D.C. United select Nikola Markovic No. 1 in 2026 MLS SuperDraft; second Canadian to go first overall

D.C. United selected North Carolina State center back Nikola Markovic with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, turning to the Generation adidas defender to address defensive needs after a difficult 2025 season. The 21-year-old helped lead the Wolfpack to their first NCAA national championship appearance.

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  Elite defensive credentials

  Markovic, a 6-foot-4 sophomore from Gatineau, Quebec, established himself as one of college soccer's premier defenders during his time at NC State. The left-footed center back started all 22 games for the Wolfpack during their historic 2025 campaign, anchoring a defense that posted an NCAA-best 15 shutouts while outscoring opponents 48-9. His exceptional defensive performances earned him First Team All-American honors and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award, making him a semifinalist for the prestigious MAC Hermann Trophy.

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• FC Dallas dominates early rounds with strategic selections

  The remainder of the SuperDraft's top five selections featured several notable offensive talents, with FC Dallas making the biggest splash by securing two of the top three picks through trades. The Texas club selected Georgia Southern forward Ricky Louis with the second overall pick (acquired from Atlanta United) before immediately adding Virginia striker Nicholas Simmonds with the third selection (obtained from CF Montréal).

  Rounding out the top five, Sporting Kansas City selected Clemson midfielder Kwaku Agyabeng fourth overall, while Orlando City traded up to select Wake Forest forward Harvey Sarajian with the fifth pick.

• The full first round picks in the 2026 MLS Superdraft

  1. D.C. United: Nikola Markovic, D, NC State

  2. FC Dallas (from ATL): Ricky Louis, F, Georgia Southern

  3. FC Dallas (from MTL):  Nicholas Simmonds, F, Virginia

  4. Sporting Kansas City: Kwaku Agyabeng, M, Clemson

  5. Orlando City (from LA): Harvey Sarajian, F, Wake Forest

  6. Colorado Rapids (from TOR): Mamadou Billo Diop, F, Colorado Rapids 2

  7. St. Louis CITY SC: Zack Lillington, D, UC Davis

  8. D.C. United (from NE): Richie Aman, F, Washington

  9. Orlando City (from HOU): Nolan Miller, D, Michigan

  10. Colorado Rapids: Mitchell Baker, F, Georgetown

  11. Houston Dynamo FC (from SJ): Joe Highfield, F, Portland

  12. Atlanta United (from DAL, from RBNY): Enzo Dovlo, D, UNC Greensboro

  13. Real Salt Lake: Lukas Magnason, D, Clemson

  14. Orlando City: Jaylen Yearwood, D, North Florida

  15. Portland Timbers: Justin McLean, F, NC State

  16. FC Dallas: Niklas Herceg, GK, Vermont

  17. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (from ATX): Zach Ramsey, M, Washington

  18. Chicago Fire FC: Jack Sandmeyer, M, North Carolina

  19. Sporting Kansas City (from COL, from CLB): Nikos Clarke-Tosczak, D, Portland

  20. Orlando City (from NSH): Issah Haruna, M, UNC Greensboro

  21. Red Bull New York (from DAL, from SEA): Tomas Hut, GK, Syracuse

  22. Charlotte FC: Will Cleary, D, Stanford

  23. Minnesota United FC: Jaylinn Mitchell, F, SMU

  24. LAFC: Giuliano Fravolini Whitchurch, D, Princeton

  25. Real Salt Lake (from CIN): Dylan Kropp, D, North Carolina

  26. Colorado Rapids (from PHI): Wahabu Musah, F, Clemson

  27. New York City FC: Ransford Gyan, F, Clemson

  28. San Diego FC: Martin Luala, M, Grand Canyon

  29. Vancouver Whitecaps FC: Daniel Lugo, F, High Point30. Inter Miami CF: Abdel Talabi, D, Bryant

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  Draft day trades reshape team strategies

  The 2026 MLS SuperDraft featured numerous trades that reshaped the selection order, with teams like FC Dallas, Orlando City, and Colorado Rapids aggressively moving to secure specific targets. As teams finalize their selections and begin contract negotiations with draftees, attention will soon turn to preseason preparations. For Markovic and D.C. United, the challenge will be integrating the talented defender into a squad that conceded 66 goals in 2025, the second-highest total in the league.