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The league is back in play after a six-week pause for the World Cup. We spotlight seven players to watch after their stints with their national teamsThe 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 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.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?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.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.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.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.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?

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Craig Gordon has retired from playing football at the age of 43.The goalkeeper made his professional debut in 2001 and went on to play over 760 times for Hearts, Celtic, Sunderland, Cowdenbeath and Scotland.His first of 84 international caps came in 2004, while his Scottish Cup win with Hearts in the 2005/06 season was the first of his 15 major honours.Gordon earned a spot in the Scottish FA's international roll of honour, plus at the age of 24 was inducted into Hearts' hall of fame in 2007 - the youngest player to receive such an accolade.His £9m move to Sunderland later that year was the-then-British-record transfer fee for a goalkeeper, and in 2010 his save against Bolton was named the best save in Premier League history.Gordon's 25-year playing career was also marred by major injuries. A succession of ankle problems, broken arms and knee surgery saw his time at Sunderland eventually end, and a period of rehab begin.He was then out of action for around two years and took up coaching as he battled against a career-threatening condition from 2012.From being unable to walk pain-free, Gordon recovered and signed for Celtic, where he won six Premiership titles, five League Cups and three Scottish Cups.Following the expiry of his contract at Celtic Park, Gordon returned to Hearts, where he continued to impress before another setback. A double leg break on Christmas Eve 2022 that left his career in doubt again.However, after more surgery, Gordon recovered again and returned to action for Hearts and Scotland.He played his part in last season's title bid as Hearts missed out on the final day of the Premiership season, plus was in the Scotland squad for the World Cup at 43.What a save from 43-year-old Craig Gordon to ensure ten-man Hearts seal the three points 🤯 pic.twitter.com/6SHkkz8viVFollowing 25 years of success, individual honours and perseverance, the goalkeeper has called time on his remarkable career.

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Goalkeeper Craig Gordon has announced his retirement from football, bringing an end to a 25-year playing career.Gordon, 43, ended his second spell at first club Heart of Midlothian this summer and was part of Scotland's World Cup squad.He first left Tynecastle for Sunderland in 2007, with the Black Cats paying a then £9m British record fee for a goalkeeper. Gordon made one of the most famous saves in Premier League history when he denied Bolton Wanderers' Zat Knight from close range in 2010.However, a serious knee injury affected his time at the Stadium of Light and, at the end of his five-year spell, he entered a two-year spell out of the game rehabilitating and coaching.Gordon joined Celtic in 2014 and won his first league title, adding four more during a medal-laden six-year spell before returning to Hearts. A double leg break in 2022 resulted in another lay-off but the veteran keeper again recovered to return to playing.He first represented Scotland in 2004 and amassed a total of 84 senior caps. Combined with his club appearances, Gordon played 766 first-team games, including 13 on loan at Cowdenbeath in season 2001-02.His last appearance came in Scotland's pre-World Cup win over Curacao in May, his final Hearts game coming in a 2-2 draw with former club Celtic in January.Gordon kept 30 clean sheets at international level and picked up shutouts in around two thirds of his club appearances.And the Edinburgh native is expected to bid farewell to the Hearts support at Friday's friendly with Rayo Vallecano at Tynecastle.How 'calm' Gordon fought through early-career nervesGordon thought World Cup chance 'would pass me by'From risk of death to the oldest man at World Cup

World Cup News

Close11Argentina substitute Valentin Barco ran onto the pitch and celebrated in the faces of England players after Enzo Fernandez scored the equaliser in the World Cup semi-final.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsFootballFollow Footballclose panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026close panelYou are now following FIFA World Cup 2026Updates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Teamclose panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.ArgentinaFollow Argentina

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England's World Cup dream was ended at the semi-final stage as Argentina came from behind to beat Thomas Tuchel's side 2-1 in Atlanta.It is the 12th time England have lost during the knockout stage of a men's World Cup - can you name every team that struck a blow?For this quiz we're focusing on losses in the knockout stage only - and before you ask, no, the Soviet Union beating England in a one-off group stage play-off in 1958 is not a correct answer.After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.What information do we collect from this quiz?Related topicsFootballFIFA World Cup 2026England Men's Football TeamPlay more quizzesAll our Who Am I? quizzes in one placeQuiz: Name every nation at the Fifa World Cup 2026Can you name the 10 Lionesses with most England caps?World Cup quiz: Name these top nations' leading scorers

