مدير عام كرة القدم
Tottenham Hotspur and South Korea superstar Heung-Min Son is reportedly set to become Major League Soccer’s next blockbuster Designated Player, joining Los Angeles FC on a multi-year deal. He’ll be the latest face of the franchise, following Carlos Vela, Gareth Bale, Olivier Giroud, and current standout Denis Bouanga. Time will tell if the 33-year-old’s brilliance translates to MLS – a league where big-name signings have both flourished and flopped since the introduction of the DP rule.
Dubbed the “Beckham Rule,” the DP mechanism was originally created so the LA Galaxy could sign the إنجلترا icon. It’s since become a cornerstone of MLS roster building, allowing stars like Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba, David Villa, Ricardo Kaká, and Luis Nani to join the league.
Not all DPs have hit, but those who have? They’ve helped transform the league.
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Lionel Messi is the most historic DP signing to date, but the past five years have seen multiple success stories that elevated players, clubs, and coaches alike.
From the Argentine legend to Bouanga, former Columbus Crew ace Cucho Hernández, and the mercurial Emanuel Reynoso, BALLGM highlights the 10 most successful DP signings since 2020.
Tottenham Hotspur and South Korea superstar Heung-Min Son is reportedly set to become Major League Soccer’su0026nbsp;next blockbuster Designated Player, joining Los Angeles FC on a multi-year deal. He’ll be the latest face of the franchise, following Carlos Vela, Gareth Bale, Olivier Giroud, and current standout Denis Bouanga. Time will tell if the 33-year-old’s brilliance translates to MLS – a league where big-name signings have both flourished and flopped since the introduction of the DP rule.
Dubbed the “Beckham Rule,” the DP mechanism was originally created so the LA Galaxy could sign the England icon. It’s since become a cornerstone of MLS roster building, allowing stars like Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba, David Villa, Ricardo Kaká, and Luis Nani to join the league.
Not all DPs have hit, but those who have? They’ve helped transform the league.
Lionel Messi is the most historic DP signing to date, but the past five years have seen multiple success stories that elevated players, clubs, and coaches alike.
From the Argentine legend to Bouanga, former Columbus Crew ace Cucho Hernández, and the mercurial Emanuel Reynoso, بالجم highlights the 10 most successful DP signings since 2020.
This inclusion might raise an eyebrow as Reynoso is not a household in MLS, but his contributions on the pitch will be long remembered.
He was an enigma on the pitch for Minnesota United while at the club – a proper magician on the pitch who made something happen that made fans go “how the h*ll did he do that?!”
The Argentine was the first real star to don the Loons crest after joining the club as a DP in the fall of 2020. In his debut campaign, Reynoso bagged seven assists in 13 matches played, while the club went unbeaten in 12 of them with him on the pitch; he changed the trajectory of the Western Conference side to make them modern-day contenders.
During the 2020 MLS playoffs, he recorded six assists in two matches, making league history by doing so, while either scoring or assisting in ALL eight goals Minnesota scored during that postseason run. And in 2022, he led the club in goals scored, which led to his first All-Star nomination. Yet, there were also challenges for the winger.u0026nbsp;
In 2023, he missed five months of the season due to “personal issues” in Argentina,u0026nbsp;after failure to report to preseason training camp which resulted in a league suspension. He was cleared to play in May of that year by the league. In 2024, he left during the March international break to attend a Green Card appointment in Argentina, but never attended it. He remained in Argentina for seven weeks and did not return to play for the club. He was transferred to Tijuana in Liga MX in May, 2024.
It was a shambolic ending to a truly magical run from a talented player, who, for a glimpse, looked like a superstar in the making. A proper Streets Won’t Forget MLS footballer – for multiple reasons.
Facu Torres was nothing short of exceptional during his three-year stint with Orlando from 2022 to 2024. Across 95 regular-season games, he scored 37 goals and recorded six assists, putting the Eastern Conference side in contention each season for silverware.u0026nbsp;
In his debut campaign, he led the Lions to a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title, their first piece of silverware since their founding as a club in 2015. In the final, a 3-0 win over Sacramento Republic FC, he scored a brace, leading them to victory in the match.u0026nbsp;
In 2024, his attacking heroics earned him a new contract in Southern Florida, and he responded with a career-year of 14 goals and six assists in 32 regular-season appearances, followed by two additional goals in the playoffs that saw Orlando make the Eastern Conference finals.u0026nbsp;
At the end of the 2024 campaign, he was transferred to Brazilian powerhouse Palmeiras for a club-record fee of $14 million.
