This summer, an MLS-record 48 players have been called up to represent their national teams at the European Championships in Germany and Copa América, which will be hosted across the United States this summer. The likes of Inter Miami CF’s Lionel Messi (Argentina) and Luis Suárez (Uruguay), FC Cincinnati’s Miles Robinson (United States), and the Philadelphia Union’s Dániel Gazdag (Hungary) will all be key pieces to their nations’ quests for international glory.
Meanwhile, MLS clubs have a double match week ahead of them with Matchday 21 kicking off with 13 matches on Wednesday, June 19 followed by Matchday 22 action on Saturday, June 22, with all games on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. A clash between Supporters’ Shield-leading Miami against the reigning MLS Cup presented by Audi champion Columbus Crew (7:30 p.m. ET) leads Wednesday’s slate of matches while Saturday’s action sees the highest-scoring sides in the Western Conference go head-to-head as Real Salt Lake hosts the LA Galaxy (10:30 p.m. ET).
Find the full schedule for this week’s MLS matches **here**.
The 2024 Copa América kicks off on Thursday, June 20 when Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi leads reigning champion Argentina into battle against Canada, who have the most MLS players on their tournament roster with 14 players from nine different MLS clubs. When Messi takes to the field, he will become the first active MLS player to play for Argentina at Copa América.
A record 40 MLS players were named to Copa América rosters and an MLS-record 21 clubs have at least one player at the tournament. Peru, Panama, and Jamaica have the second-most MLS players on their rosters with four each, and Costa Rica, Paraguay, and the United States each have three. CF Montréal and Minnesota United FC are the most represented clubs, with four players each.
Canada’s roster features 2023 MLS Cup presented by Audi and 2022 MLS NEXT Pro Cup champion Jacen Russell-Rowe, who will look to announce himself on the international stage at Canada’s first-ever Copa América, as well as former MLS All-Stars Mathieu Choinière (CF Montréal), Kamal Miller (Portland Timbers), and Dayne St. Clair (Minnesota United FC). Former MLS NEXT Pro Best XI and St. Louis CITY SC defender Kyle Hiebert was also named to Canada’s final roster, and New York Red Bulls II defender Omar Valencia will represent Panama and is the sole active MLS NEXT Pro player at the tournament.
Several recent alumni of the MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas also feature on rosters, including Austin FC midfielder Daniel Pereira (2021) for Venezuela, Minnesota United FC forward Tani Oluwaseyi (2022) for Canada, and Colorado Rapids defender Moïse Bombito (2023) for Canada.
As MLS players travel with their national teams to the European Championship and Copa América this summer, these are some of the players primed to have a break-out summer in MLS:
Leo Afonso (Inter Miami CF): Selected No. 32 overall in the MLS SuperDraft 2024 presented by adidas, Afonso already has two goals in just 177 minutes of MLS action. Alongside the likes of Ecuador international Leonardo Campana and Finland international Robert Taylor, the 22-year-old University of Virginia alumnus has a strong supporting cast to help him score more this summer.
Nathan Ordaz (LAFC): The 20-year-old Homegrown forward has been part of LAFC’s front line rotation since last season when he started two of his 17 appearances. Ordaz is still in search of his first MLS goal, though, and the absence of Cristian Olivera will open more opportunities for him to find his goal-scoring touch for LAFC.
Patrick Weah (Minnesota United FC): With Tani Oluwaseyi with Canada at Copa América, Weah will look to make his mark in MLS with a break-out summer in Minnesota. The 20-year-old, Liberian forward is tied for third in goals in MLS NEXT Pro with seven through 12 games played, and he may be looked toward to translate that form to MLS throughout the coming weeks.
- Chucky Lozano received a warm welcome at “Chucky Mania” where thousands of fans were seen chanting his name in San Diego. Instagram
- Red Bull Racing F1 driver Max Verstappen stopped by CF Montreal’s Saputo Stadium to practice his shooting. Instagram
- Go behind the scenes with Cavan Sullivan at an exclusive F50 event with Adidas. Twitter
The 2024 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs kicked off on Saturday, June 15, with 32 of the top teams from around the country across four age groups (U-15, U-16, U-17, U-19) competing to lift MLS NEXT Cup. Here are some former MLS NEXT Cup stars who are making waves at the MLS level.
Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF): Cremaschi earned U-16 MLS NEXT Cup MVP honors with Weston FC in 2021. He has 38 appearances for Miami alongside Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets, contributing four goals and six assists, and earning his first international cap for the U.S. Men’s National Team on Sept. 13, 2023.
Julian Hall (New York Red Bulls): A 2023 MLS NEXT Cup winner and MVP, Hall became the second-youngest debutant in MLS history at 15 years and 190 days old last season. With Lewis Morgan, the club’s leading goal scorer, at the Euros with Scotland, the 16-year-old will likely add to his three appearances already in 2024.
Ruben Ramos Jr. (LA Galaxy): Fresh off his first-team debut on Matchday 20, the 17-year-old is getting a taste for MLS after a stellar start to the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season. A year after winning the 2023 U-17 MLS NEXT Cup, Ramos Jr. has four goals and three assists through 12 games played for Ventura County FC, who is third in the Western Conference.
To assist in your coverage of the 2024 MLS season, the MLS Communications staff has provided the following media resources, all of which are available on MLSsoccer.com/Media-Resources.
- 2024 MLS Season Preview | Link
- 2024 MLS Statistics and Standings | Link
- 2024 MLS Competition Guidelines | Link
- Club Game Notes | Link
- Post-Match Quote Sheets | Link
- Weekly Stat Packs | Link
- MLS Pool Reporters | Link
- MLS PR on Twitter/X | Link
- MLS Logos | Link
- MLS Communications and PRO Contacts | Link
- Club Communications Contacts & Media Resource Websites | Link
