The World Cup is coming to a close, which means it’s almost time to get back into MLS action! What better way to do that than taking a look at all 25 MLS Eastern Conference players who were called up to their national teams for the World Cup and grading their performances report card style? We’ll go country by country, starting with the main host nation of the United States.
USA
Matt Freese (NYCFC): C-
First up is USMNT starting goalkeeper Matt Freese. He had an alright World Cup until it all collapsed in the round of 16 against Belgium. Freese did manage to keep two clean sheets but only faced a combined 0.22 xGOT (expected goals on target) in those matches. He didn’t make a single save against Paraguay and was on the bench in the group stage finale against Türkiye. It would’ve been a B- if not for the horrendous mistake on Belgium’s third goal, but that docks him a full letter grade.
Matt Turner (NE Revolution): D+
It’s tough to grade Matt Turner because he only played one match that ultimately didn’t impact the tournament at all. However, in that match he allowed three goals to an already eliminated Türkiye side that hadn’t scored in their previous two games. Not only that, but Turner didn’t make a single save. He proved in that match why he’s no longer the starter for the USA.
Chris Brady (Chicago Fire): N/A
Brought to the World Cup as Pochettino’s third choice goalkeeper, Chris Brady didn’t play a single minute on the world’s biggest stage. He’ll be looked at as a potential starter in 2030 but for now, I can’t grade zero minutes played.
Tim Ream (Charlotte FC): C+
This is a pretty similar situation to the Freese one. Despite being 38 years old and far past his best, Ream captained the USA at this World Cup and exceeded expectations for the most part. He was reliable at the back and a big part of why the Stars and Stripes kept those clean sheets against Australia and Bosnia & Herzegovina. His passing was also quite good, particularly his long balls. However, he showed his age against Belgium and was arguably at fault for three of the goals. Like Freese, that match docks his grade by a full letter from a B+ to a C+.
Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati): C-
After a ruptured Achilles tendon robbed Miles of a spot at the 2022 World Cup, he got his moment this summer. It wasn’t a good moment though. Like Turner, his only appearance was in the 3-2 loss to Türkiye and like Turner, his performance was poor. The second goal was mainly his fault and he ultimately showed why he was an unused substitute in the other games.
Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew): C-
Max Arfsten played a grand total of three stoppage time minutes in this World Cup, coming on late against Belgium when the result was all but confirmed. He didn’t manage to touch the ball, so there’s not much to grade here. The only reason it’s a C- and not a N/A is because he came into this tournament expected to be the primary backup left back but had that spot taken by Auston Trusty playing out of position.
Canada
Maxime Crépeau (Orlando City): C
This is a tough one to grade. Let’s start with the good. Crépeau kept two clean sheets against Qatar and South Africa. However, in those games he only faced one shot on target and it was a routine save. Now for the bad. The Orlando City keeper did make a nice 1v1 save against Breel Embolo early on, but ruined it with a mistake on Switzerland’s second goal. He also only made one save in Canada’s 3-0 loss to Morocco and could’ve done better on one or two of the goals. Not as bad as Freese, but still not fantastic.
Dayne St. Clair (Inter Miami): N/A
Unlike their fellow hosts, Canada didn’t have the luxury of rotating goalkeepers in their final group stage match. That means backup Dayne St. Clair didn’t play at all this World Cup, so he can’t receive a grade.
Joel Waterman (Chicago Fire): N/A
Another Canadian who didn’t play a single World Cup minute. Waterman came into the tournament as CB5 and wasn’t able to make it on the pitch.
Richie Laryea (Toronto FC): A-
Stepping in for the injured Alphonso Davies at left back, Laryea had a World Cup to be proud of. He was one of the best players on the pitch in Canada’s opener against Bosnia and was unlucky to not get a goal contribution. The Toronto FC veteran was also solid in wins over Qatar and South Africa. He wasn’t great in the losses to Switzerland or Morocco but didn’t stand out in a negative way. Laryea was quietly one of Canada’s best players, impressive considering he wasn’t expected to start.
Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC): C+
Canadian legend Jonathan Osorio barely played in this World Cup. He came off the bench twice, first in stoppage time against Bosnia and then in the 87th minute against Morocco. He gets a C+ instead of the average C because of his leadership that no doubt played a role in getting his country to the knockouts for the first time ever.
Paraguay
Miguel Almirón (Atlanta United): C-
If someone had told me before the World Cup that Paraguay made it to the round of 16 and beat Germany along the way, I would have assumed Almirón showed out. The Atlanta United man definitely made headlines, but for all the wrong reasons. For starters, he showed off VAR’s new mistaken identity check (later seen in Argentina vs. Switzerland) by receiving a yellow card for diving that was initially shown to USA captain Tim Ream. He then decided to break another new rule in the next game, getting sent off for covering his mouth just before halftime. Almirón was good against Germany which saves him from a really bad grade, but it still wasn’t a great summer for him individually.
Matías Galarza (Atlanta United): A
Although Galarza isn’t in MLS anymore, we’re counting him because he was technically an Atlanta United player all the way through Paraguay’s win over Germany. Galarza was arguably the best player for his country this summer despite not playing a single minute in their opening match against the USA. Manager Gustavo Alfaro realized his mistake and started Galarza against Türkiye, which paid off when he scored the only goal just two minutes in. Galarza kept his starting spot for the rest of the World Cup and continued his great form, providing the assist to Julio Enciso against Germany. The only reason he doesn’t get an A+ is because I lost a lot of respect for him based on the way he played against France, it was the dark arts at its worst.
