MLS
Atlanta United’s Thiago Almada wins MLS Young Player of the Year with landslide victory
The young Argentine won MLS Young Player of the Year award with a landslide victory following his consistently strong performances during the 2023 season.
Thiago Almada has been named MLS Young Player of the Year for the 2023 season, with the Atlanta United midfielder impressing all season long as his side finished 6th in the Eastern Conference regular season.
He becomes the second player from the team to win an award for the season after Georgios Giakoumakis beat Lionel Messi to the Newcomer of the Year.
The 22-year-old Argentine played 30 games for the side in 2023, scoring 11 goals and getting 19 assists in his second season in MLS. After his debut campaign in MLS, Almada won the Newcomer of the Year award as he got 6 goals and 12 assists following a $16 million transfer from Velez Sarsfield.
Almada gets landslide victory in voting results
Thiago Almada won the vote which was spread between current players, club technical staff and various members of the media, with the Argentine receiving over half of the total number of votes.
| Player (team) | Player vote | Club vote | Media vote | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thiago Almada (Atlanta United) | 52.17% | 53.85% | 73.99% | 60% |
| Duncan McGuire (Orlando City) | 8.07% | 15.38% | 8.67% | 10.71% |
| Aidan Morris (Columbus Crew) | 5.59% | 12.82% | 2.31% | 6.91% |
MLS:
Who is eligible for the MLS Young Player of the Year award?
The Young Player of the Year award is given to the top player in MLS aged 22 and under. Players born on, or before, January 1, 2001 were eligible for selection for the prize that was eventually given to the man from Buenos Aires.
Previous Young Player of the Year winners
Almada joins a select group of youngsters to win the award including Jesús Ferreira, Ricardo Pepi and Diego Rossi, all of whom won the award since its inception in 2020. Prior to 2020, the award was known as the ‘Rookie of the Year’ and given to a player with no prior professional experience; the rules were altered at the start of the current decade with Andre Bava Shinyashiki, then a player for the Colorado Rapids, being the last player to win.
MLS Young Player of the Year winners:
- 2023: Thiago Almada – Atlanta United
- 2022: Jesús Ferreira – FC Dallas
- 2021: Ricardo Pepi – FC Dallas
- 2020: Diego Rossi – Los Angeles Football Club
Atlanta United lost 0-2 to Columbus Crew in Round 1 of the MLS playoffs, with Almada missing out due to suspension. He will also be unavailable for the second game against Columbus Crew which is set to take place at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Wendesday 8 NOvember.