The 25 most valuable wonderkids in MLS revealed

Analysis

Major League Soccer is home to players who represent great value for money, and many of its young talents have earned moves to Europe as the league has taken a more youth-focused approach in recent years.

This list is compiled using Estimated Transfer Value (ETV), a market-leading transfer valuation algorithm designed and developed by Dutch data company SciSports, in partnership with FootballTransfers.

A player’s ETV is calculated by a variety of factors, namely: player age, player position, player performance, player experience, league strength and contract situation.


Below, FootballTransfers runs through the most valuable wonderkids aged 20 years old or younger in MLS.

Who are the most valuable wonderkids in MLS

25. Manu Duah (San Diego FC) - €1.2m

The first-overall pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft, 20-year-old Manu Duah made a fast impact in the league, starting half of his side’s matches in the 2025 season as San Diego FC finished first in the Western Conference in its expansion season.

Duah is physically strong and technically sound, showing all the tools of a modern centre-back.

24. Snyder Brunell (Seattle Sounders FC) - €1.2m

Brunell played 292 minutes across six appearances in his debut campaign in MLS last season, but he showed that he can impact matches in plenty of ways with two goals and impressive defensive metrics.

The 18-year-old central midfielder is comfortable with both feet and has started twice in all competitions so far in 2026, including once on the right wing.

23. Jeevan Badwal (Vancouver Whitecaps) - €1.2m

Badwal is a 20-year-old Canadian midfielder who came off the bench often for his club in a season where the Whitecaps finished second in the West, level on points with first-placed San Diego.

He scored once in 924 league minutes played in 2025, and he has started two of his club’s three MLS matches in 2026.

22. Eddy Davis III (Philadelphia Union) - €1.2m

Davis, a 19-year-old forward from the famed Philadelphia Union academy, has only played once for the senior side, but he has put up solid numbers in MLS Next Pro.

He scored 14 goals with three assists in 31 appearances in the 2024 MLS Next Pro season, and he has 19 goals and eight assists in 63 appearances at that level across three seasons.

21. Noah Cobb (Colorado Rapids) - €1.3m

Centre-back Noah Cobb has more senior experience than many players on this list, having made his league debut in 2023 with Atlanta United FC.

He moved to Colorado for €0.5m in the 2025 season and played 788 minutes that season. He started the Rapids’ season-opening match, a 2-0 loss to Seattle.

20. Allan Oyirwoth (New England Revolution) - €1.3m

A midfield engine who already has two appearances for Uganda’s senior team, 19-year-old Oyirwoth impressed in MLS Next Pro last season.

He has a well-rounded game and has a great chance to increase the seven senior appearances he has made for his club so far.

19. David Vazquez (San Diego FC) - €1.3m

Another Philadelphia Union academy product, Vazquez moved from Philly to San Diego for €215k ahead of the 2026 season after spending 2025 on loan at the West Coast club.

He had a breakout performance against Toluca in the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup, scoring twice in a 3-2 victory despite his side being down a man for 78 minutes.

18. MyKhi Joyner (St. Louis City) - €1.3m

Joyner, a 19-year-old winger, made 13 appearances in the 2025 MLS season, starting and scoring once each.

His MLS Next Pro numbers are encouraging. He scored 18 goals with four assists in 29 matches in 2024, and he scored 15 goals with three assists in 20 games in 2025. In 2026, he netted a brace in his one appearance so far.

17. Sergio Oregel (Chicago Fire FC) - €1.4m

Chicago Fire FC academy product and USA youth international Sergio Oregel became a regular in the Fire’s first team last season, playing 2,158 minutes across 30 appearances, 26 of which were starts.

The 20-year-old will face stiffer competition for minutes this season, as his club signed experienced midfielders Robin Lod and Anton Saletros during the offseason.

16. Frankie Westfield (Philadelphia Union) - €1.4m

Another Union academy product, 20-year-old right-back Westfield was thrust into the first team in 2025 and rarely looked out of place.

A strong athlete who has no problems getting up and down either flank, Westfield completed over 25% of his cross attempts and won 58% of his one-v-one duels in his first season of senior football.

15. Rayan Elloumi (Vancouver Whitecaps) - €1.6m

Elloumi is another MLS Next Pro standout. The Whitecaps’ 18-year-old Canadian forward scored 11 goals and added seven assists in 18 matches at that level in 2025.

He also played in 12 senior matches last year, scoring two goals with one assist in 10 MLS appearances. He has appeared in four of his club’s six matches at the senior level in 2026.

14. Emilio Aristizabal (Toronto FC) - €1.7m

Aristizabal earned a loan move — with an option to buy — to Toronto FC after scoring 12 goals in 36 matches for Colombian side Fortaleza last year. He had been on loan from another Colombian club, Atletico Nacional, which is where he joined Toronto from.

A 20-year-old, 6-foot-2 centre-forward, he could form a lethal pair with Toronto’s club-record signing Josh Sargent up front.

13. Noel Buck (San Jose Earthquakes) - €1.7m

An England youth international who broke into the New England Revolution’s first team as a teenager in 2023, Noel Buck joined the San Jose Earthquakes — coached by Bruce Arena, who trusted Buck early in his career — in 2025.

The 20-year-old midfielder began the season with a goal and an assist in 63 minutes against Los Angeles FC II in MLS Next Pro. He appeared 10 times for San Jose’s senior team in 2025, providing one assist.

