Nearly doubling the 2024 mark of $188 million, the league set a historic new high in transfer spending

• Heung-Min Son joined LAFC in a $26M deal
• Rodrigo De Paul signed with Inter Miami for nearly $15M
• Columbus Crew landed Wessam Abou Ali for $7.5M

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Major League Soccer had a record-breaking transfer window in 2025, with its clubs spending more than $336 million combined on player signings – by far the highest in MLS history – the league announced this week.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to the league, the surge in spending was fueled by three marquee transfers and more than $40 million exchanged through recently introduced player allocation trades. This figure nearly doubled last year’s $188 million total, and left previous records well behind: $170 million in 2021 and $163 million in 2022.

  The record window underlines the league's growing ambition to position itself as a global football destination. By investing heavily in elite international talent, MLS is signaling a new era of competitiveness and international relevance.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  The biggest splash came from LAFC, which secured the signature of South Korean star Son Heung-Min from Tottenham for roughly $26 million. World Cup winner Rodrigo De Paul followed, swapping Atlético Madrid for Inter Miami in a move worth close to $15 million.

  Columbus Crew also joined the high-spending clubs, bringing in Danish striker Wessam Abou Ali from Al Ahly for around $7.5 million.

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  WHAT MLS SAID?

  “MLS clubs set a new benchmark in 2025, spending close to $336 million on transfers, driven by three headline signings and more than $40 million in newly introduced player-cash trades,” the league confirmed in a statement.

Tags: Futebol
Category: News