Braian Ojeda (Orlando City): B-
Once again there’s not much to grade here. Ojeda only made one appearance in the World Cup, coming off the bench in extra time to play 21 minutes against Germany. He did his job and helped Paraguay achieve arguably their greatest ever victory. I can’t give Ojeda anything higher than a B- because he didn’t play at all besides that cameo, but he was ready when called upon.
Argentina
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami): A+
What more can be said about the greatest of all time? Lionel Messi continues to defy Father Time and has been one of the best players in this World Cup at age 39. He’s recorded at least one goal contribution in every game (through the quarterfinals) and is tied for the Golden Boot lead with Kylian Mbappé. It’s been a privilege to watch Messi in what will likely be his final World Cup.
Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami): B
Often referred to as Lionel Messi’s bodyguard, Rodrigo De Paul plays with the little magician for club and country. He linked up with Messi on Argentina’s first goal of the World Cup, with De Paul playing a lovely line-breaking pass before Messi’s finish from outside the box. The midfielder was also good against Austria, helping keep a clean sheet defensively and choosing his passes wisely. De Paul’s play hasn’t been as great in the knockouts and he even got subbed off before their comeback against Egypt, but he’s still done his job relatively well with no real mistakes.
Australia
Aiden O’Neill (NYCFC): A-
Sitting in the defensive midfielder position, Aiden O’Neill played every minute in the group stage for Australia. He played his role to a tee against Türkiye and Paraguay, helping put out fires in the midfield as the Socceroos kept clean sheets. O’Neill wasn’t too bad against the USA either. In the round of 32, he also played 90 minutes but came off to start extra time. It wasn’t a flashy World Cup by any means but he did the dirty work very well for his country.
Kai Trewin (NYCFC): D+
O’Neill’s teammate for club and country, Kai Trewin only made one appearance this World Cup. He was forced into action against Egypt, replacing the injured Jordan Bos as Australia’s right wing back at halftime. To put it simply, Trewin was not good. He only won one of his eight duels, was dribbled past once, and was dispossessed twice. It would’ve been a C-, but Trewin is getting downgraded to a D+ because he said “I have never wanted to win a game more” before their match against the USA. He then proceeded to not play in that game and watch his team lose 2-0.
South Africa
Mbekezeli Mbokazi (Chicago Fire): A+
The expectations for South Africa coming into the World Cup were low. Most people tipped them to finish bottom of Group A, a sentiment that grew after their 2-0 loss to Mexico in the opening match of the tournament. Mbokazi and Bafana Bafana proved everyone wrong, drawing with Czechia and beating South Korea to secure their first-ever knockout appearance. The Chicago center back is truly a rising star for his national team. Known as TLB because of his powerful and complete playstyle, the 20 year old was a rock defensively and helped progress play into the midfield and attack. After the tournament he had, Mbokazi likely won’t be in MLS for long.
Olwethu Makhanya (Philadelphia Union): N/A
It was a pleasant surprise that Olwethu Makhanya even made the South Africa World Cup squad. He had never received a senior call up and Bafana Bafana manager Hugo Broos is very vocal about his dislike of MLS. Makhanya is only 22 and could very well start if South Africa qualify in 2030, but he didn’t play a single minute in the World Cup this time around.
Haiti
Danley Jean Jacques (Philadelphia Union): A-
Haiti gave a good account of themselves at this World Cup, battling closely against Scotland and Morocco. Danley Jean Jacques was an important part of that, playing 260/270 minutes. He formed a quietly good midfield duo with Wolves man Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and the pair were probably Haiti’s two best players this summer. Danley did his job defensively for the most part, helping keep the likes of Scott McTominay and Brahim Díaz in check. It was a World Cup to be proud of for Haiti and Jean Jacques.
Derrick Etienne (Toronto FC): C
Derrick Etienne plays a very limited role for Haiti these days and the World Cup was no exception. He only managed to see the pitch once, a nine minute cameo against Brazil with his nation already down 3-0. Not much to grade but Etienne will be happy he got to officially play at a World Cup, something that doesn’t happen often for Haiti.
Cape Verde
Steven Moreira (Columbus Crew): A+
Cape Verde were the underdog story of the 2026 World Cup, capturing the hearts of fans from around the world. Columbus Crew defender Steven Moreira was a huge part of that. Despite playing out of position at right back, Moreira helped his country achieve one of the most impressive feats in World Cup history as they became the smallest nation to ever qualify for the knockouts. The highlight was the opening match, where Moreira and the rest of the back line kept a clean sheet against European champions Spain. They also pushed Argentina to the brink in the round of 32. Everyone who was part of that squad deserves an A+ so that’s what Moreira gets.
Croatia
Marco Pašalić (Orlando City): C+
It was an up and down World Cup for Marco Pašalić. He came off the bench in Croatia’s opener against England and managed to get off a shot that was saved by Jordan Pickford. His efforts earned him a spot in the starting lineup against Panama, but it went downhill from there. Pašalić missed two big chances in that narrow 1-0 win and was relegated back to the bench for the group stage finale against Ghana, only playing two minutes as Croatia saw out the win. He was then an unused substitute as his country was knocked out of the tournament in the round of 32.
Iraq
Ahmed Qasem (Nashville SC): C
Born in Sweden, Ahmed Qasem decided to switch allegiances to Iraq just in time for the World Cup. He played 17 minutes off the bench in their opening match against Norway but only managed to complete two passes. Despite that quiet cameo, Qasem was named in the starting lineup against France in the next match. It was another relatively uneventful day at the office, although his only dribble attempt was successful. The Nashville man kept his starting spot for the group stage finale against Senegal but was subbed off after just 16 minutes as a tactical change due to the red card to center back Rebin Sulaka. I’d be lying if I said Qasem did much of anything this World Cup, but the expectations were on the floor considering how tough Iraq’s group was so a C seems fair.
