DC United is fully in preseason mode, and now we have a training roster. Today, the Black-and-Red announced their preseason roster of 29 players who have traveled for training in California to prepare for the 2026 Major League Soccer season.

DC United have made a flurry of moves during this offseason, from the draft to transfers. The club has brought in Tai Baribo and Louis Munteanu as Designated Players and have added new players in every position group. DC United sporting director Dr. Erkut Sogut and head coach René Weiler have sought players that they think will help them achieve their vision of how the team can perform on the field.

The 29-player preseason roster:

Goalkeepers (4): Sean Johnson, Jordan Farr, Alex Bono, Grant Leveille*
Defenders (9): Lucas Bartlett, Keisuke Kurokawa, Conner Antley, Sean Nealis, Kye Rowles, Garrison Tubbs, Aaron Herrera, Nikola Markovic, Silvan Hefti
Midfielders (11): João Peglow, Matti Peltola, Jared Stroud, Gabriel Pirani (U22), Richie Aman, Brandon Servania, Jackson Hopkins (HGP), Caden Clark, Oscar Avilez (HGP), Gavin Turner (HGP), Hosei Kijima
Forwards (5): Tai Baribo (DP), Louis Munteanu (DP), Jacob Murrell, Gabe Segal, Hakim Karamoko
*Academy player
DP – Designated Player
U22 – U-22 Initiative
HGP – Homegrown Player

The surprise addition to the roster is Grant Leveille from the DC United Academy. The 17-year-old goalkeeper has excellent promise, and received his first senior call-up for the Haitian national team for a World Cup qualifier last September against Costa Rica. He did not see the field in that match. Leveille also was called into the Haiti U21 national team in November. While he is a super long shot to make the full-time roster, getting this experience shows the confidence Sogut and Weiler have in him developing into a future starting goalkeeper.

Club owners Steve Kaplan and Jason Levien have indicated in the past that they wish to fill each of their three Designated Player spots before the season starts. So far, the team has brought in Baribo and Munteanu and Gabriel Pirani is listed as a U-22 Initiative player. With 29 players on the roster, there is still a bit of wiggle room to bring in another Designated Player before the winter transfer window closes on March 26th.

DC United will participate in the Coachella Valley Invitational beginning next weekend in Indio, California. They will open up on February 7th with a preseason match against the Portland Timbers followed by another exhibition against Minnesota United on February 11th. They will close out play in California with a closed door match against St. Louis City on February 14th. It will be René Weiler’s job to turn this mix of returning players and newcomers into a team that is ready to compete in the Eastern Conference beginning with their home opener against the Philadelphia Union on February 21st.