Real Salt Lake Kicks off 2026 Preseason
MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake Kicks off 2026 Preseason

Published on January 13, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


HERRIMAN, Utah - Real Salt Lake President of Soccer Operations Jason Kreis kicks off the Club's 22 nd preseason with multiple first-team technical staff announcements under the guidance of Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni, now entering his fifth full MLS campaign on the Wasatch Front, and sixth overall.

Third-year MLS assistants Anthony Pulis and Mirza Hirambasic (goalkeepers) return to RSL's first-team Technical Staff, while the Club welcomes three new additions for the 2026 Major League Soccer season, as Jamal Campbell-Ryce (field assistant) and Joe Hickman (video analyst) arrive after two years with Real Monarchs of MLS NEXT Pro duty, while Frédéric Brillant - a former MLS player and part of Utah Royals FC's staff in 2024 - now returns to Utah to complete Mastroeni's on-field complement.

Other technical support staff members returning for the 2026 season include RSL's long-time Head of Video Analysis, Rob Rogers, veteran Head Athletic Trainer Jake Joachim, and Asst. Athletic Trainer/Physical Therapist Katie Kuykendall ; Utah Soccer's Head of Team Administration Chase Rusden and RSL Team Administrator Rory James, along with experienced equipment lead Ben Chavez and assistant Peyton Campagno.

The returning individuals are bolstered by several of last year's midseason additions, including Brandon Moran (Director of Player Health/Performance), Jake Kemp (Sports Scientist) and Grant Barge (Leadership Director). Also advancing from within to the first-team staff are additional former Real Monarchs / RSL Academy personnel: Performance Coach Amer Sasivarevic and Asst. Athletic Trainer Armando Frutos, along with Player Engagement Manager Cesar Martinez.

In conjunction with Real Salt Lake's official Club medical partner, Intermountain Health, Kala Riester (Team Nutritionist), Nathan Hieronymous (Physical Therapist) and Skylxr Tracy (Massage Therapist) also return for multiple years with the Club.

A year ago, Mastroeni and staff qualified for the Major League Soccer postseason for a fifth consecutive campaign, the longest active streak in the Western Conference. Of 205 all-time head coaches in the League's 30 seasons, former U.S. Men's National Team World Cup standout Mastroeni became just the sixth manager all-time to achieve playoff berths in each of his first five full seasons with a club.

This year, RSL looks to extend its active postseason run to a sixth consecutive season, advancing to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for an eighth time in nine years (2020 the most recent exception) and a 16 th occasion in the last 19 years (2015, 2017 also on outside looking in), dating back to RSL's first-ever qualification in 2008.

The Utah side kicks off its 2026 preseason this week indoors in Herriman, before a two-week trip to Lagos, Portugal, at The Atlantic Cup in the Algarve, from January 17-31. Mastroeni's side will again convene at the Zions Bank Training Center for midday sessions in the first week of February, prior to a one-week trip to Southern California for the final preseason stage, one which will see RSL play USL Championship side Orange County SC on Feb. 7 and the LA Galaxy on Feb. 13 in its final preseason scrimmages.

For the 2026 campaign, RSL returns 10 of the 11 starters from its Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoff Wild-Card loss at Portland, including current U.S. Men's National Team selection Diego Luna - Major League Soccer's 2024 Young Player of the Year - and RSL Captain Rafael Cabral, the veteran goalkeeper who played every minute of all 40 Claret-and-Cobalt games a year ago across MLS, Leagues Cup and CONCACAF Champions Cup competitions.

Also returning are six members of that day's bench, including 2024 "Iron Man" Emeka Eneli. More than 26,000+ minutes from last year return for this campaign, where once again a deep RSL roster - 32 players saw MLS / Open Cup minutes a year ago - will look to make deep tourney runs across MLS, Leagues Cup and postseason competitions in 2026.

Multiple potential roster moves are anticipated throughout the current Major League Soccer primary transfer window - now open through mid-April - with 15 league matches to be played prior to the midyear hiatus for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be played in North America this year. Following the July 19 World Cup Final, RSL will play 19 MLS contests and at least three Leagues Cup games, with the 2026 MLS "Decision Day" occurring on Nov. 7 at America First Field against the LA Galaxy, with the 2026 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs to follow.

In late November, RSL's complete 2026 schedule was revealed, with the Club's America First Field venue in Sandy slated to welcome global soccer icon Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF to Utah for the first - and perhaps only - occasion on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. Join the 2026 RSL ticketing waitlist at www.RSL.com/tickets.

The Claret-and-Cobalt also released its complete 2026 preseason slate, various key dates during the celebratory 2026 FIFA World Cup year, and most importantly, the entire 34-game MLS regular season schedule (17 home games, 17 away in MLS), which features multiple international soccer legends who are expected to visit Sandy throughout 2026.

Top visiting athletes in addition to Messi and Co. expected to provide highly-anticipated moments include: Korean superstar Son Heung-min (Los Angeles Football Club, Sept. 5), German trophy king Thomas Müller (Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Sept. 19), beloved Mexican cult figure Chucky Lozano (San Diego FC, April 18) and another storied German star, Marco Reus (LA Galaxy, Nov. 7).

RSL's complete 2026 regular season schedule is available at www.RSL.com.

Players, coaches and staff report next week ahead of the Club's Jan. 10 preseason, which will feature 2026 preseason matches in Portugal and Southern California, as The Atlantic Cup tournament organizers and Coachella Valley schedule-makers solidified various slates.

Returning to Lagos, Portugal, where it had spent a portion of the 2024 preseason, Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni 's side will play three games over 13 days in the back half of January as part of the annual Atlantic Cup tourney, with the first two matches against legendary Danish sides Randers FC (Jan. 22) - once home to former RSL striker Yura Movsisyan - and Bröndby (Jan. 26), a side also connected to David Blitzer's Global Football Holdings.

RSL will conclude its Iberian peninsula experience against fellow MLS Western Conference foe FC Dallas (Jan. 30), before competing its 24-hour door-to-door travels, returning to Utah on Feb. 1

After spending the first week of February back in Utah, the Claret-and-Cobalt then wrap up its 22 nd preseason slate with two games in Southern California, facing off against newly-transferred DF Kobi Henry 's former USL Championship side, Orange County SC (Feb. 7), as well as MLS Cup 2024 champions LA Galaxy (Feb. 13), the latter match being played outside of Palm Springs, Calif.

RSL then kicks off its 2026 Major League Soccer campaign on Sat., Feb. 21 at B.C. Place, home of the reigning Western Conference champion, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, one week prior to the Claret-and-Cobalt's 2026 home opener at America First Field against long-time rival Seattle Sounders FC on Sat., Feb. 28. Both of RSL's February games kick off at 5:30p MT, with season ticket and four-game packages available at www.RSL.com/tickets.

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