12. Jacob Bartlett (Sporting Kansas City) - €1.8m

Bartlett played just under 2,000 minutes in MLS for Sporting KC last season, and he ranked 22nd in the league with four accurate long passes per 90 minutes.

The 20-year-old also has a quality cross on him, and he’ll look to raise his impact in other facets of the game in 2026.

11. Julian Hall (New York Red Bulls) - €1.8m

STATS

Julian Hall

F (C)

New York RB

Julian Hall

F (C)

New York RB

All Tournaments

2026

• 4

  Games

• 3

  Goals

• 0

  Assists

View all stats

One of the breakout stars of the 2026 MLS season so far, 17-year-old centre-forward Hall has scored three goals in four matches, including a brace in the 2026 season-opener against Orlando City.

He scored one goal in 668 minutes across 26 appearances (four starts) in 2025, and in 2024, he scored two goals with an assist in 12 matches.

10. Tate Johnson (Vancouver Whitecaps) - €1.9m

Johnson became Vancouver’s first-choice left-back last season at 19-years-old. Now 20, he looks to have raised his game early in the 2026 campaign.

In 198 minutes across three appearances, the American fullback has won over 73% of his duels and is averaging over five tackles plus interceptions per 90 minutes.

9. Andy Rojas (New York Red Bulls) - €1.9m

With 15 caps for Costa Rica’s senior team, Rojas arrived in MLS with a pedigree from his time at Herediano in his home country. He scored 15 goals in 82 appearances over three seasons.

Now 20, the winger is looking to break into the first XI. In MLS Next Pro last season, he showed strong dribbling ability and scored seven goals in 1,877 minutes.

8. Jonathan Shore (New York City FC) - €2m

STATS

Jonathan Shore

M, DM (C)

NYCFC

Jonathan Shore

M, DM (C)

NYCFC

All Tournaments

2025

• 33

  Games

• 1

  Goals

• 0

  Assists

View all stats

Central midfielder Jonathan Shore played in 33 matches for his club last season, starting 16 of them. He was a prolific tackler, and his performances were good enough that he did not see any time in MLS Next Pro.

He has one appearance at that level already in 2026, and he has only two short cameos off the bench totaling three minutes in two MLS matches.

7. Baye Coulibaly (Charlotte FC) - €2m

Coulibaly played over 2,000 minutes for Charlotte’s reserve team in MLS Next Pro last season, serving as the team’s midfield general.

The Mali youth international, now 20 years old, made two appearances for Charlotte’s senior team last season and will look to earn more first-team action in 2026.

6. Gennadiy Synchuk (CF Montreal) - €2.2m

Synchuk, a left-footed winger, arrived in Montreal for a €3.4 million fee in 2025, and he contributed one goal and one assist in 19 matches in all competitions.

The 19-year-old Ukrainian youth international has started in three of his team’s four matches in 2026 and will be counted on to help his team improve upon its 13th-placed finish in the Eastern Conference in 2025.

5. Zavier Gozo (Real Salt Lake) - €2.2m

STATS

Zavier Gozo

F, M (R), AM (C)

Salt Lake

Zavier Gozo

F, M (R), AM (C)

Salt Lake

All Tournaments

2026

• 4

  Games

• 1

  Goals

• 1

  Assists

View all stats

The product of Real Salt Lake’s successful academy, 18-year-old Gozo has started and played the full 90 minutes in each of his team’s MLS matches in 2026.

The versatile attacker scored four goals with three assists in 31 appearances in 2025, and he has one goal and one assist in four matches so far this season.

4. Luca Bombino (San Diego FC) - €2.7m

Bombino was a key part of San Diego’s expansion season success in 2025, playing in 31 MLS matches and scoring a goal with three assists.

The 19-year-old LAFC academy product has produced a goal and two assists in three CONCACAF Champions Cup appearances in 2026, including two assists against Toluca, and he has started in each of his team’s MLS matches.

3. Ezekiel Alladoh (Philadelphia Union) - €5.5m

Brought in for a €3.9 million fee to replace the Union’s 2025 top goalscorer, Tai Baribo, Alladoh’s MLS career got off to an unfortunate start when he was sent off for dissent in the 58th minute of his debut.

On the bright side, he has scored once and assisted twice in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, helping the Union to a 12-0 aggregate victory over Defense Force.

2. David Martinez (Los Angeles FC) - €5.6m

STATS

David Martínez

F, M (R)

LAFC

David Martínez

F, M (R)

LAFC

All Tournaments

2026

• 8

  Games

• 3

  Goals

• 0

  Assists

View all stats

At 20 years old, Martinez does not have the reputation of his fellow LAFC attackers Son Heung-min and Denis Bouanga, but he has fit in well alongside them in 2026.

He has two goals in four MLS matches — he has started each of them — and added another goal in the Champions Cup.

1. Mateo Silvetti (Inter Miami CF) - €7.9m

STATS

Mateo Silvetti

M (R)

Inter Miami

Mateo Silvetti

M (R)

Inter Miami

All Tournaments

2026

• 5

  Games

• 1

  Goals

• 1

  Assists

View all stats

Signed for €4.2 million last summer, the 20-year-old Argentina youth international could be the next player to benefit heavily from Lionel Messi’s presence.

He scored two goals and provided two assists in nine matches in 2025, and he has a goal and an assist in five matches in 2026.

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