The MLS 100: Vela, Josef Martinez and Lodeiro headline list of top MLS players
Ives Galarcep
While some of Major League Soccer’s most high-profile players said goodbye to the league after the 2019 season, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wayne Rooney and Bastian Schweinsteiger, MLS still boasts some impressive firepower as it heads into its 25th season.
An influx of Latin American players, including a trio of Mexican stars, has helped restock the MLS talent pool. With more money to spend in the form of Targeted Allocation Money, MLS teams have more resources to land a better caliber talent, and that is showing in the building of some of the league’s strongest rosters.
The MLS 100 is SBI’s rundown of the Top 100 players in the league heading into the 2020 season. It is a list based not just on stats like goals and assists, but based in a variety of factors, including MLS productivity, potential, and for MLS newcomers, quality shown prior to arriving in MLS. It should also be noted that players with long-term injuries, like Paul Arriola and Michael Bradley, were excluded, as was FC Dallas signing Franco Jara, who won’t arrive in MLS until the summer.
The Top 100 does feature several MLS newcomers, with a total of 17 players on the list who will be looking to play their first MLS match this weekend.
All 26 teams are represented in the MLS 100, with Los Angeles FC leading the way with a whopping nine selections. The Seattle Sounders ans New York City FC check in with seven selections each, while FC Dallas boasts six selections. Atlanta United, Philadelphia Union, LA Galaxy, Toronto FC and Minnesota United each feature five picks in the top 100.
Now, without further ado, here are the Top 100 players in MLS heading into the 2020 season.