Ryan RosenblattJul 27, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
Ryan RosenblattJul 27, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
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It has been 18 years sinceMLSintroduced the designated player (DP) rule. Originally a workaround so it could usher David Beckham to theLA Galaxy, it quickly became a bedrock of the league’s roster rules. MLS could sign big-name stars who drove interest, invest in exciting young players whom they could later transfer to European clubs, or make room for the game-breaking player who could win the MLS Cup.
Some DPs have been sensational, altering the direction of clubs on and off the pitch, while others have been calamities.
Who have been the best and worst designated players?
Dempsey’s claim to the title of bestUnited Statesmen’s national team player ever is built, in large part, on his success in Europe, but don’t ignore what he did in MLS, especially after returning to the league with the Sounders in 2013. He scored 57 goals and helped turn Seattle from a good club into the gem of the league with a Supporters’ Shield, aU.S. Open Cupand consecutive MLS Cup appearances, winning one.
Dempsey paired with Obafemi Martins to make one of the best strike partnerships in league history as the Sounders climbed to the summit of American soccer.
Ibrahimovic got off the plane in Los Angeles and jumped straight into the inauguralEl Tráfico, coming off the bench to make his debut and score a brace — which included a 45-yard volley that is one of the best goals in league history — that brought the Galaxy back for a remarkable 4-3 victory in such gaudy fashion that only Zlatan could have done it. The rest of Ibrahimovic’s time in LA looked much the same, as the awful Galaxy couldn’t defend, pass or create much of anything, but they could get the ball to their towering striker.
Ibrahimovic was the consummate one-man team for a club that, at the time, didn’t deserve his talent, so he left after only two seasons with a sensational 52 goals in 56 matches.
You could make an argument that Donovan is the greatest player in MLS history, so why is he eighth? Because some of his best seasons came when he was not a designated player.
Donovan occupied a DP spot only from 2010 to 2014, but though he topped out at 12 goals in that stretch, he led the league in assists twice and finished second and fifth in assists in another two years. He was a remarkable player whose ability to pressure defenses created acres of space for Robbie Keane andGyasi Zardesto score as the Galaxy won three MLS Cups and a Supporters’ Shield in his five years as a designated player.
Martínez has become a bit of a journeyman in recent years, playing for his third club in as many years this season, but don’t forget what he did in his first three years for Atlanta United.
The striker scored an astonishing 88 goals from 2017 to 2019, turning the Five Stripes from an expansion team into one of MLS’ best immediately. The 2018 campaign was all Martínez, as he scored 31 goals to break the then-MLS single-season goal-scoring record. He was named MVP and then MLS Cup MVP as Atlanta reigned supreme in its second season.
His career was derailed by a torn ACL at the start of 2020, but his first three years are unlike anything in MLS.
He ranks sixth all time in goals with the best goals-per-appearance mark among players who have surpassed 100 goals.
Henry came to MLS to live in New York, where he cherished the culture and was even spotted riding the subway, but he made it clear from the start that he didn’t join the Red Bulls for a paid vacation to cap his career. The forward put up 52 goals and 40 assists in 135 matches for a club that was regarded as one of MLS’ greatest losers and directionless under Red Bull ownership prior to his arrival. His dogged competitiveness lifted the organization, and in 2013, he did what nobody has done at RBNY: He won a major trophy, as the club captured the Supporters’ Shield.
Source: Espnsoccer
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