MLS Teams Ranked by Average Age: From the League’s Youngest to Oldest Squads

By Jim Tomlin

Jan 29th, 2026 3:41 PM EST

Sep 6, 2025; Harrison, New Jersey, USA; US Men's National Team midfielder Diego Luna (7) in action against South Korea during the second half at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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The 2026 Major League Soccer season begins Feb. 21. Last year, veterans Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Oscar Ustari and Luis Suarez – all in their mid to late 30s – led Inter Miami to its first MLS Cup title. Will the old guard hold sway again in 2026, or will a youth movement be the new way to go?

Bookies.com, your home for top sports betting promos, used rosters on ESPN’s website to rank MLS team rosters based on the average age of players entering the 2026 season.

MLS Average Age: Youngest to Oldest

We compiled these average roster ages according to ESPN rosters as of Jan. 28, 2026, as part of our soccer betting insight.

Alba and Busquets retired after last season, but Inter Miami returns 38-year-old GOAT striker Messi and two 39-year-olds, forward Suarez and goalkeeper Ustari, in their bid to repeat as champions. Yet Miami’s roster is the 12th-youngest in the league, at an average of 24.48 years.

Who Are The Youngest Teams in MLS 2026?

Real Salt Lake has the youngest average age in MLS at 22.84 years. And it’s not just a rebuilding movement because these kids – some too young to place wagers at legal sports betting apps – can play.

Leading Real Salt Lake’s youth brigade is Diego Luna, above, who has been lighting it up for the U.S. Men’s National Team as well as MLS. Luna, now 22, led RSL with nine regular-season goals in 2025, helping the club to grab the final Western Conference playoff berth (the club lost to Portland in the play-in round).

Other prominent youngsters who played a role for the team and return this season include Zavier Gozo, 18, and Ariath Piol, 21.

RSL won its only MLS Cup title in 2009. As of Jan. 29, the club has +5000 odds with Caesars Sportsbook to ride its wave of youth all the way to the championship of the 30-team league in 2026.

Orlando City SC, like Real Salt Lake, finished ninth in their conference last year before bowing out of the postseason in a one-game playoff. Defender Alex Freeman, 21, a USMNT newcomer in 2025, and Croatian midfielder Marco Pasalic, 25, are among the young players looking to contribute for Orlando again this season. Orlando (average age 23.21 years) has reached the Eastern Conference final once. At bet365 Sportsbook, the club has +2500 odds to capture its first MLS Cup championship, matching state rival Inter Miami.

The Philadelphia Union is tied for second on our list of youngest MLS teams at 23.21 years on average. Philadelphia native Cavan Sullivan became the youngest MLS player ever when he debuted in 2024 at 14 years, 293 days. The midfielder, now 16, is still the youngest player on the Union’s roster after appearing in 11 MLS games last season. GK Andrew Rick and D Frankie Westfield also played key roles as teens last season; they are now both 20. Philly’s odds to reach the MLS Cup final are +750 with FanDuel Sportsbook entering the season.

Who Are The Oldest Teams in MLS 2026?

On the other end of the scale, the Houston Dynamo has the oldest roster in MLS entering the 2026 season, at 27.04 years.

The big news for Houston, which missed the playoffs last season, is that the Dynamo re-acquired 35-year-old midfielder Hector Herrera, a three-time World Cup player for Mexico. Herrera played for Houston from 2022-24 before returning to his native Mexico for two seasons at Toluca. He also has been part of league champion squads in Europe with Porto and Atletico Madrid.

At DraftKings Sportsbook, Houston has +1800 odds to top the Western Conference in the regular season.

Other veterans over 30 that the Dynamo picked up in the offseason include Agustín Bouzat, 31, from Argentina’s Velez Sarsfield; Brazilian Guilherme, 30, from Santos; and Franco Negri, 30, from MLS rival San Diego FC. Returning starters from last year include goalkeeper Jonathan Bond, 32

The second-oldest team is Charlotte FC, which retains 38-year-old USMNT defender Tim Ream for his third season in the Queen City. Charlotte (average age 26.29 years) also has veteran midfielder Ashley Westwood, 35, and forward Wilfried Zaha, 33, returning for a team that finished fourth in the East last season. Charlotte has +3300 odds at BetRivers Sportsbook to lift the 2026 MLS Cup.

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