Most Famous and Surprising MLS Transfers of All Time

It’s easy to put Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo, or another European superstar above Steven Gerrard on this list, but what made this transfer so monumental was how it was the former England captain’s first move away from his boyhood club, Liverpool.

Gerrard was constantly linked to moves away from Liverpool, as the club he supported and stood by through thick and thin continued to fail in its pursuit of the Premier League title.

In the end, he spent 17 years at senior level with Liverpool before shocking the soccer world with his move to LA Galaxy.

David Beckham (Real Madrid to LA Galaxy, 2007)

The transfer that started it all: Without David Beckham agreeing to sign for LA Galaxy from European giants Real Madrid, we no doubt wouldn’t have had most of the names on this list move to the U.S.

You can barely travel to a corner of the world without somebody knowing about this famous Englishman, who is easily one of the most famous athletes of all time. 

Not only was this transfer the most important and famous in MLS history, but it is the only notable signing this century in which we’ve seen one man single-handedly change the entire landscape of a sport in a country.

Carlos Valderrama (Atlético Junior to Tampa Bay Mutiny, 1995)

Although Beckham was the most notable foreign import to MLS in the first 15 years, he was not the first.

Carlos Valderrama was well-known on the soccer scene for his days with the Colombia national team and spells in European soccer, and it seemed as if he could have chosen to sign for a top European team.

The Colombian instead chose to move to the U.S. and first joined the Tampa Bay Mutiny in 1995. Subsequently, it became the first major name to sign for an MLS team just three years into the competition’s existence. 

Thierry Henry (Barcelona to New York Red Bulls, 2010)

As arguably the best Premier League player of all time, Thierry Henry made his transfer to New York Red Bulls with a World Cup, European Championship, two Premier League titles, two La Liga titles, and a Champions League in the bag.

Henry stunned Europe when he decided to move to the U.S. Although he was falling out of favor at Barcelona, he no doubt still had the capabilities to ply his trade across one of Europe’s top five leagues.

The Frenchman still managed to win the Supporters' Shield in 2013 and was included in the MLS Best XI in 2011, 2012, and 2014.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United to LA Galaxy, 2017)

Only a handful of players in Europe have won more trophies than Zlatan Ibrahimovic. 

In fact, he played for eight different clubs in Europe before moving to the U.S. and only failed to win a major trophy with Malmo during this time.

Ibrahimovic is regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time and is one of the only players to ever score a goal in the past four decades.

His enigmatic and controversial personality made this transfer incredibly famous.

Wayne Rooney (Everton to D.C. United, 2020)

The current head coach of D.C. United, Wayne Rooney, first signed for it as a designated player back in 2020 and as England and Manchester United’s all-time leading goalscorer.

If you know soccer, you know his name, and Rooney is, without a doubt, the most famous player to play in MLS after his compatriot, David Beckham.

Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli to Toronto, 2022)

Although Sebastian Giovinco was the first superstar Italian to join MLS in 2015, the magnitude and wealth behind Lorenzo Insigne’s transfer to Toronto has to be on this list.

Insigne spent 16 years with his hometown team, Napoli, and went on to play 434 times for it, alongside 54 caps for Italy.

What makes this transfer so memorable is his reported annual salary of $15 million, which makes him the highest-paid player in MLS history.

Kaka (AC Milan to Orlando City, 2015)

The legendary figure of Kaka stunned MLS fans with his transfer to Orlando City to become the first major signing in the franchise’s history.

Kaka was famously the only player to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or from 2007 to 2018 who wasn't named Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. Alongside his World Cup medal, Champions League title, and incredible highlight reel, he remains one of the most famous signings in MLS history.