No they mean the actual final. Many have played in the World Cup (just think of all the Americans).
Players who won the World Cup and played in MLS off the top of my head - Thierry Henry, Pirlo, Nesta, Kaka, David Villa, Schwisnsteiger
Edit: Branco, Denilson, Kleberson, Youri Djorkaeff, Lothar Mattheus
https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/03/21/world-cup-winners-schweinsteiger-latest-exclusive-mls-club
That's 11, then vdW and Torsten Frings were both runners up making 13