Who are the Emerging Stars of this Season’s MLS?

Major League Soccer is home to an array of soccer talent from around the world. The 2023 season has been fantastic to watch, with plenty of drama and individual talent on display. Read on as we assess the emerging starts of this seasons MLS and highlight what has made them special in this campaign.

Thiago Almada

Having finished sixth in the Eastern Conference and been eliminated at the first round stage of the playoffs, it has not been a great season for Atlanta United. However, it was a special campaign for Thiago Almada, who has emerged as one of the top talents in the MLS this season. 

The Argentine can operate as an attacking midfielder or winger and joined Atlanta United from Vélez Sarsfield in 2022. Almada played 31 times for Atlanta United in the MLS this season, scoring 11 goals and creating 19 goals for his teammates. That means Almada has 30 goal involvements for Atlanta United in 31 appearances, which is an excellent return. At the time of writing, no player has more assists in the MLS in 2023 than Almada and it is fair to say he has performed better than his fellow Argentine, Lionel Messi. 

There are many top European clubs looking at Almada right now, including Manchester United, Liverpool, and Barcelona. Such has been the quality of Almada’s performances in MLS this season, he could make a big move to Europe in January.

Facundo Torres

Facundo Torres has scored 14 goals for Orlando City in the 2023 MLS season at the time of writing and could add more to his tally in the MLS Cup playoffs. The Uruguayan joined Orlando City from Peñarol in 2022 and scored a twice in the U.S. Open Cup final to land the first ever trophy for the club. 

Torres scored 9 goals in the 2022 regular season but has emerged as a top MLS forward in 2023. The Uruguay international was on fire in the early stages of the season and scored 7 times in the first 10 MLS games of the campaign for Orlando City. Torres has not been scoring as regularly in the latter part of the season but could make the difference in the playoffs. He will not finish the season as top scorer but you could use the welcome offer from DraftKings sportsbook and back Torres to finish as top goal scorer in the MLS next season.

John Tolkin

MLS fans are always on the lookout for the next big home talent and John Tolkin has emerged as one of the brightest talents from the United States. Tolkin plays predominantly at left back for New York Red Bulls and has recently been called up to the U.S. Men’s Olympic National Team. 

Tolkin made 27 MLS appearances this season and has scored 4 goals and made 10 assists across all competitions. Tolkin has the most assists for a defender in a single season in the history of franchise soccer and has already played three teams for the United States senior team. There is clearly more to come from this exciting 21 year old and Tolkin has emerged as one of the stars of this seasons MLS.

Luciano Acosta

Luciano Acosta may be 29 years of age but he has been tremendous this season and helped lead FC Cincinnati to the 2023 Supporters’ Shield. Having previously played for D.C. United in MLS, Acosta moved to Atlas in Mexico in 2020 but returned to the United States for $250,000 in General Allocation Money from D.C. United. It has been money well spent by FC Cincinnati and Acosta not only has 17 goals in MLS this season but has also created 14 goals for his teammates.

It is an exceptional return and the Argentine has proved his worth in the MLS Cup playoffs by producing 2 assists and a goal. Acosta is in the form of his life and could be called up to the USMNT as he is reportedly nearing his United States citizenship.

Some of the other top talents to emerge in the 2023 MLS season include Josh Atencio, Esmir Bajraktarevic, Chris Brady, Benjamin Cremaschi, and Jake Davis. These are all young players who will be hoping to use this season as a springboard to something special in 2024.