MLS 22 Under 22 List: Top Players in the U.S.
Major League Soccer just released its 22 Under 22 List for 2023, which showcases the top players in the league under the age of 22. These are the young bucks that we’ll be seeing for many years to come!
The list was voted on by an expert panel consisting of select MLS staff and MLS Season Pass talent.
Alan Velasco, a midfielder for FC Dallas, was named the top player on this year’s list, making him the third FC Dallas player in a row to receive this honor. Jesús Ferreira and Ricardo Pepi, both FC Dallas Homegrowns, topped the list in 2022 and 2021, respectively. There must be something in that Texas water.
Out of the 22 players on this year’s list, 14 are from an MLS NEXT academy. Furthermore, four of the players featured are only 18 years old: Noel Buck, Benjamin Cremaschi, Caleb Wiley, and Owen Wolff. Inter Miami has the most players selected, with three players on the list.
Below is the full list of the 2023 MLS 22 Under 22 selections, with their age, academy, position, and team:
| RANK | PLAYER | AGE | YOUTH CLUB | POSITION | MLS TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alan Velasco | 21 | Independiente | Midfielder | FC Dallas |
| 2 | Benjamin Cremaschi | 18 | Weston FC, Inter Miami CF | Midfielder | Inter Miami CF |
| 3 | Aidan Morris | 21 | Weston FC, Columbus Crew | Midfielder | Columbus Crew |
| 4 | Noel Buck | 18 | New England Revolution | Midfielder | New England Revolution |
| 5 | Brian Gutiérrez | 20 | Chicago Fire FC | Midfielder | Chicago Fire FC |
| 6 | John Tolkin | 21 | New York Red Bulls | Defender | New York Red Bulls |
| 7 | Jack McGlynn | 20 | BW Gottschee, Philadelphia Union | Midfielder | Philadelphia Union |
| 8 | Cade Cowell | 19 | Ballistic United/San Jose Earthquakes | Forward | San Jose Earthquakes |
| 9 | Caleb Wiley | 18 | Atlanta United | Defender | Atlanta United |
| 10 | Diego Luna | 20 | Barca Residency Academy | Midfielder | Real Salt Lake |
| 11 | Facundo Farías | 21 | CA Colón | Midfielder | Inter Miami CF |
| 12 | Talles Magno | 21 | Vasco da Gama | Forward | New York City FC |
| 13 | Dylan Borrero | 21 | Santa Fe | Midfielder | New England Revolution |
| 14 | Jalen Neal | 20 | LA Galaxy | Defender | LA Galaxy |
| 15 | Juan Mosquera | 21 | Independiente Medellín | Defender | Portland Timbers |
| 16 | Pedro Vite | 21 | Independiente del Valle | Midfielder | Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
| 17 | Chris Brady | 19 | Chicago Fire FC | Goalkeeper | Chicago Fire FC |
| 18 | Owen Wolff | 18 | Austin FC, Atlanta United, Columbus Crew | Midfielder | Austin FC |
| 19 | Bernard Kamungo | 21 | N/A | Forward | FC Dallas |
| 20 | Diego Gómez | 20 | Libertad | Midfielder | Inter Miami CF |
| 21 | Daniel Edelman | 20 | PDA, New York Red Bulls | Midfielder | New York Red Bulls |
| 22 | Theodore Ku-DiPietro | 21 | D.C. United | Midfielder | D.C. United |
To read more about each player, click here.
Side note – you may see these players in the MLS for the next decade or they may go overseas to play in Europe. For example, Noel Buck had a breakout year and now has interest from teams like Arsenal and Man City. On the other hand, some players may get looks from teams in Europe but opt to stay in the MLS because it is becoming a better league.
Written By: Beau Bridges
Founder of SoccerNovo
I’m Beau 👋 a proud dad of an MLS NEXT player, former soccer coach, soccer enthusiast, and board member of our local youth sports program. I created soccernovo.com to share my knowledge of the game and help parents learn more about youth soccer in the U.S. I also authored an eBook ‘Soccer Coach Made Simple‘. Learn more about Beau.
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