The MLS Most Valuable XI
- Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi is the MLS’s most valuable player, with a market value of $31.8 Million
- Atlanta’s Thiago Almada ranks second, with a market value of $28.6 Million
- LA Galaxy’s Riqui Puig, FC Cincinnati’s Miles Robinson, and Columbus Crew’s Cucho Hernández also make the XI
A new study has revealed the MLS most valuable XI, with soccer legend Lionel Messi leading the way as the league’s most valuable player at $31.8 Million.
The study, conducted by sports streaming experts Live Sports on TV, collected data on player values within the Major Soccer League; the players with the highest value in each position determined the most valuable XI.
Goalkeeper: Patrick Schulte | Value: $3.1 Million
Team: Columbus Crew
Patrick Schulte is one of US soccer’s rising stars. Drafted by Columbus in 2022, Schulte quickly stepped up in 2023, leading Colombus Crew to an MLS Cup victory and earning a call-up to the U.S. Men’s National Team.
Right Back: Alex Roldán | Value: $3.7 Million
Team: Seattle Sounders
The El Salvador captain has become a peripheral figure for Seattle Sounders since joining, and has impressed so far this season through a string of impressive performances – most notably during the Sounders 5-0 win over CF Montreal where he managed to score, as well as keep a clean sheet.
Center Back: Miles Robinson | Value: $5.3 Million
Team: FC Cincinatti
Over the years, Miles Robinson has proven himself to be one of the most reliable centre-backs in the MLS. The USMNT star won numerous accolades during his time at Atlanta, including the MLS in 2018 and the US Open Cup in 2019.
Robinson signed for Cincinatti as a free agent in January 2024 following an Achilles injury, and now looks to re-establish himself as one of the best centre-backs the US has to offer.
Center Back: Tomas Avilés | Value: $5.3 Million
Team: Inter Miami
Signed from Racing Club in 2023, Avilés is a young Argentinian defender that is quickly making a name for himself in world soccer. A player with undeniable talent and potential, the young centre-back has now cemented himself as a regular starter in Inter Miami’s team, playing 645 minutes already this season.
Left Back: Caleb Wiley | Value: $5.3 Million
Team: Atlanta United
Named in American Soccer Now’s ‘Top 20 Young Americans to Watch’ during the 2023 Major League Soccer season, Caleb Wiley is one of the United States’ most promising young soccer players.
Wiley has established himself as a regular starter in Atlanta’s team over the last year and has put in a number of impressive performances this season as he looks to continue his exciting development.
Center Midfield: Riqui Puig | Value: $12.7 Million
Team: LA Galaxy
A product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, Riqui Puig was signed by LA Galaxy back in 2022 after struggling to break into the Barcelona senior team.
The technically gifted midfielder certainly didn’t take long to settle into the MLS and has since become a key player for LA Galaxy, showcasing a series of outstanding performances this season which will ensure that his value continues to keep rising.
Center Attacking Midfield: Hany Mukhtar | Value: $12.7 Million
Team: Nashville SC
Mukhtar’s exceptional skills and relentless drive have become a predominant feature of Nashville’s play, earning him multiple accolades during his time in the US, including the MLS MVP award and winning the Golden Boot after an incredible season in 2022.
Mukhtar also boasts the fastest hat trick in MLS history, netting three goals in just six minutes during a 2021 match against Chicago Fire FC.
Center Attacking Midfield: Thiago Almada | Value: $28.6 Million
Team: Atlanta United
Thiago Almada became the first active MLS player to ever win the World Cup when he helped lift the trophy in 2022 with Argentina. Almada’s talent is unquestionable, being recognized as the league’s most promising young talent in 2023, and will undoubtedly be garnering huge interest from some of world soccer’s biggest sides.
Right Winger: Lionel Messi | Value: $31.8 Million
Team: Inter Miami
Winner of eight Ballon-D’Or’s, three UEFA Champions Leagues, and one World Cup, Messi continues to etch his name into the Soccer history books, producing numerous eye-watering performances for Inter Miami and further establishing himself as one of the best players to ever grace the game.
Left Winger: Denis Bouanga | Value: $10.6 Million
Team: LA FC
Denis Bouanga has been a consistent performer throughout his career, but he enjoyed his most prolific season in 2023, scoring 38 goals in 48 appearances across all competitions, quickly gaining a reputation as one of the most fearsome attacking threats in the MLS.
Bouanga’s electrifying speed, agility, and technical ability have solidified him as a fan favourite at LA FC.
Center Forward: Cucho Hernández | Value: $13.8 Million
Team: Columbus Crew
Signing for a club record fee of $10 Million from Watford in 2022, Cucho Hernandez joined Colombus Crew with many people expecting great things from the Colombian international.
