2026 Roster and Transfer Discussion Thread

[ZYanksRule]

I don't think this league will ever truly break containment past the soccer niche until it becomes one of the best leagues in the world. If it turns into a top league in the world where teams have the ability to compete against the best teams in the world and win trophies against them, that's the only way the rest of the American sports fandom will start to care.

Americans care about leagues that are the best in the world -- how many people talk about minor league baseball? If MLS continues to be a minor league in regards to world football, it will never truly break containment.

 

[gbservis]

The stadium will help. It will take a Beckham or Messi like signing for them to really become relevant beyond the soccer niche .

I agree but even setting a side the clubs ability and willingness to go that route its hard to envision a player currently in their prime that in 4-8 years could come to MLS with the level of fame Messi and Beckham had upon arrival. Who are the possible front runners? Haalnd? Mbappe? Jude Bellingham? Great players but its hard to imagine any of them matching Messi's goat status or Beckham level of celebrity.

I very likely am being influenced by the old guy thing where I overvalue the generation I grew up with over the current generation but I just don't see anyone currently in the pipeline. Honestly curious who people think the next big MLS guys could be in a few years.

 

[EganSoccerWords]

This is why the stadium is so important. You'll never convert the euro snob who is ok with just watching on TV but with the best leagues a transatlantic trip and out of reach to most fans, if you want to see more than a preseason friendly, NYCFC sans baseball stadium mockery now will have the best live soccer experience in town.

 

[ZYanksRule]

This is why the stadium is so important. You'll never convert the euro snob who is ok with just watching on TV but with the best leagues a transatlantic trip and out of reach to most fans, if you want to see more than a preseason friendly, NYCFC sans baseball stadium mockery now will have the best live soccer experience in town.

The team already averages over 20,00 fans a game. The issue isn't getting those fans into the stadium, the issue is getting them to watch on TV every week.

 

[EganSoccerWords]

That is not anywhere close to the real number of fans actually walking through the gates. STH can never get face value for a majority of the tickets they attempt to sell.

 

[ZYanksRule]

That is not anywhere close to the real number of fans actually walking through the gates. STH can never get face value for a majority of the tickets they attempt to sell.

OK fair, but that's how every American sport counts attendance so it's all we have. They are getting over 20,000 paid attendance for every game -- I believe MLS has the 3rd highest average attendance in American sports behind only baseball and football. The problem is they can't convert those fans to being active TV viewers.

 

[Revfugee]

I honestly think when our stadium opens the Red Bulls are going to be

I think the stadium will help NYCFC but only a little.
I also think that if it does raise NYCFC's profile in any substantial way that will help the Red Bulls.

completely irrelevant in this market. They'll be the FC Dallas. No one even knows they play games in Dallas.

I think you are right and honestly wish you were wrong. They aren’t really even that fun to hate. The Galaxy would have the same issue in LA if, well, they had the same number of cups.

 

[Revfugee]

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I was hoping for “thank you” denoting a sale. But I’ll settle for “good luck” for now. If anyone in the history of the club is flirting with no “thank you” when he actually goes, it’s gotta be him. In the all time NYCFC survivor game, he comes in below Grabo and Jeb Brovsky.

 

[Revfugee]

This is why the stadium is so important. You'll never convert the euro snob who is ok with just watching on TV but with the best leagues a transatlantic trip and out of reach to most fans, if you want to see more than a preseason friendly, NYCFC sans baseball stadium mockery now will have the best live soccer experience in town.

I agree but even setting a side the clubs ability and willingness to go that route its hard to envision a player currently in their prime that in 4-8 years could come to MLS with the level of fame Messi and Beckham had upon arrival. Who are the possible front runners? Haalnd? Mbappe? Jude Bellingham? Great players but its hard to imagine any of them matching Messi's goat status or Beckham level of celebrity.

