D.C. United Selects Defender Nikola Markovic No. 1 Overall
MLS Major League Soccer

D.C. United Selects Defender Nikola Markovic No. 1 Overall

Published on December 18, 2025 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


NEW YORK - With the first overall selection in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, D.C. United selected N.C. State defender Nikola Markovic. Markovic was previously announced as a Generation adidas signing ahead of the 2026 MLS SuperDraft after helping the Wolfpack to their second-ever NCAA College Cup in program history this year. Born to Serbian parents but having grown up in Canada, Markovic joins Cyle Larin (2015) as the only Canadian players to be selected No. 1 overall in MLS SuperDraft.

Markovic started 21 of the Wolfpack's 22 matches during the 2025 season, helping N.C. State outscore opponents 48-9 with an NCAA-best 15 shutouts. The team captain's standout season helped him earn first-team All-American honors, becoming the first member of the Pack to earn first-team honors since 1992. Markovic is the first No. 1 overall selection in N.C. State school history and the third top pick in D.C. United history, joining Freddy Adu (2004) and Alecko Eskandarian (2003). N.C. State is the 15th different university to have a player taken with the No. 1 pick in SuperDraft history and the sixth different school with the top selection in the last six years.

Atlanta United traded the No. 2 overall pick to FC Dallas, which then held back-to-back selections and took two Generation adidas players - Georgia Southern forward Ricky Louis (No. 2) and University of Virginia forward Nicholas Simmonds (No. 3). The final Generation adidas signing, midfielder Kwaku Agyabeng (Clemson University), was selected with the fourth pick by Sporting Kansas City. To round out the top five, Orlando City SC selected Harvey Sarajian, a sophomore forward from Wake Forest University at No. 5 overall.

By trading up for the No. 2 overall pick, FC Dallas became the first club to have two of the top three picks in an MLS SuperDraft since Inter Miami CF did so in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft (No. 1 and No. 3). Dallas also selected Niklas Herceg of Vermont (No. 16), becoming one of three clubs to make at least three first-round selections, joining the Colorado Rapids (three) and Orlando City SC (four).

The first round of 2026 MLS SuperDraft featured four trades during the draft, including four of the top 12 selections. Twenty-one different schools had players selected in the first round, with six - Clemson (four), N.C. State, North Carolina, UNC Greensboro, Portland, and Washington - each having multiple players selected. Clemson's four first-round selections - No. 4 Kwaku Agyabeng (Sporting Kansas City), No. 13 Lukas Magnason (Real Salt Lake), No. 26 Wahabu Musah (Colorado Rapids), No. 27 Ransford Gyan (New York City FC) - are the most by a single college in the opening round of an MLS SuperDraft since Saint Louis University had four in 2022 (Isaiah Parker, Kipp Keller, Patrick Schulte, and Simon Becher).

After winning the NCAA Division I Men's National Championship on Monday, the Washington Huskies had five players selected, including pre-signed senior forward Richie Aman, who D.C. United traded up for and picked at No. 8 overall. Earlier this week, Aman was named a finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy award, given to the top collegiate soccer player each year. Other Huskies selected were Zach Ramsey (No. 17 to Vancouver), Joe Dale (No. 51 to Seattle), Asher Hestad (No. 56 to Colorado), and Connor Lofy (No. 89 to Vancouver). Washington's five players selected were the most by a single college in this year's edition of the draft.

Three clubs led the way with six players selected in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft - the Colorado Rapids, FC Dallas, and Real Salt Lake. This marks the second consecutive year that Colorado has led the league in MLS SuperDraft selections after taking nine players in 2025. Four other clubs made five selections in this year's draft.

Of the first 90 picks in the MLS SuperDraft, 31 of those played in MLS NEXT, including 10 of the first 30 selections. Notable MLS NEXT alumni selected were 2025 MLS NEXT Cup finalist Kwaku Agyabeng (No. 4, Cedar Stars Academy Bergen), 2024 MLS NEXT Cup Top Scorer Ransford Gyan (No. 27, Cedar Stars Academy Bergen), and 2021-22 U19 MLS NEXT MVP Colin Griffith (No. 45, Players Development Academy). Nearly 50 percent of all players selected in the SuperDraft competed in MLS NEXT or previously played with current MLS NEXT affiliated clubs.

The 2026 MLS SuperDraft featured an expanded eligible player pool for the third consecutive year, as players who are currently collegiate sophomores, juniors, seniors, and above were eligible for selection. The 2026 SuperDraft featured 46 players selected who were collegiate freshmen, sophomores, or juniors and 49 colleges and universities had a player represented in the 90 selections overall.

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