# MLS International Roster Slots

MLS International Roster Slots are an important piece of roster composition in Major League Soccer. MLS employs a variety of mechanisms to promote parity and domestic player development which include player entry drafts, expansion drafts, allocation drafts, weighted lotteries, and a limit on the number of international roster slots available for each team. The limit on the number of international roster slots makes each slot a valuable commodity for teams to utilize through player signings or trades with other teams.
The MLS roster rules for 2019 state:
* A total of 192 international roster slots are divided among the 24 teams. In 2008, each MLS team was given the right to have eight international players on its roster and each subsequent expansion teams were given the right to have eight international roster slots for its inaugural season. These roster slots are tradable, in full season increments, such that some teams may have more than eight and some teams may have fewer than eight. There is no limit on the number of international roster slots on each team's roster.
* For teams based in the United States, a domestic player is either:
** a U.S. citizen;
** a permanent resident (green card holder); or
** the holder of other special status (e.g., has been granted refugee or asylum status); or
** a player who qualifies under the Homegrown International Rule.
* For teams based in Canada, a domestic player is either:
** a Canadian citizen; or
** the holder of certain other special status (e.g., has been granted refugee or asylum status); or
** a player who qualifies under the Homegrown International Rule; or
** a U.S. Domestic Player.
* MLS teams based in Canada are required to have a minimum of three Canadian Domestic Players on their rosters.
* Homegrown International Rule: regardless of nationality, any player who meets the requirements to qualify as a Homegrown Player as a member of an MLS team academy, either in the U.S. or Canada, or has met similar requirements as a member of a Canadian Approved Youth Club, will count as a domestic player on both U.S. and Canadian team rosters provided that:
** the player became a member of an MLS team academy, either in the U.S. or Canada, or a Canadian Approved Youth Club in the year prior to the year in which he turns 16; and
** the player signs his first professional contract with MLS or an MLS team's USL affiliate.
Source:

## Current international roster slots by team

    As of January 31, 2020
| Team | Total slots | Inter­national Players | DL | L | SEIL | Open slots | International players under contract |
| Atlanta United FC | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Adams, Barco, Escobar, Gressel, Martínez, Pereira, Remedi, Wild |
| Chicago Fire | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Collier, Edwards, Frankowski, Marcelo, Medrán, Nikolić |
| FC Cincinnati | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Bertone, Cruz, Deplagne, Ledesma, Tytoń, Lundt, Ndam |
| Colorado Rapids | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | Blomberg, Mezquida, Nicholson, Price, Rwatubyaye, Shinyashiki, Wilson |
| Columbus Crew | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | Robinho, Santos, Valenzuela |
| D.C. United | 7 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | Asad, Bolivar (on loan with Loudoun United), Flores, Kamara, Reyna, Robertha, Smith (on loan with Loudoun United), Ábila |
| FC Dallas | 9 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Acosta, Aránguiz, Bressan, Mosquera, Ondrášek, Twumasi, Ziegler, Atuahene |
| Houston Dynamo | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Elis, Fuenmayor, Lundqvist, Peña, Struna, Vera |
| Inter Miami CF | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| LA Galaxy | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Alessandrini, dos Santos, Feltscher, González, Skjelvik, Traore |
| Los Angeles FC | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Cifuentes, Diomande, El Monir, Ginella, Palacios, Rodríguez, Segura, Silva, Vermeer |
| Minnesota United FC | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Amarilla, Billingsley, Chacon, Greguš, Lod, Ranjitsingh; R. Ibarra$^L$ |
| CF Montreal | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | Camacho, Diallo, Novillo, Okwonkwo, Raitala, Taïder |
| Nashville SC | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| New England Revolution | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | Nacho Gil, Dylan Borrero, Tomas Chancalay, Aljaž Ivačič, Giacomo Vrioni |
| New York City FC | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | Castellanos, Héber, Mitriță, Moralez |
| New York Red Bulls | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | Cásseres Jr., Gamarra, Jørgensen, Royer, Rzatkowski, Valot |
| Orlando City SC | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Aiás, Alvarado, Carlos, Gallese, Nani, Pereyra, Ruan, Schlegel, Urso |
| Philadelphia Union | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Burke, Elliott, Mbaizo, Monteiro, Przybyłko, Santos, Wagner |
| Portland Timbers | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | Conechny, Loría, Mabiala, Moreira, Paredes, Polo, Tuiloma, Ivacic, Zambrano |
| Real Salt Lake | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Johnson, Kreilach, Luiz, Onuoha, Ruíz |
| San Jose Earthquakes | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Eriksson, Espinoza, Judson, Kashia, López, Vega |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Arreaga, Benezet, Chú, Jones, Nouhou, Smith, Yeimar |
| Sporting Kansas City | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Baráth, Fontàs, Gutiérrez, Martins, Pulido, Puncec, Russell |
| Toronto FC | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Auro Jr., Ciman, Endoh, Gallardo, Mavinga, Pozuelo |
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 11 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Adnan, Bikel, Dájome, Godoy, Hwang, Khmiri, Milinković, Owusu, Reyna, Veselinović |
| Total | 208 | 155 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 54 | |
Key
* DL – Player is on the disabled list (DL) and does not occupy international slot while on the DL
* L – Player is away on loan and does not occupy international slot while out on loan
* SEIL – Player is on the season-ending injury list (SEIL) and does not occupy international slot while on the SEIL

## Active international roster slot trades

| Trade date | Slot acquired by | For use through | Acquired from | Slot acquired in exchange for |
| June 29, 2005 | Colorado Rapids | Permanent | Real Salt Lake | For Adolfo Gregorio |
| March 17, 2009 | New York Red Bulls | Permanent | Houston Dynamo | For allocation money |
| November 24, 2010 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | December 31, 2031 | Colorado Rapids | For Sanna Nyassi |

## Future international roster slot trades

| Trade date | Slot acquired by | For use starting | For use through | Acquired from | Slot acquired in exchange for |