The current USMNT squad features just four players from the MLS. This is a disappointing statistic for the top division of soccer in the United States, but head coach Mauricio Pochettino believes that change is on the horizon, and is willing to call more MLS players to the USMNT, as long as they prove their worth on the pitch. 

There was once a time when MLS stars like Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and Tim Howard featured for the Stars and Stripes. Under previous manager Gregg Berhalter, not a single MLS player-manager got game time during the 2024 edition of Copa América. Speaking at the pre-match conference of his team’s second-leg clash with Jamaica, Pochettino mentions that players will earn minutes on the pitch, no matter which league they’re in. 

“For me, they’re going to have the same possibility playing in MLS than if they played in the Premier League or in La Liga or in Belgium, in France.” said the manager who believes that the playing standards in the MLS are similar to it’s European counterparts. 

“That is important that they need to know in private but also, they need to know in public. But also the players that will be involved in January (camp), they need to know that if they perform and they convince us and they show the quality, they are going to have the possibility to join us on the national team,” added the Argentine coach. 

Of the four MLS players, only Tim Ream from Charlotte FC featured in the 5-2 aggregate quarterfinal win over the Reggae Boyz. However, not everyone is on the same page as Pochettino, with former USMNT player, Alexi Lalas publicly criticizing the manager’s comparison of MLS to other leagues. 

Players like Weston Mckennie and Tyler Adams, who began their careers in MLS before moving to Europe, raise an important question: Is the MLS still not considered good enough for the USMNT? While Pochettino mentioned how the best player in the world, Lionel Messi, plays in the same league, there’s a bigger picture to be looked at. 

Are MLS standards rising?

On paper, stars like Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba are making headlines, but they are all past their prime. Their arrival has led to the growth in the infrastructure of the MLS, for bigger the player, the more attention the sport gets, which indirectly results in better youth development. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the playing standard has also improved. 

Pochettino does make a valid point, for you’d rather have a player who’s been playing week in and out in the United States, over a player who is busy warming the bench at top clubs in Europe. But then again, Lionel Messi is the only player from the MLS to have ever won a Ballon d’Or. With 2 more years until the 2026 World Cup, hopefully, the players do enough to find their names on the teamsheet.