WASHINGTON, D.C. (Nov. 26, 2025) – D.C. United today announced the club’s roster decisions ahead of the 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) season. Following the conclusion of the 2025 campaign, the Black-and-Red has exercised contract options on several players while finalizing the list of those already under contract through the upcoming season.
“Roster decisions are never easy, but they are a necessary part of building a competitive team,” said Dr. Erkut Sogut, Managing Director of Soccer Operations. “We thank the players whose options were not exercised for their contributions and wish them the best moving forward.
“Although we declined Christian Benteke’s contract option, we remain in discussions with his representatives regarding a potential return in 2026.
“We are also actively working to identify and recruit top-level talent, including Designated Players, as part of our broader roster build moving forward.”
The current D.C. United roster for 2026 includes 16 players under guaranteed contracts, with six (6) players having their contract options exercised and five (5) players whose options were declined, bringing the total roster to 22 players ahead of preseason.
The club is currently in negotiations with Christian Benteke and Homegrown forward Kristian Fletcher after declining their contract options following the 2025 season.
Luis Barraza, Christian Benteke, and Lukas MacNaughton are eligible for MLS Free Agency, which opens on Dec. 10. To be eligible, players must be at least 24 years old by the conclusion of the previous league season and have a minimum of four MLS service years. Clubs may begin engaging eligible free agents at 1:00 p.m. ET on Dec. 10.
Players Under Contract through 2026 (16)
Oscar Avilez, Dominique Badji, Lucas Bartlett, Boris Enow, Jordan Farr, Kim Joon Hong, Aaron Herrera, Hakim Karamoko, Jacob Murrell, João Peglow, Matti Peltola, Kye Rowles, David Schnegg, Brandon Servania, Jared Stroud, Gavin Turner
Contract Options Exercised for 2026 (6)
Conner Antley, Caden Clark, Jackson Hopkins, Hosei Kijima, Gabriel Pirani, Garrison Tubbs
Contract Options Declined for 2026 (5)
Christian Benteke, Derek Dodson, Kristian Fletcher, Randall Leal, Rida Zouhir
MLS Free Agents (3)
Luis Barraza, Christian Benteke, Lukas MacNaughton
The club’s updated roster currently stands at 22 players, including three Homegrown players. A full roster breakdown by position is listed below:
GOALKEEPERS (2): Jordan Farr, Kim Joon Hong
DEFENDERS (5): Lucas Bartlett, Aaron Herrera, Kye Rowles, David Schnegg, Garrison Tubbs
MIDFIELDERS (10): Oscar Avilez, Caden Clark, Boris Enow, Jackson Hopkins, Hosei Kijima, Matti Peltola, Gabriel Pirani, Brandon Servania, Jared Stroud, Gavin Turner
FORWARDS (4): Dominique Badji, Hakim Karamoko, Jacob Murrell, João Peglow
The club’s 2026 MLS Regular Season schedule was announced on November 20 and can be viewed at dcunited.com/schedule.
