37 players from Major League Soccer entered the World Cup in November but, now, only one remains.
At the start of the tournament, 12 different nations had at least one MLS player on their roster, with the United States and Canada, naturally, featuring the majority.
However, LAFC forward Gareth Bale went to Qatar as Wales’ talisman, while the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri, Karol Swiderski, and Hector Herrera all represented their respective nations.
Argentina
Australia
Canada
Cameroon
Costa Rica
Ecuador
Mexico
Poland
Switzerland
Uruguay
USA
Wales
Of those 37 players, only Thiago Almada remains.
The Atlanta United playmaker is part of the Argentina side that has gone all the way to the semi-finals, where they’ll face 2018 runners-up Croatia in a bid to make their second final in three editions.
Almada, has only played a minimal role in La Albiceleste’s campaign, but he did make quite the impression from the bench against Poland during the group stage.
Despite only coming on in the 84th minute with Argentina already 2-0 up, Almada saw 15 touches of the ball, completing all 13 of his passes while creating one big chance. The 20-year-old also made history by becoming the first active MLS player to represent Argentina at the World Cup.
Even if he doesn’t see another minute on the field, Almada’s inclusion on the roster and being able to make an appearance is sure to add to his growing reputation.
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