The 25 most valuable MLS players in 2026

Tom Weber

• Updated: 18 Feb 2026 08:00 CST
• 8 min read

Analysis

Major League Soccer has come a long way since its inaugural season in 1996.

The league has grown to 30 teams and has been home to some of the game's biggest stars, such as David Beckham and Lionel Messi, who now plays for the former's very own club in Inter Miami.

Messi is arguably the greatest player to ever grace a soccer pitch, and he remains the most talented and impactful performer in MLS. Signing the Argentine gave Miami and MLS a huge popularity boost, but purely in football business terms, he doesn't have much resale value at age 38.

That is why the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is not the most valuable player in MLS. It is, however, a sign of his brilliance that he still features in the top 10 despite his advanced age.

Using our sophisticated in-house Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) algorithm, FootballTransfers runs through the 25 most valuable players in MLS...

25. Hugo Cuypers - €6.2m (Chicago Fire)

Kicking us off is Chicago Fire star striker Hugo Cuypers with an ETV of €6.2 million. The Belgian has scored 31 goals in 70 games.

In 2025, Cuypers netted 19 goals as the Fire made the playoffs for the first time since 201,7 and his brace against Orlando sealed their first post-season win since 2009.

24. Djordje Mihailovic - €6.3m (Toronto FC)

Toronto FC midfielder Djordje Mihailovic is the 24th most valuable player in MLS with an ETV of €6.3m.

The USMNT star joined the Canadians from the Colorado Rapids for €6.85m last summer and scored four goals and provided two assists in his first 10 games for TFC.

23. Kelvin Yeboah - €6.4m (Minnesota United)

Minnesota United forward Kelvin Yeboah clocks in at €6.4m. The nephew of former Leeds star Tony Yeboah joined the Loons for €2.5m in 2024 and has netted 22 goals in 52 appearances.

22. Brandon Vazquez - €6.5m (Austin FC)

USMNT striker Brandon Vazquez currently has an ETV of €6.5m, having seen his value drop due to an ACL tear, which has sidelined him since July 2025.

Vazquez is expected to play a huge part for Austin in 2026 after joining from Monterrey for €9.6m in January 2025.

21. Aleksey Miranchuk - €6.5m (Atlanta United)

Atlanta United midfielder Aleksey Miranchuk comes in at 21st with an ETV of €6.5m, having also suffered a quite steep decline.

The Russian cost the Five Stripes €11.8m in 2024, but he has been a fairly disappointing signing.

20. Mateusz Bogusz - €6.6m (Houston Dynamo)

Next up is Houston's new marquee attacker Mateusz Bogusz, who has returned to MLS after a stint at Cruz Azul.

The Poland international cost the Dynamo €5.5m plus add-ons and has an ETV of €6.6m.

19. Quinn Sullivan - €6.8m (Philadelphia Union)

Philadelphia Union talent Quinn Sullivan is 19th on this list with a value of €6.8m.

The young midfielder had a hugely promising 2025 season cut short by a cruel ACL tear.

18. Diego Luna - €7m (Real Salt Lake)

USMNT winger Diego Luna currently has an ETV of €7m, which is good enough for 18th place.

The versatile attacker has been one of the most exciting attackers in MLS in recent years, scoring nine goals in 2025.

17. Talles Magno - €7.1m (NYCFC)

Surprise NYCFC returnee Talles Magno clocks in with an ETV of €7.1m.

The exciting Brazilian winger was not expected to come back from his loan at Corinthians, but he has, and he is expected to play a key role for the Eastern Conference side in 2026.

16. Stephen Eustaquio - €7.3m (LAFC)

Canada international Stephen Eustaqio is the 16th most valuable player in MLS after joining LAFC on loan from Porto.

The 29-year-old, who has an ETV of €7.3m, will likely prove to be one of the best signings of the offseason.

15. Mateo Silvetti - €7.8m (Inter Miami)

There is a fairly big jump from 16th to 15th, a spot occupied by Inter Miami youngster Mateo Silvetti with an ETV of €7.8m.

The Argentine is coming off a hugely promising 2025 season.

14. Hirving Lozano - €7.9m (San Diego)

Mexico star Chucky Lozano is still a San Diego player at the time of writing, despite being publicly told that he is surplus to requirements.

He didn't play a lot in 2025, but when he did, he made an impact, which is reflected in his ETV of €7.9m. He previously peaked at €36.9m during his time in Europe.

13. German Berterame - €8.6m (Inter Miami)

Inter Miami's new star striker German Berterame clocks in at 13th with a transfer value of €8.6m.

The Mexico international has joined the Herons from Monterrey after they triggered his €12.6m release clause.

