The 2026 Major League Soccer season begins this weekend, and DC United is looking up. The earners of the Wooden Spoon last season as the worst team in the league, there is nowhere to go but up. But the optimism that the team has as they prepare to open the season on Saturday against the Philadelphia Union is that they can climb out of the cellar and begin to once again be a team that can compete.

The 2026 season feels like the most pivotal in a long time. It was the first offseason for the Black-and-Red with René Weiler as head coach and Dr. Erkut Sogut as sporting director, and they used the long offseason to make a ton of personnel decisions. While there are some players back from last season, the two largely overhauled the roster, saying goodbye to 11 players and bringing in 10 via transfer and the MLS Superdraft.

Transfers In: F Tai Baribo (Philadelphia Union) – Designated Player, D Nikola Markovic (MLS Superdraft – NC State), M Richie Aman (MLS Superdraft – Washington), D Sean Nealis (Red Bull New York), GK Sean Johnson (Toronto FC), D Keisuke Kurokawa (Gamba Osaka), F Gabe Segal (Houston Dynamo), F Louis Munteanu (CFR Cluj) – Designated Player, GK Alex Bono (New England Revolution), D Silvan Hefti (Hamburger SV)

Transfers/Loans Out: GK Luis Barraza, F Christian Benteke, F Derek Dodson, F Kristian Fletcher, M Randall Leal, D Lukas MacNaughton, D Rida Zouhir, M Boris Enow, F Dominique Badji, D David Schnegg, GK Kim Joon-hong (loan)

The emphasis was on players that could help the club play in the style that Weiler wants, but like any overhaul, it’s a huge gamble. There was a focus on bringing in some top talent and filling the Designated Player slots that the team had available. The arrival of Tai Baribo as a Designated Player for a $4 million transfer fee was the second largest in club history. Sogut then broke the club transfer fee record with the $7 million fee paid to acquire Louis Munteanu, who will serve as the other Designated Player on the roster. The club has room for one more, but no further Designated Player signings have materialized.

Still, the club made a point to spend money to bring in the type of players they think can send them surging out of the MLS cellar to compete for the playoffs this year. They hope this roster of players can form the cohesive unit needed to score goals, get wins, and compete against the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

The roster to start the season:

Goalkeepers (3): Sean Johnson, Jordan Farr, Alex Bono
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
DP – Designated Player; U22 – U-22 Initiative; HGP – Homegrown Player

Academy goalkeeper Grant Leveille, who was with the club for preseason, continued to practice with the first team this week, but no roster decision has been made for him.

So, if DC United is to be successful this season, what has to happen? The easy answer for a team that finished at the bottom of the table last season is “everything,” but the Black-and-Red have certainly sought improvement in many different areas. Let’s take a look at the most important facets of what can return DC United to competing for the playoffs:

Score goals. The team last year had a horrible run where they just couldn’t generate goals. Whether it was with Troy Lesesne or René Weiler, goals were very hard to come by. The team only scored 30 goals, just one more than MLS Golden Boot winner Lionel Messi’s 29 goals. That has to change, and with it being a main focus by the club in their personnel decisions, that will be one of the immediate measuring sticks. With over $11 million in transfer fees brought in to help be the goalscorers, can Tai Baribo and Louis Munteanu combine to provide a potent attack that can strike fear among opposing defenders? Can they pair with wingers and attacking midfielders to put shots on goal and finish scoring chances? It’s the tangible improvement that Weiler hopes can be immediate.

Control the midfield. The midfield is the source of possession and the bridge between defensive stands and offensive attacks. There were some real question marks on whether the midfield would be able to provide what this team needs to compete in the Eastern Conference. There isn’t a lot of room for error, but the midfield has to step up a few levels for this team to truly be great. That means stringing passes together, being physical, and winning duels on the ground and in the air. The midfield has to be the source of power for the team, something that isn’t easily quantifiable by stats. The midfield is also the one unit that did not receive a makeover. Will continuity be the answer to success?

Limit defensive mistakes. There were many defensive lapses last year sprinkled among some good defensive performances. Communication is key, and the back line has to do what is necessary to close any gaps and get the ball out of danger. Kye Rowles, Lucas Bartlett, Conner Antley, Aaron Herrera, and Garrison Tubbs return on defense, and they’re boosted by the offseason acquisitions of Sean Nealis, Keisuke Kurokawa, Nikola Markovic, and Silvan Hefti. The combination of returning guys with fresh additions means that cohesion is going to be vital. Can the defense remain clean and mistake free? That’s a lot to ask of them. But, if they can limit those mistakes, that will go a long way towards keeping their opponents off the scoreboard and keep them in the match.

Can goalkeeping find the fountain of experienced youth? Sean Johnson is projected to be the starter, a new addition with tons of experience on both the MLS and international level. Alex Bono returns to the club and the two of them hope to be an improvement between the posts. They have to tap into the fountain of youth to keep their opponents off the scoreboard, but it’s their experience that will really be a boost to the club. They also have to be a top communicator with their defense, which they generally have been. Can Johnson, Bono, or Jordan Farr if needed be the brick wall the team needs?

Make the fans believe again. Right now, the club is at arguably its most important fork in the road in its history. The goodwill they had is all used up, and there is a negative aura around the club. The fanbase is largely entering this season without any faith that the club can turn it around, and belief is gone. DC United has to perform consistently well on the field and do the right things off the field to rebuild the foundation of trust and belief that has eroded. They also need to re-establish their connection with the community at large. This is not something that will happen overnight. Head coach René Weiler said at many points during the final third of last season that the team needed to get results on the field before they could start winning the fans back. Progress may be gradual, but the club has to look back at the end of the season and see that that foundation had been reformed and the branches of trust have begun to regenerate.

Ultimately, what does success look like? Every team has the goal of winning MLS Cup at the end of the season, but for some teams it’s less realistic to dream so lofty. DC United’s success measurement has to start with a return to the playoffs. That might feel like settling for a club with 13 trophies, but it’s been 13 years since the club lifted its last trophy and one must crawl before they can walk. Getting back to the playoffs would be a reasonable, achievable goal if the club shows substantial improvement. A result here or there can be the difference. Plus, once a team’s in the playoffs, anything can happen.

There’s also the US Open Cup, which the Black-and-Red will participate in again this season. Most fans lament how much the US Open Cup has been discarded by the domestic leagues, particularly Major League Soccer, but it’s still a competition that can be won with tough, consistent play combined with a little luck. It’s important for DC United to take the US Open Cup competition seriously, as this can be a big step on the path of progress. A cup run can bring some renewed excitement to the club. If they can get back to the quarterfinals with an eye on moving further, that can be successful.

Above all, there has to be tangible, visible progress made, on the field, off the field, in the matchday experience, and in the reallocation of resources to making this club one that this District can believe in again. That comes with results on the field, but it also comes with the swallowing of pride and the club coming to the fans egoless to show they’re ready to mend fences and repair broken trust. Brick by brick, this foundation of tradition and excellence must be rebuilt in all areas of the club, and that must continue to be the priority.

The season begins on Saturday. DC United hopes with it comes the turning of a new leaf. And it’s their job to get the wheels of momentum churning quickly…or that foundation will continue to crumble into dust.