Cucho scored nine goals in 16 appearances during his first season in the MLS and continued this prolific form into the 2023 season where he scored 24 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions. Still only 24 years old, it is likely that the best is still to come for Cucho.
MLS Most Valuable XI – Total Value: $127.6 Million 
A spokesperson for Live Sports on TV commented on the findings:
“The MLS Most Valuable XI is certainly fascinating. While the high market value of Messi at Inter Miami is undeniable, it’s refreshing to see talent spread across so many clubs.”
“However, this wasn’t always the case. Ten years ago, designated players were often concentrated in a handful of teams like LA Galaxy. Now, the financial muscle is more evenly distributed, which fosters a more competitive environment and attracts a wider range of young talent.”
Insights Courtesy livesportsontv.com
Methodology
1.Identified the most valuable players in the MLS based on their value from transfermarkt.de
2. Sorted the players by position
3. Ranked the top 5 players in each position based on value. For any ties, their FOTmob average match rating for 2024 was used to determine the winner
5. Identified who would make the XI based on the popular 4-3-3 formation (GK, 2 CBs, RB, LB, 3 CMs, RW, LW & ST)
6. Converted Euro values to USD using current exchange rate
All stats, values, ratings, and exchange rates correct as of 04/16/24
Goalkeeper
| Rank | Player | Transfermarkt.de Value (Euros) | FOTMOB Rating |
| 1 | Patrick Schulte | 3m | 6.69 |
| 2 | Maxime Crepeau | 3m | 6.32 |
| 3 | Roman Burki | 2.5m | 6.66 |
| 4 | Chris Brady | 2.5m | 6.52 |
| 5 | Zach Steffen | 2.5m | 6.56 |
Right Back
| Rank | Player | Transfermarkt.de Value (Euros) | FOTMOB Rating |
| 1 | Alex Roldan | 3.5m | 7.24 |
| 2 | Brandon Bye | 3.5m | 7.22 |
| 3 | Brooks Lennon | 2m | 7.68 |
| 4 | Aaron Herrera | 2m | 7.83 |
| 5 | DeAndre Yedlin | 2m | 7.08 |
Left Back
| Rank | Player | Transfermarkt.de Value (Euros) | FOTMOB Rating |
| 1 | Caleb Wiley | 5m | 7.25 |
| 2 | Kai Wagner | 5m | 7.19 |
| 3 | Omar Campos | 5m | 6.96 |
| 4 | Nouhou | 4.5m | 7.13 |
| 5 | Dejuan Jones | 4.5m | 6.7 |
Center Back
| Rank | Player | Transfermarkt.de Value (Euros) | FOTMOB Rating |
| 1 | Miles Robinson | 5m | 7.26 |
| 2 | Tomas Aviles | 5m | 6.73 |
| 3 | Jakob Glesnes | 4m | 7.12 |
| 4 | Jack Elliot | 3.5m | 7 |
| 5 | Yeimar Gomez | 3.5m | 6.94 |
Center Midfield (CDM,CM,CAM)
| Rank | Player | Transfermarkt.de Value (Euros) | FOTMOB Rating |
| 1 | Thiago Almada | 27m | 7.76 |
| 2 | Hany Mukhtar | 12m | 7 |
| 3 | Riqui Puig | 12m | 7.87 |
| 4 | Sebastian Driussi | 10m | 7.04 |
| 5 | Federico Redondo | 9m | 7.76 |
Right Winger
| Rank | Player | Transfermarkt.de Value (Euros) | FOTMOB Rating |
| 1 | Lionel Messi | 30m | 8.6 |
| 2 | Facundo Torres | 14m | 6.75 |
| 3 | Joseph Paintsil | 9.5m | 7.96 |
| 4 | Gabriel Pec | 8m | 6.89 |
| 5 | Liel Abada | 7m | 6.34 |
Left Winger
| Rank | Player | Transfermarkt.de Value (Euros) | FOTMOB Rating |
| 1 | Denis Bouanga | 10m | 7.43 |
| 2 | Talles Magno | 10m | n/a |
| 3 | Diego Rossi | 7m | 6.84 |
| 4 | Alan Velasco | 7m | n/a |
| 5 | Lorenzo Insigne | 6m | 7.36 |
Center Forward
| Rank | Player | Transfermarkt.de Value (Euros) | FOTMOB Rating |
| 1 | Cucho Hernandez | 13m | 7.36 |
| 2 | Hugo Cuypers | 11m | 6.9 |
| 3 | Jesus Ferreira | 9m | 7.08 |
| 4 | Petar Musa | 8m | 7.02 |
| 5 | Aaron Boupendza | 6.5m | 6.7 |
Sources
Fotmob.com
Transfermarkt.de