Torres left Orlando, leaving his mark on the club and the league. During his time in MLS, he became an established Uruguay international, while growing into the boots that he now proudly wears for both club and country at one of the world’s biggest clubs.u0026nbsp;
Puig faced heavy criticism for leaving Barcelona to join the Galaxy in MLS – criticism that, to be fair, wasn’t entirely unwarranted, as many fans and observers in Spain struggled to understand the move.
However, it all worked out to the benefit of the Spaniard and MLS.
Puig joined LA in 2022, and although things began slowly, his 2024 campaign was nothing short of magnificent. The Galaxy’s rebuild began with the acquisition of Puig, and over 18 months, they assembled a roster around him, which led to their first MLS Cup triumph in a decade last season. During the regular-season campaign, Puig scored 13 goals and recorded 15 assists as a central midfielder, putting forth a historic campaign from the middle of the park.u0026nbsp;
During the postseason run, Puig scored an additional four goals and recorded three more assists as he booked their spot in the final. However, in their Conference final victory over the Seattle Sounders, he suffered a torn ACL that has him sidelined for the 2025 campaign.
For a player who broke out as a teenager with Barcelona in Spain, but struggled for senior team minutes, he made a career-changing choice to come to MLS, but it’s all paid off, and he’s found a home stateside. Perhaps, he’s also opened a door for similar young players to follow in his footsteps.u0026nbsp;
Almada became a World Champion with Atlanta United, representing Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and became the first active MLS player to do so. He joined the Five Stripes in 2022 as a Young DP and earned the title of Newcomer of the Year. He followed it with being named Young Player of the Year in 2023, earning Best XI honors, being named an MLS All-Star, and finishing third in league MVP voting.
He led the league in assists in 2023 with 19, and capped it off with 11 goals across all competitions while becoming the youngest player in league history to reach double digits in both goals and assists during the regular season campaign.u0026nbsp;
After making 77 appearances for Atlanta, he earned a move to Botafogo, where he was subsequently loaned to Olympique ليون in فرنسا. He earned a transfer to Atletico Madrid this summer, and will now begin work under legendary Argentine manager Diego Simeone in Spain.
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Lucho Acosta made a name for himself in MLS with D.C. United from 2017 to 2019 but never fully blossomed into the star he is today. After the 2019 season, he left for Mexico‘s Atlas, where his career stalled, before returning to MLS in 2021 with نادي سينسيناتي لكرة القدم – where he has since become a league icon.
Across four seasons with FCC, he completely changed the trajectory of the club. They went from the face of mediocrity to the face of the elite with him at the helm of their attack.
In 2023, he was named league MVP, spearheading their Supporters’ Shield title run while guiding them to their first playoff appearances as a club. Between 2022-2024, he was named to the MLS Best XI and the MLS All-Star Game, while also being handed the award for scoring MLS’ Goal of the Year in 2023.u0026nbsp;
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Acosta was nothing short of phenomenal for FCC during his time at the club, but at the conclusion of the 2024 MLS season, he requested a trade and was subsequently dealt to FC Dallas ahead of the campaign in a $5M move.u0026nbsp;
While he hasn’t replicated his FCC form yet in Texas, overall, Acosta was a home run signing for MLS.
In addition, Acosta is in the process of gaining U.S. citizenship, as he has stated he has aspirations to represent the USMNT. In June, it was reportedu0026nbsp;he’s held talks with national team manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Outside of Messi, Evander is making the case to be the second-most talented and influential player in MLS.
When the بورتلاند تيمبرز signed him for an initial reported fee of $10 million from Danish Superliga side FC Midtjylland in 2023, there was skepticism over how good he would really be in MLS. It was a then club-record fee for the Timbers, and they were taking a huge gamble.