12. Gabriel Pec - €8.9m (LA Galaxy)

Gabriel Pec has been a hugely impactful signing for the LA Galaxy since joining in 2024 for €9.3m.

His ETV of €8.9m puts him 12th among the elite of MLS.

11. Rodrigo de Paul - €9.1m (Inter Miami)

Rodrigo de Paul is so far the most expensive MLS signing of 2026, joining Miami for €15m from Atletico Madrid after an initial six-month loan.

Miami have no issue paying over the odds for stars - Jorge Mas previously said that they have unlimited funds - and they appear to have done so for the 31-year-old Argentine, who has an ETV of €9.1m.

10. Paxten Aaronson - €9.9m (Colorado Rapids)

Colorado Rapids midfielder Paxten Aaronson is the 10th most valuable player in MLS, falling just short of €10m with his ETV of €9.9m.

The four-time USMNT player joined the Rapids from Eintracht Frankfurt for €7m late last summer, making seven appearances as his side missed the playoffs. He returned to MLS after an encouraging loan spell at Utrecht in the Eredivisie.

9. Anders Dreyer - €11.6m (San Diego)

San Diego superstar Anders Dreyer sits ninth with an ETV of €11.6m after an MVP-level first season in MLS with 23 goals and 17 assists.

If he can show that 2025 wasn't just an outlier and keep performing in 2026, his ETV will surely skyrocket. His previous career-best campaign saw him net 19 times and provide nine assists with Anderlecht in Belgium in 2023/24.

He had never before reached similar levels, hence his still relatively conservative ETV.

8. Evander - €12.5m (FC Cincinnati)

Brazilian maestro Evander is the eighth most valuable player in MLS. His ETV of €12.5m is in line with the €11.5m fee Cincinnati paid to sign him from Portland after a lengthy saga last year.

The 27-year-old produced a whopping 22 goals and 17 assists in his first season at Cincy.

7. Lionel Messi - €13.9m (Inter Miami)

Inter Miami megastar Lionel Messi comes in at spot number seven with an ETV of €13.9m, which illustrates just how good he still is despite being 10+ years older than many of the other players on this list.

The first player to win back-to-back MLS MVP awards, the Argentine is gunning for more personal and collective accolades in 2026 after leading the Herons to their first MLS Cup in 2025.

6. Kevin Denkey - €15.3m (FC Cincinnati)

Cincinnati's star striker Kevin Denkey clocks in at €15.3m, making him the sixth most expensive player in MLS.

The Togo international joined the Ohio club for €15.3m in 2025 after starring in Belgium. He netted a very solid 18 goals in his first season in the US.

5. Son Heung-min - €15.8m (LAFC)

Tottenham icon Son Heung-min is the fifth most valuable player in MLS after joining LAFC for a league-record €22m last summer.

The 33-year-old scored a whopping 13 goals and provided seven assists in 14 appearances for the Black and Gold in his first-half season. We are sure he will give Messi a good run for his money for the MVP award in 2026.

4. Facundo Torres - €16.5m (Austin FC)

New Austin FC signing Facundo Torres sits fourth with an ETV of €16.5m, suggesting that the Texans got a bargain.

The Uruguay international has joined from Palmeiras for €8m after failing to nail down a guaranteed starting spot. The attacker previously netted 14 goals in successive MLS seasons for Orlando.

3. Riqui Puig - €18.6m (LA Galaxy)

It is illustrative of how incredible Riqui Puig was for the LA Galaxy that he is still the third most valuable player in MLS despite not featuring since 2024 due to a heartbreaking knee injury.

The former Barcelona prospect has an ETV of €18.6m. However, he will also miss the 2026 season, meaning that his value will likely decrease considerably over the course of the season.

2. Emmanuel Latte Lath - €19.2m (Atlanta United)

Before Son, there was Emmanuel Latte Lath. He was the most expensive signing in MLS history when he joined Atlanta for €21.25m in 2025.

This is reflected in his ETV of €19.2m, which makes him the second most expensive player in the league. However, in order to retain this position, the Ivorian will have to step his game up. He only scored eight goals in his first season for the Five Stripes.

1. Miguel Almiron - €22.9m (Atlanta United)

Atlanta United superstar Miguel Almiron is the only MLS player to crack the €20m mark with an ETV of €22.9m. He is the most valuable player in MLS.

Like many Atlanta players, the Paraguay international experienced an underwhelming 2025 campaign. However, he previously peaked at €37.9m, which explains why he still boasts a hefty valuation.

The former Newcastle man returned to Georgia for €9.6m and will captain the side in 2026.

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