MLS Allocation Process

Last update: January 4, 2021

The Allocation Process is the mechanism used to determine which MLS Club has first priority to acquire a player listed on the Allocation Ranking List (see below). The list will consist of (i) select U.S. Men’s National Team players, (ii) elite youth U.S. National Team players, or (iii) former MLS players returning to MLS after joining a non-MLS club for a transfer fee greater than $500,000. Generally, the Allocation Ranking List will be updated once a year on the day after the conclusion of the MLS regular season. The Allocation Ranking List will only be edited during the year if a player is transferred out of the league or if a top youth national team player is added to the list.

The Allocation Ranking Order is set by taking the reverse order of the club’s standings at the end of each MLS Season, taking playoff performance into account, with the new expansion clubs at the top of the order.

Once the club uses its allocation ranking to acquire a player, it drops to the bottom of the list. A ranking can be traded, provided that part of the compensation received in return is the other club’s ranking. At all times, each club is assigned one ranking. The rankings reset at the end of each MLS League season.

Allocation Ranking Order

1. Austin FC
2. LAFC
3. Houston Dynamo
4. D.C. United
5. Atlanta United
6. Chicago Fire FC
7. Real Salt Lake
8. LA Galaxy
9. Vancouver Whitecaps
10. Inter Miami CF
11. CF Montréal
12. San Jose Earthquakes
13. New York Red Bulls
14. FC Cincinnati
15. Colorado Rapids
16. Portland Timbers
17. New York City FC
18. Toronto FC
19. Philadelphia Union
20. Nashville SC
21. FC Dallas
22. Orlando City SC
23. Sporting Kansas City
24. New England Revolution
25. Minnesota United
26. Seattle Sounders FC
27. Columbus Crew SC

2021 Allocation Ranking List

Last update: January 7, 2021

The Allocation Ranking List is comprised of players in the following categories:

• Select U.S. Men’s National Team players.
• Select elite U.S. Youth National Team players.
• Players transferred outside of MLS garnering a transfer fee of at least $500,000 (USD).

The players who will be included on the Allocation Ranking List will be determined by Major League Soccer’s player personnel department and club technical staffs and will be updated once each year, during the time window between the end of the MLS regular season and MLS Cup. The Allocation Ranking List will only be updated during the season if an elite U.S. youth national team player turns 18 or graduates from the U.S. Soccer Residency Program in Bradenton, FL and is deemed eligible for the list. In addition, the Allocation Ranking List will be updated when a player is transferred out of MLS for more than $500,000.

2021 Allocation Ranking Order Transactions

• Jan. 8, 2019: LAFC acquired the No. 2 spot in the Allocation Ranking Order in a 2019 trade with FC Cincinnati