Although no silverware arrived with Evander during his time at the club, he developed into a bona fide star and took Portland back to the top of contention in the Western Conference. He would still be at the club if it weren’t for a falling out with the club’s hierarchy and front office personnel at the end of the 2024 season, which ultimately led to his exit, but regardless, it was a home run signing for the club.
His $13 million move to FC Cincinnati ahead of the 2025 campaign has been nothing short of excellent. He is spearheading a Supporters’ Shield run by FCC and has them second in the Eastern Conference as well. In total, across 78 regular-season appearances with both Portland and Cincinnati, he has 39 goals and 27 assists.
The only reason why he is not higher on this list is because Evander has yet to take home an individual accolade or have significant club success…yet. But his signing is a bet that has paid off for both clubs.u0026nbsp;
Named 2022 MLS MVP, Mukhtar has been a revelation for both MLS and Nashville SC since arriving in the league.
He joined the Eastern Conference side’s ranks in 2020 from Brondby, but as the campaign was disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, his first full season in the league arrived in 2021, where he established himself as an elite goalscorer. He was an MVP finalist and finished atop MLS’s charts in the final third with the most goal contributions across the regular season.u0026nbsp;
Come 2022, though, he proved he was more than just an elite attacker; he was one of the best in North America.
For the second-straight season, he led the league in goal contributions, but elevated his game to score 23 goals and record 11 assists, ending the season with a combined 34 contributions – the fifth-most in league history. It led to his first MVP award and the Golden Boot accolade in the same season.u0026nbsp;
Since arriving in MLS, he’s been a four-time All-Star selection and a three-time MLS Best XI honoree. With Nashville, he became the club’s first DP and their first real superstar. In 2025, he is still performing at a high level, and has them in the fight for an Eastern Conference title and the race for the MLS Supporters’ Shield.
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When Hernandez arrived in MLS in 2022, he changed the landscape. It was a stunning signing when the Crew paid nearly $12 million to bring him in from English Championship side Watford, amid European interest.
He made his mark immediately, scoring four goals in his first three matches, and the rest became history.
He led the Crew to a historic 2023 MLS Cup title, scoring five goals and recording two assists during their postseason run. In the final, a 2-1 victory over LAFC, he scored the opening goal and was named MLS Cup MVP as a result. It kickstarted an incredible eight-month run from the Crew, which saw Hernandez spearhead a run to the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup final, followed by a 2024 كأس الدوري victory.u0026nbsp;
In 70 regular-season matches, he scored 44 goals and recorded 15 assists while adding another six goal contributions in the postseason.u0026nbsp;
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Denis Bouanga has nearly completed Major League Soccer. Since joining LAFC in 2022, he has emerged as a bona fide star, collecting nearly every major accolade the league has to offer. The only thing missing from his resume is an MVP award.
In his first year, 2022, Bouanga helped LAFC win the MLS Cup, the Supporters’ Shield, and the Western Conference title. He followed that up in 2023 with another Western Conference crown, a run to the finals of both the CONCACAF Champions Cup and MLS Cup, and a string of individual honors – including the MLS Golden Boot, MLS All-Star recognition, CCL Golden Boot, CCL Best XI, and a finalist spot for league MVP.
He was handed the reins to the club from the legendary Carlos Vela, and he’s yet to let the Black and Gold down.u0026nbsp;
In his fourth season with LAFC now, the Gabon international has 54 goals and 18 assists in 91 regular-season appearances, with an additional eight postseason goals across 12 appearances. He’s been the most crucial member of the club since his arrival. He is undoubtedly the modern-day gold standard for a DP signing.u0026nbsp;
It had to be Messi, right?
In his first month in the league, he led Inter Miami to the inaugural Leagues Cup title and has since changed the entire landscape of MLS.The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is the most influential player to ever play in MLS and the worldwide draw that Messi has brought to the league is second to none.
Salary, demands, partnerships – whatever was asked for during negotiations, it’s all been worth it.
With Messi now in MLS, there’s a draw that the league has now in transfer negotiations with clubs and players around the world, there’s seemingly a deeper hunger among GM’s and owners in bringing elite talent to the league since his arrival, too.u0026nbsp;
There’s no doubt about it. Messi is the biggest, boldest, and best DP signing of the modern era of MLS.
