MLS NEXT Pro began its mission in 2022 to complete an integrated pro pathway from Major League Soccer academies into first teams. In 2024, the league has 29 clubs, including two independent clubs. It offers hundreds of up-and-coming talents and experienced players the opportunity to develop and grow.
The league surpassed one of its major milestones in its third year, reaching over 120 first team signings. These signings include players who have completed their path from the academy to the first team, who have arrived from abroad to adjust smoothly to MLS NEXT Pro and rise to the top, or who successfully progressed from the college ranks to contend for first team minutes.
Each player who has completed this progression has a unique story, and many of these players have taken their career to incredible heights, with much more development left to make. Let's take a look at the top players among the first 100-plus to make the first team leap.
Among the top highlights of the first 100 MLS NEXT Pro players to sign first team contracts, Bernard Kamungo stands out as an incredible success story. Kamungo was born while his family lived in a refugee camp in Tanzania. He moved to Texas at 14 and later joined the FC Dallas academy.
Kamungo excelled in MLS NEXT Pro with North Texas SC, scoring 16 goals in the 2022 season. He signed a first team contract with FC Dallas in August 2022, then enjoyed a breakout 2023 MLS season in which he scored six goals and had one assist.
St Louis CITY defender Kyle Hiebert kicked his professional career off in MLS NEXT Pro, shining as a Best XI selection in 2022. He stepped into the first team making 24 starts in the 2023 season.
Another academy standout plying his trade overseas, former Philadelphia Union midfielder Paxten Aaronson, made an incredible impact in MLS NEXT Pro in 2022, with five goals and three assists in 10 appearances. Aaronson later featured in the Union first team and then moved to the German Bundesliga in a transfer to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Inter Miami CF's Benjami Cremaschi rose from the club's academy to become one of the top American prospects in MLS. The 19-year-old Argentine-American now teams up with Lionel Messi after getting his first professional experience in MLS NEXT Pro. Cremaschi made a total of 19 appearances in MLS NEXT Pro from 2022 to 2024
Jacen Russell-Rowe put his claim on the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot in 2022, scoring 21 goals and earning a shot at the first-team, which he made the most of. Russell-Rowe has scored seven MLS goals since signing his first-team deal in June 2022. Another 2022 Crew 2 standout, defender Mo Farsi, became a key member of Wilfried Nancy's MLS Cup-winning squad after impressing in the 2022 MLS NEXT Pro season and signing a first-team deal in July 2022.
The New England Revolution's starting right winger, Esmir Bajraktarevic, made huge strides in his development, splitting time between MLS NEXT Pro and first-team appearances throughout the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Simon Becher, the Vancouver Whitecaps' 16th overall pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, started his pro career by playing for Whitecaps FC 2, where he had eight goals and four assists. Becher broke into the Whitecaps first team before securing a move to Danish club AC Horsens.
Aside from the players laying claim to their positions as starters on MLS clubs after promising MLS NEXT Pro tenures, several more up-and-comers seem in line to make their own journey toward a career in MLS.
Atlanta United's Nick Firmino scored his way into first-team consideration during the 2023 season, finishing with 16 goals and six assists for ATL UTD 2. Memorably, Firmino scored in his MLS debut late to equalize in a 2-2 draw against New York City FC.
Another 2023 standout, Paul Rothrock, worked his way into Brian Schmetzer's Seattle Sounders plans during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He notched seven goals and five assists for Tacoma Defiance in 2024, and continues to split time between the Sounders and Defiance.
Inter Miami academy graduate Noah Allen, a 20-year-old fullback, made 14 first-team starts in a breakout 2023 season. He also played more than 1800 minutes in MLS NEXT Pro.
Aziel Jackson found a new home with the Columbus Crew after a trade from St Louis CITY in 2024. Jackson started 20 games for CITY's first team. He started his pro career with MNUFC2, where he impressed with 10 goals and seven assists in the 2022 season.
The 2024 season has been a banner year for MLS academies. Making waves in the sport across the world, Philadelphia Union's first team signed 14-year-old Cavan Sullivan, who promptly scored his debut MLS NEXT Pro goal less than a month after signing. Sullivan, who recently turned 15, is gaining plenty of experience in MLS NEXT Pro as he excels on the field.
Another Union signing making waves in MLS NEXT Pro, CJ Olney, signed a first team deal in August after making his Major League Soccer debut with the Union on June 22. The 17-year-old scored six goals and added eight assists during the 2024 regular season in MLS NEXT Pro.
The Vancouver Whitecaps' MLS SuperDraft pick Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau signed a first team contract after impressing in a Whitecaps FC 2 shirt. Fleuriau Chateau made two first team appearances in the 2024 MLS season.
A revelation from the 2024 season, St Louis CITY2's MyKhi Joyner, enjoyed an outstanding start to the season, and the club rewarded him with a Homegrown deal through the 2028 season. Another high-scoring top player in the league, FC Cincinnati 2's Stefan Chirila, is set to join the first-team ranks in 2025 as he signed a Homegrown contract.
MLS clubs strive to bridge the gap from academies to professional opportunities for promising young players. MLS NEXT Pro offers an innovative proving ground as players earn professional minutes to enter the radar for first team opportunities. With more than 100 first team signings complete, top players in MLS NEXT Pro strive to achieve hundreds more first team signings.
