Homegrown contracts in MLS, explained
Homegrown Player contracts in Major League Soccer (MLS) allow clubs to sign players from their own development academies directly to their senior rosters. This mechanism provides a pathway for academy talent to professional soccer within the League, and offers roster benefits to clubs.
A player qualifies as Homegrown if, at their initial signing with MLS, they meet requirements as a member of an MLS club academy in the U.S. or Canada, or similar requirements as a member of a Canadian Approved Youth Club Homegrown Player definition. These players are considered domestic players, meaning they do not occupy an international roster slot on either U.S. or Canadian club rosters domestic player status.
Roster slot implications for Homegrown Players
MLS clubs can have an active roster of up to 30 players, all of whom are eligible for game-day selection during the regular season and playoffs active roster size. Roster slots 1-20 comprise the Senior Roster and count against the club's Salary Budget, which is $6,425,000 in 2026 Senior Roster and Salary Budget.
Homegrown Players can occupy any of these slots. Additionally, clubs can designate a Homegrown Player as an "Off-Roster Homegrown Player," which has specific implications for how their salary counts against the Salary Budget, though the exact budgetary mechanism is not detailed Off-Roster Homegrown Player.
Players on the Supplemental Roster, which includes slots 21-31, do not count toward a club's Salary Budget Supplemental Roster salaries. A club may have up to 11 players on its Supplemental Roster, subject to various exceptions like Season-Ending Injury or Injured List status Supplemental Roster limits.
Generation adidas players are also considered Supplemental Roster players during the guaranteed term of their initial contract Generation adidas roster status. Generation adidas is a joint program between MLS and adidas focused on developing talented collegiate underclassmen and youth national team players, many of whom enter MLS via the SuperDraft Generation adidas program.
International roster slots for Homegrown Players
Homegrown Players do not occupy an international roster slot, regardless of whether they play for a U.S. or Canadian club domestic player status. This is a significant advantage for clubs, as international roster slots are a finite resource.
In 2026, there are 241 international roster slots distributed among the 30 MLS clubs total international slots. Clubs typically start with eight international slots, but these are tradable, meaning some clubs may have more or fewer than eight in a given season tradable international slots. Trades can be for a full season, or an international roster slot traded within the Primary Transfer Window can be agreed to return to the original club during the Secondary Transfer Window international slot trade rules.
Player acquisition and development through academies
The Homegrown Player mechanism is one of several ways MLS clubs acquire players. Others include the SuperDraft for collegiate players and international transfers during specific registration windows player acquisition mechanisms. These registration windows specify the dates when MLS can request an international transfer certificate or trade players within the League registration windows.
Major League Soccer also supports youth development through initiatives such as MLS NEXT, which provides a high-quality training curriculum and resources for youth soccer players, coaches, and families across the country MLS NEXT.
Sources: www.mlssoccer.com, www.mlssoccer.com