How to find an MLS Designated Player in 2026
- Brian Maurer
- 8 minutes ago
- 3 min read
By Brian Maurer
Charlotte FC will be on the lookout for at least one new Designated Player (DP) this summer after they announced that Wilfried Zaha will not be continuing with the club after his loan contract expires.
We have already reported that the Crown is in advanced discussions with Allan Saint-Maximin, who just finished his short-term contract with French side Lens, so it looks likely that Zaha's DP spot is being filled.
However, there have also been rumblings that DP winger Liel Abada could be on the move after his limited role down the stretch to the World Cup break. With the potential that Charlotte is looking for a second DP this summer, I wanted to do a deeper dive analysis to see if there are patterns to finding a successful DP.
I took all players labeled DP from the 2026 MLS Roster Profiles list released in February and added Josh Sargent and Santiago Moreno to the list, as they are players signed after that release. This brought the total DPs currently under contract to 73. Some of these aren't locked-in DPs (meaning their contract situation puts them under a threshold where they could be "bought down" from their current DP spot), however, for this analysis, it still gives us a good look at where the highest-paid players in MLS are being found, the range of their cost, and their age profile.
Here are some preliminary tables of what I have found:
Age
The average age of players in MLS with a current DP designation is 28.36, with the most common ages being between 25 and 31. This shows that most MLS clubs are currently profiling for their key players to be in their prime or entering their prime, a positive direction for a league that has historically been dubbed a "retirement league".
Previous League of Designated Players
MLS clubs are finding their top players in many different leagues around the world, but with the new cashfer roster rule, more of the DPs are shifting around within MLS. Now, more DPs are transferring within the league than coming to MLS from international markets. Several more DPs returned to MLS after transferring to other leagues (e.g., Mateusz Bogusz and Facundo Torres).
The most common leagues MLS clubs are signing DPs from are within MLS, Germany, and Brazil.
It is by far the most common for MLS clubs to be picking up their DPs from 1st Division leagues.
Nationality
Argentines and Brazilians are two of the most common nationalities among DPs in MLS, but it is interesting how many Americans are DPs, even though most top American talent has gone abroad in recent years. If that trend continues, with MLS clubs looking to bring in more top domestic players, this could be a sign that MLS is reaching a level where top American talent is willing to stay stateside rather than going abroad to enhance their career.
You can also see how global scouting has become, as there are over 35 different nationalities occupying a DP spot that all transferred in from many different leagues.
Summary
This is just an initial look into where DPs are coming from and the age profiles of DPs in the current evolution of MLS. Things could change with the transfer window shifting to match the top leagues around the world. Here are a few initial patterns that stand out.
Finding DP players in their prime (specifically, 25-31 is most common) is key, but looking even younger to make the initial transfer is also important (23-25).
Finding players in 1st Divisions is far and away the most common and will likely continue with more players coming from the top five leagues in Europe.
Finding top players within MLS has become far more of a trend with both free agency and cash transfers.
Another trend that should be looked at is DP players with previous MLS experience returning to the league, as this appears to be another pattern clubs have been leaning into the last few windows. Looking at patterns around DP players who choose to spend longer stretches of time with a specific MLS club is also worth a closer look.