MLS International Roster Slots

MLS International Roster Slots are an important piece of roster composition in Major League Soccer. MLS employs a variety of mechanisms to promote parity and domestic player development which include player entry drafts, expansion drafts, allocation drafts, weighted lotteries, and a limit on the number of international roster slots available for each team. The limit on the number of international roster slots makes each slot a valuable commodity for teams to utilize through player signings or trades with other teams.

The MLS roster rules for 2019 state:

• A total of 192 international roster slots are divided among the 24 teams. In 2008, each MLS team was given the right to have eight international players on its roster and each subsequent expansion teams were given the right to have eight international roster slots for its inaugural season. These roster slots are tradable, in full season increments, such that some teams may have more than eight and some teams may have fewer than eight. There is no limit on the number of international roster slots on each team's roster.
• For teams based in the United States, a domestic player is either:
  • a U.S. citizen;
  • a permanent resident (green card holder); or
  • the holder of other special status (e.g., has been granted refugee or asylum status); or
  • a player who qualifies under the Homegrown International Rule.
• For teams based in Canada, a domestic player is either:
  • a Canadian citizen; or
  • the holder of certain other special status (e.g., has been granted refugee or asylum status); or
  • a player who qualifies under the Homegrown International Rule; or
  • a U.S. Domestic Player.
• MLS teams based in Canada are required to have a minimum of three Canadian Domestic Players on their rosters.
• Homegrown International Rule: regardless of nationality, any player who meets the requirements to qualify as a Homegrown Player as a member of an MLS team academy, either in the U.S. or Canada, or has met similar requirements as a member of a Canadian Approved Youth Club, will count as a domestic player on both U.S. and Canadian team rosters provided that:
  • the player became a member of an MLS team academy, either in the U.S. or Canada, or a Canadian Approved Youth Club in the year prior to the year in which he turns 16; and
  • the player signs his first professional contract with MLS or an MLS team's USL affiliate.

Source: ^[1]

Current international roster slots by team

As of January 31, 2020 ^[2]

Team	Total slots	Inter­national Players	DL	L	SEIL	Open slots	International players under contract
Atlanta United FC	8	8	0	0	0	0	Adams, Barco, Escobar, Gressel, Martínez, Pereira, Remedi, Wild
Chicago Fire	8	6	0	0	0	2	Collier, Edwards, Frankowski, Marcelo, Medrán, Nikolić
FC Cincinnati	8	7	0	0	0	1	Bertone, Cruz, Deplagne, Ledesma, Tytoń, Lundt, Ndam
Colorado Rapids	6	7	0	0	0	-1	Blomberg, Mezquida, Nicholson, Price, Rwatubyaye, Shinyashiki, Wilson
Columbus Crew	9	3	0	0	0	6	Robinho, Santos, Valenzuela
D.C. United	7	8	0	2	0	1	Asad, Bolivar (on loan with Loudoun United), Flores, Kamara, Reyna, Robertha, Smith (on loan with Loudoun United), Ábila
FC Dallas	9	8	0	0	0	1	Acosta, Aránguiz, Bressan, Mosquera, Ondrášek, Twumasi, Ziegler, Atuahene
Houston Dynamo	7	6	0	0	0	1	Elis, Fuenmayor, Lundqvist, Peña, Struna, Vera
Inter Miami CF	7	0	0	0	0	7
LA Galaxy	8	6	0	0	0	2	Alessandrini, dos Santos, Feltscher, González, Skjelvik, Traore
Los Angeles FC	9	9	0	0	0	0	Cifuentes, Diomande, El Monir, Ginella, Palacios, Rodríguez, Segura, Silva, Vermeer
Minnesota United FC	8	7	0	1	0	2	Amarilla, Billingsley, Chacon, Greguš, Lod, Ranjitsingh; R. Ibarra L
CF Montreal	9	6	0	0	0	4	Camacho, Diallo, Novillo, Okwonkwo, Raitala, Taïder
Nashville SC	5	0	0	0	0	5
New England Revolution	8	5	0	0	0	3	Nacho Gil, Dylan Borrero, Tomas Chancalay, Aljaž Ivačič, Giacomo Vrioni
New York City FC	9	4	0	0	0	5	Castellanos, Héber, Mitriță, Moralez
New York Red Bulls	9	6	0	0	0	3	Cásseres Jr., Gamarra, Jørgensen, Royer, Rzatkowski, Valot
Orlando City SC	9	9	0	0	0	0	Aiás, Alvarado, Carlos, Gallese, Nani, Pereyra, Ruan, Schlegel, Urso
Philadelphia Union	8	7	0	0	0	1	Burke, Elliott, Mbaizo, Monteiro, Przybyłko, Santos, Wagner
Portland Timbers	7	9	0	0	0	-2	Conechny, Loría, Mabiala, Moreira, Paredes, Polo, Tuiloma, Ivacic, Zambrano
Real Salt Lake	7	5	0	0	0	2	Johnson, Kreilach, Luiz, Onuoha, Ruíz
San Jose Earthquakes	8	6	0	0	0	2	Eriksson, Espinoza, Judson, Kashia, López, Vega
Seattle Sounders FC	8	7	0	0	0	1	Arreaga, Benezet, Chú, Jones, Nouhou, Smith, Yeimar
Sporting Kansas City	9	7	0	0	0	2	Baráth, Fontàs, Gutiérrez, Martins, Pulido, Puncec, Russell
Toronto FC	8	6	0	0	0	2	Auro Jr., Ciman, Endoh, Gallardo, Mavinga, Pozuelo
Vancouver Whitecaps FC	11	10	0	0	0	1	Adnan, Bikel, Dájome, Godoy, Hwang, Khmiri, Milinković, Owusu, Reyna, Veselinović
Total	208	155	0	1	0	54

Key

• DL – Player is on the disabled list (DL) and does not occupy international slot while on the DL
• L – Player is away on loan and does not occupy international slot while out on loan
• SEIL – Player is on the season-ending injury list (SEIL) and does not occupy international slot while on the SEIL

Active international roster slot trades

Trade date	Slot acquired by	For use through	Acquired from	Slot acquired in exchange for
June 29, 2005	Colorado Rapids	Permanent	Real Salt Lake	For Adolfo Gregorio [3]
March 17, 2009	New York Red Bulls	Permanent	Houston Dynamo	For allocation money [4]
November 24, 2010	Vancouver Whitecaps FC	December 31, 2031	Colorado Rapids	For Sanna Nyassi [5] [6]

Future international roster slot trades

Trade date	Slot acquired by	For use starting	For use through	Acquired from	Slot acquired in exchange for

References

1. "2019 MLS Roster Rules and Regulations" . Retrieved March 2, 2019.
2. "2019 MLS Rosters". MLS. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
3. "Rapids Acquire Youth International Slot from RSL – OurSports Central – Independent and Minor League Sports News". OurSports Central. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
4. "Red Bull New York Signs Goalkeeper Alec Dufty – OurSports Central – Independent and Minor League Sports News". OurSports Central. March 17, 2009. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
5. "Rapids Complete Trades with MLS Expansion Clubs – OurSports Central – Independent and Minor League Sports News". OurSports Central. November 24, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
6. "International Player Slots". Colorado Rapids. January 21, 2014. Archived from the original on February 15, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2014.