The MLS SuperDraft is an annual college draft for teams of Major League Soccer in the United States and Canada in which MLS clubs take turns selecting from a pool of eligible amateur players. These drafted players usually come from university teams competing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It takes place in December or January and is used by teams to select players who have graduated from college or otherwise been signed by the league. The SuperDraft was first instituted in 2000, as a combination of the MLS College Draft, in which players having graduated from college were selected, and the MLS Supplemental Draft, in which all other players were chosen. The draft is divided into three rounds in which each club has a selection, the order of which is determined by a combination of the teams' playoff and regular season positions, with the last placed team (or expansion teams) getting the first pick.
History From 1996 to 1999, all American players graduating college were entered into the MLS College Draft, and were eligible to be selected by all Major League Soccer teams. Players who had already graduated from college were entered into a separate MLS Supplemental Draft. The division between the two was eliminated in 2000, when they were combined into a single MLS SuperDraft. Originally created to ensure strict parity in the league, the draft was designed to allow weaker clubs to develop their rosters. The first SuperDraft was held in 2000, and since then has become the primary draft of the league. Recently, the draft has been considered to be secondary to youth academies.
The importance of the SuperDraft waned in the 2010s as MLS teams established their own youth academy systems and acquired young players from other leagues. The 2020 MLS SuperDraft was conducted exclusively by conference calls and online streaming for the first time.
Eligible players Only players from the American college sports system (e.g., the NCAA and the NAIA) are eligible to be drafted. Canadian U Sports men's soccer players are not included, despite numerous proposals and discussions in 2010 and 2012 when U Sports was Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS). In previous SuperDrafts, a few players were drafted directly from clubs outside the U.S. or Canada. While the NFL and NBA rely heavily on the annual event for an infusion of workers, MLS is now 10 years into allowing teams to groom talent in their youth academies and maintain exclusive rights to those players, even if they do end up playing NCAA soccer. They are called homegrown players.
Rules of draft selection
The draft process for the SuperDraft closely resembles the NFL draft. Below is the process for the 2023 MLS SuperDraft:
Any expansion club automatically gets the first pick; should there be two expansion teams, a coin toss determines who picks first in the SuperDraft and who picks first in the expansion draft. Teams that did not make the playoffs are ordered by their regular-season record. Teams that made the MLS Cup playoffs are then ordered by which round of the playoffs they are eliminated. The winners of the MLS Cup are given the last selection, and the losers the penultimate selection. Remaining ties are broken by the goal differential, goals scored, goals conceded, and then the flip of a coin.
Status Draft picks Expansion clubs 1 Non-playoff clubs 2–17 Eliminated in knockout round 18–21 Eliminated in conference semifinals 22–25 Eliminated in conference championships 26–27 MLS Cup finalist 28 MLS Cup winner 29
List of MLS College Drafts Year Date City 1996March 4, 1996330Fort Lauderdale, FL Matt McKeonKansas City Wiz1997February 1, 1997330Fort Lauderdale, FL Tahj JakinsColorado Rapids1998January 31, 1998336Fort Lauderdale, FL Leo CullenMiami Fusion1999February 6, 1999336Fort Lauderdale, FL Jason MooreD.C. United
List of MLS SuperDrafts Year Date City 2000February 6, 2000672Fort Lauderdale, FL Steve ShakMetroStars2001February 5, 2001672Davie, FL Chris CarrieriSan Jose Earthquakes2002February 10, 2002670Lake Buena Vista, FL Chris GbandiDallas Burn2003January 17, 2003660Kansas City, MO Alecko EskandarianD.C. United2004January 16, 2004660Charlotte, NC Freddy AduD.C. United2005January 14, 2005448Baltimore, MD Nikolas BesagnoReal Salt Lake2006January 20, 2006448Philadelphia, PA Marvell WynneMetroStars2007January 12, 2007452Indianapolis, IN Maurice EduToronto FC2008January 18, 2008456Baltimore, MD Chance MyersKansas City Wizards2009January 15, 2009460St. Louis, MO Steve ZakuaniSeattle Sounders FC2010January 14, 2010464Philadelphia, PA Danny MwangaPhiladelphia Union2011January 13, 2011354Baltimore, MD Omar SalgadoVancouver Whitecaps FC2012January 12, 2012238Kansas City, MO Andrew WengerMontreal Impact2013January 17, 2013238Indianapolis, IN Andrew FarrellNew England Revolution2014January 16, 2014477Philadelphia, PA Andre BlakePhiladelphia Union2015January 15, 2015484Philadelphia, PA Cyle LarinOrlando City SC2016January 14, 2016475Baltimore, MD Jack HarrisonChicago Fire2017January 13, 2017481Los Angeles, CA Abu DanladiMinnesota United FC2018January 19, 2018481Philadelphia, PA João MoutinhoLos Angeles FC2019January 11, 2019475Chicago, IL Frankie AmayaFC Cincinnati2020January 9, 2020477 via teleconference Robbie RobinsonInter Miami CF2021January 21, 2021375 via teleconference Dani PereiraAustin FC2022January 11, 2022379 via teleconference Ben BenderCharlotte FC2023December 21, 2022383 via teleconference Hamady DiopCharlotte FC2024December 19, 2023387 via teleconference Tyrese SpicerToronto FC2025December 20, 2024390 via teleconference Manu DuahSan Diego FC2026December 18, 2025390 via teleconference Nikola MarkovicD.C. United
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