I very likely am being influenced by the old guy thing where I overvalue the generation I grew up with over the current generation but I just don't see anyone currently in the pipeline. Honestly curious who people think the next big MLS guys could be in a few years.

 

[mgarbowski]

I was hoping for “thank you” denoting a sale. But I’ll settle for “good luck” for now. If anyone in the history of the club is flirting with no “thank you” when he actually goes, it’s gotta be him. In the all time NYCFC survivor game, he comes in below Grabo and Jeb Brovsky.

Does anyone still think Jovan had visa issues that required him to hang out at home and miss a few weeks in early 2024 after he had already been here?

 

[ZYanksRule]

Does anyone still think Jovan had visa issues that required him to hang out at home and miss a few weeks in early 2024 after he had already been here?

No. He was homesick. It happens. He was young and I really don't begrudge him for that. Our fault for bringing in a literal teenager under those expectations.

Hopefully he figures it out at some point in his career. It doesn't really appear that his work ethic is good enough for the level he wants to attain.

 

[FootyLovin]

Who are the possible front runners? Haalnd? Mbappe? Jude Bellingham?

I was originally going to say Mbappe is the only one because of his national team resume. But Beckham never won a World Cup. Neither did Ronaldo. If they can be considered the standard, then yes, any of the three you named could be that next huge name coming here. But if you are asking who is the next Messi coming here, I don't know if any of them carry the same buzz. All of them are great, but they don't transform their whole team the way Messi does.

Maybe Yamal. If he keeps on his trajectory, I could see that.

 

[JayH]

No. He was homesick. It happens. He was young and I really don't begrudge him for that. Our fault for bringing in a literal teenager under those expectations.

Hopefully he figures it out at some point in his career. It doesn't really appear that his work ethic is good enough for the level he wants to attain.

And the plan was for his girlfriend/partner to also get a visa so that he had her here, but he got one and she didn’t and he was very upset and homesick.

 

[mgarbowski]

I asked because at the time I was very cynical about it and got some pushback on it. Subsequent events don't directly provide evidence either way but indirectly the likelihood that he had a maturity deficit and that adjustment issues were behind the visa episode might have changed perceptions.

 

[SoupInNYC]

OK fair, but that's how every American sport counts attendance so it's all we have. They are getting over 20,000 paid attendance for every game -- I believe MLS has the 3rd highest average attendance in American sports behind only baseball and football. The problem is they can't convert those fans to being active TV viewers.

I don't think that is how other American sports count attendance.

 

[LionNYC]

It's been some time since that striker was rumored as a done deal but the team hasn't announced it yet. Makes me think terms actually weren't fully agreed to or something happened in the transfer.

Todd Dunivant, find someone else soon!

 

[mgarbowski]

I don't think that is how other American sports count attendance.

Almost no US sport uses actual attendance based on bodies through the gate, and I only say "almost" out of overcaution.
MLB, NFL, NBA, MHL and CFB all use either tickets sold or tickets distributed. It's a bit hard to prove because of the number of leagues and teams, and many sources that discuss the issue are 5-20 years old. But I can't find one seeming reliable source to the contrary for any of these leagues at any time.

 

[SoupInNYC]

It's been some time since that striker was rumored as a done deal but the team hasn't announced it yet. Makes me think terms actually weren't fully agreed to or something happened in the transfer.

Todd Dunivant, find someone else soon!

It's only been 5 days since the initial report of the rumor.

Nico Fernandez Mercau went 5 days from rumor to announced signing.

This is hardly out of the ordinary.

 

[ZYanksRule]

I don't think that is how other American sports count attendance.

It's always tickets sold.

 

[ZYanksRule]

It's been some time since that striker was rumored as a done deal but the team hasn't announced it yet. Makes me think terms actually weren't fully agreed to or something happened in the transfer.

Todd Dunivant, find someone else soon!

Nah this is fine. It's a DP signing so there's a whole rollout they're planning. Photo shoot, video interview, etc. This doesn't seem at all abnormal to me.