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MLS: Top 5 Brazilian players in league history

By Matt Coles

ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 08: Kaka #10 of Orlando City SC celebrates after he scores the first goal in team history during an MLS soccer match between the New York City FC and the Orlando City SC at the Orlando Citrus Bowl on March 8, 2015 in Orlando, Florida. This was the first game for both teams and the final score was 1-1.(Photo by Alex Menendez/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 08: Kaka #10 of Orlando City SC celebrates after he scores the first goal in team history during an MLS soccer match between the New York City FC and the Orlando City SC at the Orlando Citrus Bowl on March 8, 2015 in Orlando, Florida. This was the first game for both teams and the final score was 1-1.(Photo by Alex Menendez/Getty Images) /
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CARSON, CA – JULY 17: Juninho #19 of Los Angeles Galaxy takes a shot during Los Angeles Galaxy’s MLS match against San Jose Earthquakes at the StubHub Center on July 17, 2015 in Carson, California. The LA Galaxy won the match 5-2 (Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images)
CARSON, CA – JULY 17: Juninho #19 of Los Angeles Galaxy takes a shot during Los Angeles Galaxy’s MLS match against San Jose Earthquakes at the StubHub Center on July 17, 2015 in Carson, California. The LA Galaxy won the match 5-2 (Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images) /

2. Juninho

Falling just short of the top spot on our list of the best ever Brazilian players to have featured in MLS is Juninho. After spending the 2009 season on loan with Toledo, Juninho made the move to MLS a year later on what would eventually be a three-year loan deal with the LA Galaxy. He won the Supporters’ Shield in his first two seasons on the West Coast. The second of those was followed by an MLS Cup triumph, which he then repeated in 20212.

His stay in Los Angeles became permanent ahead of the 2013 term following a three-year loan spell, and he went on to play for the club for another three seasons. Juninho was a part of the Galaxy side that won the MLS Cup in 2014, both his and the club’s third league title in four seasons, before receiving the individual accolade of being nominated to the MLS All-Star Game a year later.

He moved to Tijuana in 2016 but returned to MLS a year later on a loan deal with Chicago Fire, where he played 21 regular-season matches, scoring once. The Brazilian briefly returned to the LA Galaxy for his third stint in the league after his three-year spell with Tijuana came to a conclusion. He left Los Angeles following the 2019 season, having featured in over 200 regular-season matches across his MLS career, with three MLS Cups and an All-Star bow to his name.

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