MLS International Roster Slots

MLS International Roster Slots are an important piece of roster composition in Major League Soccer. MLS employs a variety of mechanisms to promote parity and domestic player development which include player entry drafts, expansion drafts, allocation drafts, weighted lotteries, and a limit on the number of international roster slots available for each club. The limit on the number of international roster slots makes each slot a valuable commodity for clubs to utilize through player signings or trades with other clubs.

The MLS roster rules for 2016 state:

Source:

+ For chart purposes, U.S.-born players with Canadian clubs are not considered foreign-born.
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