The MLS has produced some good players in recent years who have gone on to play in Europe, but one talent they failed to pick up on is now expected to join Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Just this week, Championship club Middlesbrough have signed USMNT midfielder Sebastian Berhalter from Vancouver Whitecaps.
He has joined former MLS talents Aidan Morris and Adilson Malanda in swapping America for England as they aim to secure promotion to the Premier League.
All three are good players and could have bright careers ahead of them outside of the MLS, but none really come close to Yan Diomande, who began playing football in America but never got a chance to feature in their main division.
Yan Diomande played soccer in USA but never joined MLS
Diomande, who is currently on the books of German side RB Leipzig, actually began playing high school soccer in Florida at Yulee High School after moving from the Ivory Coast.
He is now expected to join Real Madrid in a deal worth around €100 million, yet he was never picked up by the MLS.
Diomande’s journey has now been explained ahead of his move to Spain by one account on X:
“In 2023, he was still playing high school soccer in Florida at Yulee High School and DME Academy after moving from Ivory Coast.
“That same year, playing for AS Frenzi, he won the UPSL national championship and even earned a $1,000 check as the playoff’s top scorer.
“In November 2024, he signed with Leganés B. Just four months later, he made his La Liga debut for Leganés against Real Madrid.
“After impressing in just 10 La Liga appearances, RB Leipzig signed him in a deal worth around $23 million.
“At the 2026 World Cup, he became the youngest player ever to represent Ivory Coast at the tournament and helped the nation reach the knockout stage for the first time.
“Now, just three years after playing high school soccer in Florida, he’s set to join Real Madrid in a deal worth more than €100 million.”
Had the Ivorian ended up being scouted by the MLS, he could have improved one team a great deal and probably netted them a sizeable transfer sum once he eventually moved to Europe.
But MLS fans who have seen the winger in action, perhaps at the 2026 World Cup, will wonder how the league ended up missing out on such a top player.
