Last update: August 10, 2018
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
- D.C. United
- Colorado Rapids
- Minnesota United FC
- FC Dallas
- Montreal Impact
- Philadelphia Union
- New England Revolution
- Real Salt Lake
- LAFC
- San Jose Earthquakes
- Sporting Kansas City
- Atlanta United FC
- Chicago Fire
- New York Red Bulls
- LA Galaxy
- New York City FC
- Houston Dynamo
- Columbus Crew SC
- Seattle Sounders
- Toronto FC
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Orlando City SC
- Portland Timbers
2018 Allocation Ranking List
Last update: December 22, 2017
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.
| Player | Current club | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Anangono, Juan | LDU Quito (ECU) | Transfer |
| Cameron, Geoff | Stoke City (ENG) | Transfer |
| Castillo, Fabian | Club Tijuana (MEX) | Transfer |
| Flores, Junior | Borussia Dortmund (GER) | Youth USMNT |
| Gonzalez, Giancarlo | Bologna (ITA) | Transfer |
| Gonzalez, Omar | Atlas (MEX) | Transfer |
| Green, Julian | Greuther Furth (GER) | Youth USMNT |
| Johannsson, Aron | Werder Bremen (GER) | Core Senior USMNT |
| Johnson, Fabian | Borussia Monchengladbach (GER) | Core Senior USMNT |
| Martins, Obafemi | Shanghai Greenland Shenhua (CHN) | Transfer |
| Miazga, Matt | FC Nantes (FRA) | Transfer |
| Najar, Andy | Anderlecht (BEL) | Transfer |
| Poku, Kwadwo | Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL) | Transfer |
| Pulisic, Christian | Borussia Dortmund (GER) | Youth USMNT |
| Ream, Tim | Fulham (ENG) | Transfer |
| Rivero, Octavio | Atlas (MEX) | Transfer |
| Rochat, Alain | Lausanne-Sport (SWI) | Transfer |
| Rubin, Rubio | Club Tijuana (MEX) | Youth USMNT |
| Sanvezzo, Camilo | Queretaro (MEX) | Transfer |
| Valencia, Jose Adolfo | Feirense (POR) | Transfer |
| Yedlin, DeAndre | Newcastle (ENG) | Transfer |
2018 Allocation Ranking Order Transactions
- December 10: FC Dallas traded the No. 11 spot in the Allocation Ranking Order along with Walker Zimmerman in exchange for the No. 1 spot in the Allocation Ranking Order, $250,000 in General Allocation Money and $250,000 in Targeted Allocation Money.
- December 22: Vancouver signed Doneil Henry with No. 17 spot.
- January 30: Orlando City SC traded the No. 6 spot in the Allocation Ranking Order along with $400,000 in Targeted Allocation Money for the No. 1 spot in the Allocation Ranking Order. Orlando signed Oriol Rosell via allocation.
- August 8: The Portland Timbers traded its No. 16 spot in the Allocation Ranking Order, $75,000 in General Allocation Money and $100,000 in Targeted Allocation Money to the LA Galaxy for the No. 1 spot in the Allocation Ranking Order. Portland then signed Jorge Villafaña via Allocation.