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Supporters who gathered in pubs, fan parks and homes across the South East said they had hoped this would be the year football finally came home.Sean Lombard, landlord of the Red Lion pub in Rusthall, Kent, turned his jazz bar into a watch party for customers. He said it had been a night of "shouts and screams, happiness and tears", but England were just "unlucky".He said: "It's been a good tournament for England."Matt Richards, who watched the game in Rusthall, said he was proud of the team."I think we went a little bit too defensive, but as a whole, the boys throughout the whole tournament did enough," he said. "It's always sad to go out.""We are knocking at the door," he said. "I think we need that English spirit, that English fight going forward in the next competition, in order to win."At a fan park in Brighton, Elaine Connolly said the atmosphere was "amazing" after England scored first.But after the defeat, she felt the same as "everyone else in the UK, absolutely gutted"."It's been tough, it's a bitter pill to swallow," she said. "We've been here before, we get this far and it just kind of shuts down."Simon Cook and Terry Baker turned up believing England were going to win, but after watching the team defend a 1-0 lead before Argentina went on to score two late goals, they asked: "Why didn't we just attack?"Jamie Power, 19, at the Woking FC fan zone in Surrey, said he was "gutted" by the result.Like so many across the country, he wanted to experience what fans enjoyed when England won the World Cup final at Wembley 60 years ago."As a young teenager, I wanted to live the life of what the 1966 people lived up to. Every year, we've got so close," he said.But he added: "You have to be fair to Argentina, they've played brilliantly. We need to learn from this."Another supporter watching the match at Woking, Ell Guidera, joked that the defeat would stay with him for some time.Laughing, he said: "For the rest of July and August, don't talk to me."He said he expected to recover when the football season started again.Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, external, X, external, and on Instagram, external and listen to BBC Radio Surrey on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk , externalor WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.Why England's loss to Argentina felt like most painful in 60 years of hurtSportPublished8 hours ago'Passive' and 'crumbled' - did Tuchel's defensive tactics cost England?SportPublished2 hours agoArgentina shatter England's World Cup dreams in semi-finalSportPublished11 hours agoRelated internet linksFIFA World Cup 2026

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Former Chelsea forward Sam Kerr began her second spell with Gotham FC in front of the largest ever crowd for a women's sporting event in New York City.Over 42,000 fans turned out at Citi Field for Gotham's 1-0 victory against Washington Spirt in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).Usually home to Major League Baseball team the New York Mets, the official attendance was announced as a sell-out 42,715.Kerr, who came on as a second-half substitute, played for Gotham between 2015 and 2017 when they were known as Sky Blue FC."In many ways this is like a full circle ​moment with Sam Kerr coming here and being able to experience this on her first night," NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman said.American midfielder Rose Lavelle scored the winner in the first half.Gotham's previous best attendance for a game was 15,560 in 2024 and the record crowd for a NWSL game remains the 63,000 who watched the Denver Summit play the Spirit at the NFL Denver Broncos' home Empower Field last March.Gotham recently announced they will move from Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey to Etihad Park in Queens, a ground they will share with MLS outfit New York City.The move is said to be designed to help Gotham become accessible to more fans.Record buy O'Sullivan leaves Liverpool for Gotham"My favourite thing about tonight is that it isn't transactional. It's not a one and done. This is the beginning of a ​new relationship for this team in Queens."Kerr's return to New York had a large turnout despite a thick layer of smoke that hung in the air from recent wildfires in Ontario, Canada.The World Cup final between Spain and Argentina is due to take place at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday, but soaring temperatures are expected to fall by then and organisers expect the smoke to clear as well.New episodes of Women's Football Weekly podcast drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed

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The Brazil international has left Wolves' training camp in Portugal and will have a medical on Thursday.The deal is worth an initial £34m with another £4m in add ons.Villa need midfield reinforcements after selling Youri Tielemans to Manchester United for £35m and seeing Amadou Onana ruled out until next year with a serious knee injury he suffered with Belgium at the World Cup.They are also close to completing the signing of Switzerland international Johan Manzambi for a club record fee of over £50m from Freiburg.Atletico Madrid had been keen on Gomes but did not finalise a deal.Gomes made 41 appearances for Wolves last season as they finished bottom of the Premier League.He played 130 times for the club, scoring seven goals, after joining from Flamengo in 2023.

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Watching England lose is one thing. Watching them lose surrounded by millions celebrating Argentina’s march to another World Cup final, is completely differentLook, most people were awfully good about it. Our waiter at a restaurant near Plaza de Mayo shook our hands warmly and said nice things about Jude Bellingham. On the metro ride back from the fan zone there was no massive gloating either, just bright-eyed kids in Lionel Messi shirts swept along by the nationwide euphoria. “Vamos, Vamos Argentina!” they sang, barely able to believe their team were once again in a World Cup final.And to be a stray English bystander in a city totally awash in sky blue and white was … a rare privilege. Some of us currently over here covering England’s rugby union tour have been lucky enough to visit a few iconic sporting cauldrons, but to be in Buenos Aires in the aftermath of Argentina defeating England at a football World Cup is right up there.From train drivers triumphantly honking their horns at every underground platform to people dancing in the streets and old ladies waving flags from balconies high above the traffic, it made even a frenzied cricket World Cup fixture between India and Pakistan feel like a garden fete. “Tell them you’re Scottish,” advised my Argentinian friend, concerned for our welfare in the event of an English victory. In the event there was no need for any such subterfuge.For a while, though, that was not a certainty. Imagine, if you can, sitting in a deserted library in the tiniest hamlet in deepest Tierra del Fuego. It still would not be as quiet as the aghast silence that greeted Anthony Gordon putting England 1-0 up. Forty years on from Diego Maradona’s Hand of God, the Foot of Gordon threatened to be almost as legendary. Momentarily it felt like Buenos Aires had had all the ‘air’ sucked out of it.Alas, poor England, we all know how it finished. And, leaving aside the idiot fan zone announcer briefly yelling about the ‘Malvinas’ and someone setting fire to a homemade flag of St George as the celebrations ramped up in town, the main takeaway is just how football crazy this country is. Lorries and cars with national flags draped across dashboards, Messi’s face on every billboard … Mexico and Brazil may say otherwise but Argentina belongs in an obsessive league of its own.Goodness knows how frenzied the atmosphere will be during Sunday’s final. After Argentina won the World Cup four years ago, around four million people took to the streets of the capital. The city was so ridiculously congested that a planned open-top bus parade had to be abandoned; in the end the players flew overhead in helicopters instead. I asked one local resident how long the public celebrations had lasted. “They’re still going on,” came the dry reply.And beating the English always adds a certain extra frisson. En route into town from the airport this week, our parka-wearing taxi driver made teasing ‘Hand of God’ gestures at us as soon as he found out our nationality. It might have been more amusing had he not been hammering down a busy dual carriageway at 90mph at the time.Subsequently, having made absolutely sure to charge us a vastly inflated fare on the grounds that his meter “wasn’t working”, our man also made a point of winding down his window and shouting “Campeones, Argentina!” as he pulled away. For some people, getting one over Los Ingleses never loses its appeal.Happily, though, there are also those determined to reject crass parallels between a mere football match and the 1982 Falklands crisis. Argentinian war veterans even put out an eve-of-game statement calling on politicians not to use the semi-final as a platform to push for sovereignty over the South Atlantic islands, asking fans instead to honour the memory of the Argentinian soldiers killed in the conflict.That said, “El Que No Salta Es Un Inglés” – “Anyone who doesn’t jump is an Englishman” – remains very definitely the local chant of choice. Incidentally, the recent death of Bonnie Tyler also made headlines here because her hit single, It’s a Heartache, supplies the tune for another extremely popular terrace ditty, the lyrics of which are probably best left to the imagination.Either way, it now falls to Messi and co to finish the job. Argentina’s population is about 46 million – the wider Buenos Aires metropolitan area is home to about 16 million people alone – and the scenes at the capital’s Obelisk monument, where fans traditionally go to celebrate major wins, will be off the charts should Spain be beaten.

