World Cup Watch: Sanabria makes debut,World Cup 2026 Eustáquio stays hot

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As we inch ever closer to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, players from across MLS aim to boost their stock in the hopes of securing a place on their national team's final squad.

As we did on Matchday 1, we'll take a look at which guys are playing their best ball as we head toward the big tournament.

Here’s who stood out in Matchday 2.

• National team:USA
• Caps:43
• Goals:0

Back in 2011, the Seattle Sounders met a mysterious figure at a crossroads and traded their ability to ever win a soccer game in Utah for at least two decades of success. That meant they were destined to lose to Real Salt Lake on Saturday, but Roldan still managed to put in a productive performance.

Seattle’s captain sent home a rare header for the Sounders’ lone goal of the night. Certain sections of social media are going to be mad about it, but he’s going to keep being an effective and versatile player who will make a serious push for the USMNT's 26-man roster this summer.

Clinical corner 🙂‍↕️

Cristian Roldan's header gets one back for Seattle! pic.twitter.com/fqsaufmsFN

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 1, 2026

• National team:Croatia
• Caps:11
• Goals:1

Orlando City didn’t get the ending they hoped for, but Pašalić’s excellent opener in the 4-2 loss against Inter Miami gave the Lions a brief moment of bliss on Sunday night. He’s been outstanding since arriving in MLS from Croatia last season, putting up 13g/5a across 34 starts on the wing.

Pašalić made six appearances for Croatia during their World Cup qualifying run, including two starts at the end of 2025. Momentum seems to be on his side heading toward this month’s international window.

🗣️ @OrlandoCitySC strikes first against Miami.

Iván Angulo steals it and sets up Marco Pašalić for the opener! pic.twitter.com/4tGWOVCTxc

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 2, 2026

• National team:Uruguay
• Caps: 3
• Goals:1

Sanabria made three starts for Uruguay in friendlies last year. But the 25-year-old is still looking for his first competitive appearance for La Celeste. If he continues to perform as he did in his RSL debut, he’ll have a very good case to make that happen.

In RSL's 2-1 win over Seattle, Sanabria recorded his first MLS assist with an excellent cross to Aiden Hezarkhani, which led to a 1-0 lead.

Aiden Hezarkhani hammers home his first MLS goal for Salt Lake! 👊 pic.twitter.com/btxpH0AKSd

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 1, 2026

• National team:Canada
• Caps:54
• Goals:4

Eustáquio's back again for a second straight week. Because when you do this, you deserve to be back again for a second straight week.

Another LAFC screamer 🚨

Stephen Eustáquio's first makes it 2-0! pic.twitter.com/XmH880Riyv

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 1, 2026

• National team:Argentina
• Caps:196
• Goals:115

Look, this isn’t an “Oh gee, boy, I sure do wonder if he’s going to play in the World Cup” inclusion. It’s just a reminder that Messi is still one of the absolute best, 99th-percentile players in the world at 38 years oldand is going to do damage this summer.

Hell, maybe this should actually be a blurb about whether or not he’ll be a locked-in starter for Argentina in 2030 or just a high-level rotation guy. It’s never too early to look forward. And it’s never too early to start signing autographs when you’re the best to ever do it.

Tayvon Gray (D) | New York City FC & Jamaica

Only an honorable mention because Jamaica haven't quite qualified yet, Gray scored a (very) late winner in NYCFC's 2-1 victory at Philly this weekend. He hasn’t earned a cap since 2024, but that can’t hurt his chances at getting back in the squad.

Anders Dreyer (F) | San Diego FC & Denmark

Only an honorable mention because Denmark haven't quite qualified yet, Dreyer's early opener set San Diego off and running against St. Louis. He’s the second fastest player in MLS history to the 20g/20a mark. Only Messi did it quicker. Denmark should consider playing this guy more often.

Lucas Herrington (D) | Colorado Rapids & Australia

The 6-foot-4, 18-year-old center back is still looking for his first international cap. He may still be a few years away from that, but his goal in Colorado's 2-0 win against Portland over the weekend can only help his case.

Son Heung-Min (F) | LAFC & South Korea

Son drew two red cards in LAFC’s 2-0 win over nine-man Houston. Good soccer player.

• Voices: Sam Jones
• World Cup
• Cristian Roldan
• Marco Pašalić
• Juan Manuel Sanabria
• Stephen Eustáquio
• Lionel Messi

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