There have been some amazing foreign imports in the 25-year history of MLS, but who ranks in the top five Brazilian players of all time?
In total, over 100 Brazilian footballers have made the move to Major League Soccer with varying results. Several have won MLS Cup, with two of those making our list, but only one Brazilian has taken home the MVP award.
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But who makes our list of the top five Brazilians to play in the league? Find out below.
5. Paulo Nagamura
Coming in at number five is the man who did it for the longest, Paulo Nagamura. Having come through the youth system at Sao Paulo, he signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy ahead of the 2005 MLS campaign.
He enjoyed immediate success, who slotted into the heart of the side’s midfield. In his first season in the league, Nagamura was part of the Galaxy side that won the double, taking home the MLS Cup and the U.S. Open Cup. After two years in Los Angeles and a short stint with Toronto FC, he moved to Chivas USA, where he became a key part of their midfield.
Over two stints, sandwiching a spell with Tigres UANL in Mexico’s Liga MX, the Brazilian played more than 120 times across all competitions, before making the move to Sporting Kansas City ahead of the 2012 campaign, where more silverware would follow.
Nagamura was a part of the Sporting side that won the U.S. Open Cup in his first season, with the club going on to win the same trophy three years later. Sporting KC also won the MLS Cup in 2013 with Nagamura playing a consistent role. He ended his MLS career with over 250 regular-season appearances to his name.