The 2026 season roster profile for NYCFC is extremely illuminating | OneFootball

Last week, Major League Soccer released the club roster profiles for every team, including New York City FC. It gives an idea of who is on each roster, the players that are off-roster, and who is taking senior and supplemental roster spots. Additionally, it reveals the international players, those out on loan, those unavailable, the Designated Players, and the U22 Initiative Players.

Moreover, the rosters reveal the teams and their roster designations. Teams can have either three DPs and three U22s or two DPs and four U22s. The teams that choose to go with the latter option will also receive $2 million in General Allocation Money for the season. That was the roster designation that NYCFC went with last year, but in 2026, the team is changing things up.

NYCFC's roster profile reveals all

This year, the Bronx club is going with the three DPs and three U22 roster designation. Talles Magno, Thiago Martins, and Nicolás Fernández Mercau are the DPs and are all on the roster at this time. In fact, neither can be bought down, which is a revelation regarding Martins.

Earlier this year, NYCFC was supposed to sign Moussa Sylla, but the deal fell apart. Reports said that he was going to be signed as a DP, and that Martins no longer held that designation. However, all three DPs on the roster profile are labeled as ones that cannot be bought down to a non-DP contract. As such, those initial reports were wrong, for the center-back remains one for this season. It is a shame that is the case, for as good as Martins has been over the last few seasons, the argument that he should not be a DP continues.

While there is no wiggle room with the DPs, there is when it comes to the U22 players. Two of the three are on loan: Julián Fernández and Jovan Mijatović. Since they are on loan, roster-wise, NYCFC could sign two U22 players. Agustín Ojeda is the only available U22 player, and it would be smart for the Boys in Blue to bring in at least one other player with that designation.

The two players out on loan are likely not to return to the Bronx and Queens team, especially Mijatović. But in case the team has no choice but to end one of the loans, leaving a spot open would be a smart business move. Perhaps NYCFC could use one of the open spots to sign a striker to replace the injured Alonso Martínez.

Meanwhile, NYCFC has four Homegrown players who are not on the roster and will mostly play with NYCFC II. Jacob Arroyave, Peter Molinari, and Zidane Yáñez are off-rostered players. Then, one of the newer Homegrown signings, Kamran Acito, is considered Supplemental Player 31, which is similar to those off the roster, but based on age and a few other items. Nevertheless, the four players can only be called up on short-term loans to play in MLS.

So, NYCFC's roster is set at this time. Of course, until the transfer window closes, changes can be made. Whether there are changes until the secondary transfer window in the summer is yet to be seen.