Major League Soccer announced that 2026 transfer activity set new records for both spending and revenue. Clubs spent $370 million on player acquisitions, a $34 million increase from the previous year's record of $336 million. This total more than doubled the $172 million spent in 2023.

Eight clubs set their own transfer records, with St. Louis City doing so twice. Toronto FC acquired American striker Josh Sargent for a reported $22 million, one of the league's largest fees. The year also saw 30 players with World Cup experience join MLS, including 20 from the 2026 World Cup squads.

There were 186 international signings from 51 countries, with over 30 coming from top five European leagues. On the revenue side, MLS generated a record $218 million from transfers, led by Australian Lucas Herrington's $17 million move to Hull City and American Zavier Gozo's $15 million transfer to Crystal Palace. Fifteen MLS-developed players earned multimillion-dollar transfers totaling over $65 million.

The league also highlighted its 'cash-for-player' trade rule, which facilitates intra-league deals without using General Allocation Money or draft picks.