 MLS Cup. With two outstanding assists to secure the dramatic semifinal win against England and multi-goal efforts against Austria and Algeria to open the tournament, he was by far the best MLS player in the tournament and solidified himself as the greatest player ever.READ THE LATEST MLS NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FCAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow