From jockeying in the standings to trying to earn a spot on the MLS All-Star Game roster, Matchday 15 marks the final regular-season slate before FIFA World Cup 2026.
MLS All-Star Roster Voting Reaches Final Push
The votes are flowing in and the 2026 MLS All-Star Game presented by Chime roster is starting to take shape. Major League Soccer today released information about the top vote-getters at each position which can be found HERE.
Among the notable standouts are young breakout players like defensive midfielder Adri Mehmeti (Red Bull New York), center back Mbekezeli Mbokazi (Chicago Fire FC) and right back Édier Ocampo (Vancouver Whitecaps FC). As a whole, 14 different clubs have a player ranked in the top five of a position and with voting open until 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, fans have the opportunity to drastically change who could make the roster.
Former MLS Academy Stars Turned World Cup Players
With FIFA World Cup 2026 rosters starting to be announced, former MLS academy players will look to make a name for themselves in this summer’s World Cup.
A star across the player pathway from MLS NEXT to MLS NEXT Pro and on to the first team, former New England Revolution midfielder Esmir Bajraktarević will be one of the main creative forces for a Bosnia and Herzegovina team that has reached the World Cup for the second time in its history. North of the border, Vancouver Whitecaps FC forward Rayan Elloumi will likely be the youngest MLS player at this summer’s World Cup at just 18 years of age.
There is also Tyler Bindon, a 21-year-old representing New Zealand who spent most of his academy career with LAFC in MLS NEXT. The list of MLS academy graduates will continue to grow and illustrates the success of the league’s player pathway.
Sam Sarver Becoming Must-Watch TV
Electric, entertaining, hilarious – all these words could be used to describe FC Dallas’ Sam Sarver in his breakout MLS performances over the last few weeks.
The former Indiana Hoosier has mostly come off the bench for Dallas, but his impact has been massive, including the game-winning goal in stoppage time against San Jose on Saturday (Watch Here). Of course, Sarver’s celebration could not be missed as he recreated Roger Levesque’s iconic scuba celebration and added a beer chug afterward to go with it.
Sarver has three goals in his last four substitute appearances and is quickly becoming one of the most fun players to watch in MLS – both before scoring and after.
MLS to Celebrate Send-Off Weekend with Special Edition Kits
Major League Soccer will celebrate the diversity & quality of the League as players prepare for the World Cup with a league-wide “Send-Off Weekend” on May 23-24, featuring special-edition player kits and a first-of-its-kind, league-wide match-worn jersey auction.
During Send-Off Weekend matches, players will wear:
- MLS Country Patch: Each player jersey will feature a front-of-jersey patch representing their declared nationalities and/or citizenship, creating a personalized connection to the global tournament. In partnership with Topps, select MLS Country Patches will be placed into trading cards with more details to be shared at a later date.
- Flag Name & Number: Every jersey will feature a custom name and number design incorporating all 48 participating nations, symbolizing the scale and inclusivity of the 2026 competition.
- League-wide Auction: Every game-worn jersey throughout the weekend will then be auctioned off via the MLS auction partner, MatchWornShirt.
