After a lengthy international break, despite some intermittent MLS action, the league returns in full for the home stretch this weekend. With fewer than 10 matchdays remaining in the regular season, points are at a premium and records are on the line. Here are a few storylines to look out for this weekend.

Lionel Messi is the league’s best player once again this season, with 21 goals and 13 assists in 24 games he is certainly the favorite to win a staggering third straight MVP award. He returns to club duty fresh off his emotional farewell with Argentina, where he had a goal and two assists on the night his legacy was honored in front of thousands in Buenos Aires. Inter Miami, however, have stalled.

The Herons have won just once in their last 10 league games, are winless in five, and lost 2-1 at Columbus in heartbreaking fashion just before the break. They’ve appointed a new coach, Kily González, though the Argentine has, as of now, failed to prove he can be the man to find some tactical balance with a top-heavy squad. They’re still among the favorites to become the first back-to-back MLS Cup winners since the LA Galaxy in 2011-12, but they need to start winning, and in convincing fashion.

Their opponents this weekend, D.C. United, have been the Eastern Conference’s whipping boys for a number of years now, but the ship has been slightly righted this season, as the capital club sit just on the cusp of the MLS Cup Playoffs.

LAFC, like Inter Miami, have won once in their last 10 games, and the club fired head coach Marc Dos Santos after just 28 MLS matches at the helm. Interim coach Xavi Tamarit makes his touchline debut at BMO Stadium on Saturday, and not only will he be tasked with turning the Black and Gold around in short order, but he will have to do it in style after serious criticism from fans regarding LAFC’s style of play this season.

The stars are back from international duty. Son Heung-Min is tied for the league lead in assists, and Denis Bouanga has 14 goals. That pair may have to drag the side over the line as they go through a real period of transition before a permanent head coach comes in.

LAFC are set to square off with the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday, the West’s top team and the club that eliminated LAFC in last year’s thrilling conference semifinal. It is arguably the toughest test you can face in the conference, but the ‘Caps themselves are coming off of a defeat at the hands of Chicago this week — a game they were thoroughly outplayed in.

St. Louis are unbeaten in 17 league games and 19 matches in all competitions. The stakes are simple for City — avoid defeat in one more match and they will tie the MLS record of 20 in a row across all competitions, set by the 2016 New York Red Bulls. The league-only record is 19.

First-year coach Yoann Damet has shown that what he took from years learning under legendary Columbus Crew coach Wilfried Nancy was not just fluff, but pedigree absorbed. St. Louis currently sit second in the West and close to their first playoff berth since 2023. The late summer signing of Brazilian striker Rafael Navarro has paid off handsomely as well, as the former Colorado man has scored 5 goals and bagged an assist in his first four starts since the club-record $12 million move.

St. Louis have played with style and character in this lengthy unbeaten run, and you really wouldn’t put it past them to keep it going in the coming weeks. The scariest thing for their Western Conference foes — they only seem to be getting better with each passing week.