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Jude Bellingham slapped Argentina substitute Valentin Barco on the back of the head following England's 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat.Barco, who did not play in the game, came on to the pitch at full-time and was hugging team-mates near Bellingham when the England midfielder walked over and slapped him.It sparked a small melee as players from both sides got involved before Bellingham walked away.It is not known what prompted the reaction, but footage showed Barco running on the pitch after Enzo Fernandez's 85th-minute equaliser and celebrating in front of the England players.Lautaro Martinez headed the winner for Argentina in the second minute of stoppage time, ending the hopes of an England side who had taken an early second-half lead through Anthony Gordon's goal.Barco, 21, who plays for French side Strasbourg and previously had a spell at Brighton, has featured once at the tournament as a second-half substitute in a 3-1 group win against Jordan.The first half of Wednesday's match in Atlanta was feisty with 19 fouls, as American referee Ismail Elfath struggled to keep control.Bellingham, who has scored six goals in the tournament, also had a confrontation with Argentina captain Lionel Messi in the fourth minute after England midfielder Elliot Anderson had been fouled."We were really just discussing a foul, actually," Bellingham is reported to have said. after the match."It wasn't anything bad. I'm sure everyone will do their thing and make it a big deal, but it was nothing."When the World Cup finishes, the football continues on BBC SportHow to watch the World Cup on the BBC and ITV

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Goals scored by players in the World Cup's third place play-off will count towards a player's goal tally and the race for the Golden Boot.It means that the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham can still win the Golden Boot at the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, despite France and England exiting in the semi-finals.Heading into the final two matches of the tournament, the quartet are among the seven players who have scored five or more goals so far.England and France face each other in the third-place play-off on Saturday. A day later, Spain take on Argentina in the final.Mbappe is joint-top for goals with Messi, both on eight each. However, Messi leads the race due to having one more assist than Mbappe at the tournament so far.Norway's Erling Haaland is next on the list with seven goals, but he will not be able to add to them this weekend after his country's quarter-final exit.England duo Bellingham and Kane both have six goals each, while France winger Dembele and Spain striker Mikel Oyarzabal have five goals apiece.The Golden Boot race could well be decided by how strong a side England and France each field for the third-place play-off on Saturday.When England faced Belgium in the same match in 2018, then-Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate made five changes for the match from the team that lost to Croatia in the semi-finals. Tournament golden boot winner Kane did start the match but did not score.A total of seven previous World Cup Golden Boot winners have scored goals in the third-place play-off. Four of those seven required the goals they scored in that match to win the award.Germany's Thomas Muller (2010), Croatia's Davor Suker (1998), Italy's Salvatore Schillaci (1990) and Leonidas of Brazil (1938) all benefitted from the match, with goals in those games ultimately leading to their Golden Boot awards.Grzegorz Lato of Poland (1974), Portugal great Eusebio (1966) and France's Just Fontaine (1958) also won the award and scored in the third-place play-off in the same year. However, they would have still won the award regardless of their goals in that match.Contact formContact formTop scorers at 2026 World CupLionel Messi (Argentina) and Kylian Mbappe (France) – 8Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane (both England) – 6Ousmane Dembele (France) and Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain) - 51974 – Grzegorz Lato (Poland) (would have won without play-off)1966 – Eusebio (Portugal) (would have won without play-off)1958 – Just Fontaine (France) (would have won without play-off)This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

World Cup News

Close22Thousands of Argentina fans celebrated in the streets of Buenos Aires after reaching back-to-back World Cup finals with a 2-1 win against England.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsFootballFollow Footballclose panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.ArgentinaFollow Argentinaclose panelYou are now following ArgentinaUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Teamclose panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026