MLSsoccer.com is shaking up its annual ranking of the top young players in Major League Soccer.
After releasing eight editions of the popular 24 Under 24 series from 2010-2017, MLS is going younger in 2018 with a transition to 22 Under 22, as voted on by an expert panel.
The new age adjustment will see MLSsoccer.com rank the top 22 players in MLS under the age of 22 as of the end of the 2018 regular season. This means that every player in the rankings will be 21 or younger on Oct. 28, when the MLS campaign concludes with the always-dramatic Decision Day.
The list of 22 Under 22 will be revealed next Wednesday, Oct. 3 (Nos. 11-22) and Thursday, Oct. 4 (Nos. 10-1). The top 10 reveal on Thursday will unfold on a special edition of ExtraTime Live, driven by Continental at 1 p.m. CT.
The 22 Under 22 rankings will reflect votes submitted by a panel of the following 19 individuals:
- Four anonymous technical staffers
- Ten members of the MLS Digital team (Matt Doyle, Sam Stejskal, Bobby Warshaw and Andrew Wiebe among others)
- Five soccer media members across North America, including Marcelo Balboa (Univision), Doug McIntyre (Yahoo Sports), Alexi Lalas (FOX Sports), Paul Tenorio (The Athletic) and Will Parchman (The Athletic)
All MLS players under the age of 22 before Oct. 28 are eligible for consideration. Sporting Kansas City Homegrown products Gianluca Busio (16), Jaylin Lindsey (18) and Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal (20) are in the running for selection.
The eight previous editions of the 24 Under 24 rankings saw the following players emerge at No. 1:
2017: Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United)
2016:Cyle Larin (Orlando City)
2015:Fabian Castillo (FC Dallas)
2014:DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders)
2013:Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers)
2012:Darren Mattocks (Vancouver Whitecaps)
2011:Brek Shea (FC Dallas)
2010:Fredy Montero (Seattle Sounders)
Fans can click here to participate in the 22 Under 22 fan vote. Fan votes will not count towards the official rankings that will be released next Wednesday and Thursday, but after the ExtraTime Live show reveals the top 10 on Thursday, MLS staff will release the fan vote to compare and contrast between the two lists.
