TWO things will dominate American soccer in 2026. The World Cup and the continued presence of Lionel Messi playing his club football in the region.But it’s an ongoing collective bargaining agreement in the lower leagues that may have the biggest long-term impact on the sport in the region in 2026.Soccer in the US rarely makes the wider sports news agenda, let alone the overall general news beyond the sports pages, but Messi and the World Cup are rare instances where soccer headlines reach a larger audience.