Major League Soccer Announces Eligible Player List for 2026 MLS SuperDraft
MLS Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer Announces Eligible Player List for 2026 MLS SuperDraft

Published on December 17, 2025 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


NEW YORK - Major League Soccer today announced the eligible player list for the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, which will take place on Thursday, December 18 with the first round kicking off at 2 p.m. ET. Additionally, four players signed Generation adidas contracts ahead of Thursday's SuperDraft, while one player - the University of Washington's Richie Aman - signed a contract as a pre-signed senior for the class of 2026. The list of eligible players, including Generation adidas signings, is subject to change.

D.C. United owns the draft's top pick, with Atlanta United (second), FC Dallas (acquired from CF Montréal; third), Sporting Kansas City (fourth), and Orlando City SC (acquired from the LA Galaxy; fifth) rounding out the top five. Live draft coverage of Round One can be found on MLS social media platforms with a full recap and additional coverage on MLSsoccer.com. The current order of the SuperDraft is available HERE.

Below is further information regarding the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, including details on the virtual press conference availability with the No. 1 overall selection, logos, eligible player list, and more. Any players signed to Generation adidas contracts will be announced in the coming days.

Clemson University freshman midfielder Kwaku Agyabeng, Georgia Southern University sophomore Ricky Louis, North Carolina State University sophomore defender Nikola Markovic, and University of Virginia freshman forward ‚ Nicholas Simmonds have signed Generation adidas contracts and will be eligible for the 2026 MLS SuperDraft. Additionally, University of Washington forward Richie Aman signed a contract as a pre-signed senior.

Throughout the program's history, Generation adidas players have gone on to star in MLS, represent their country on the international stage, and earn multi-million-dollar transfers or contract extensions. In the past five years, notable Generation adidas standouts have included Moïse Bombito (Colorado Rapids; Canada), Patrick Schulte (Columbus Crew; United States), and Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati; United States). Last year, No. 1 overall pick and Generation adidas signing Manu Duah went on to become a key starter during San Diego FC's record-breaking expansion season and was the highest-ranked SuperDraft alumni in MLS' annual 22 Under 22 ranking (No. 15).

Freshman midfielder Kwaku Agyabeng was one of the main engines for Clemson in 2025, starting 15 of 16 matches for the Tigers. Agyabeng, a native of Kumasi, Ghana, was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and Third Team All-ACC for a Clemson side that went 4-2-2 in ACC play. Prior to joining the Tigers in the fall, Agyabeng starred for Cedar Stars Academy Bergen in MLS NEXT, helping lead the U19 side to the MLS NEXT Cup final in 2025, where they fell to the LA Galaxy.

Fresh off helping the University of Washington earn their first national title in program history, forward Richie Aman signed a contract as a pre-signed senior for the 2026 MLS SuperDraft. In 2025, Aman earned Big Ten Midfielder of the Year honors, a First Team All-Big Ten selection, and was a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy. His 14 assists were the third-most in the NCAA and he also tallied one in the national championship victory against N.C. State. During Aman's four-year career with the Huskies, he totaled eight goals, 23 assists in 81 games, and over 5,000 minutes of collegiate action.

The first-ever All-American in Georgia Southern men's soccer history, sophomore forward Ricky Louis earned third-team honors after tallying nine goals and three assists in 2025. His nine goals led all Georgia Southern players and helped him make the Sun Belt First-Team, becoming the first forward to do so since 2020. Louis, who is from Fort Myers, Florida, produced four game-winning goals during the 2025 collegiate season and was one of only a handful of underclassmen to do so. Louis is the first Georgia Southern player to earn a Generation adidas contract in program history.

Helping N.C. State to their second-ever NCAA College Cup in program history, sophomore defender Nikola Markovic started 21 of the Wolfpack's 22 matches during the 2025 season. In those matches, N.C. State outscored opponents 48-9, which included an NCAA-best 15 shutouts. Markovic's standout season helped him earn first-team All-American honors alongside teammate Donavan Phillip, becoming the first member of the Pack to earn first-team honors since 1992. Born to Serbian parents but grew up in Canada, Markovic previously played for CF Montréal's academy before attending N.C. State.

Forward Nicholas Simmonds earned first-team All-American honors after scoring 10 goals and adding five assists in his freshman season for the University of Virginia. Simmonds' 10 goals were the most among freshmen from power-four programs and earned the 2025 ACC Freshman of the Year award. A Midlothian, Virginia native, Simmonds was just the third Cavalier freshman in school history to earn first-team All-American honors, joining U.S. Men's National Team legends Claudio Reyna (1991) and Tony Meola (1988). Simmonds' father, Gregory, previously played in MLS with the Miami Fusion in 2001 during his professional career in North America.

Check out the Major League Soccer Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Major League Soccer Stories from December 17, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central