Our 2023 FC Dallas player recaps continue with veteran defender Sebastien Ibeagha.
The 31-year old joined FC Dallas before the 2023 season via the MLS free agency route. Ibeagha previously was with the 2022 MLS Cup Champions LAFC. He doubled down on himself as a free agent, and FC Dallas snatched him up to help add to their defense.
Stat breakdown

Ibeagha appeared in a career-high 31 games with FC Dallas in 2023, starting 26 of those. He also started in each of the three playoff games against Seattle alongside Nkosi Tafari as that duo became the primary center back pairing down the stretch for Nico Estevez.
The guy was a monster in the back at times this season for FC Dallas. He can get in front of attackers and clear out anything they put in front of him. He was averaging about six clearances a game this season, which is why he was in the 95th percentile, according to Fbref.com.
Highlight
You could almost make a mixtape of the amount of clearances and blocks from Ibeagha on the season but we’ll go with the lone goal that he provided early on against the Vancouver Whitecaps. I love a defender assisting on another defender’s goal.
What can we expect from him in 2024?
The big question may be, “Will his age catch up to him in 2024?” We’ve seen a lot of center backs go north of 30 years old in the past, and their level of play decreases over time. I think he has a bit more athletic ability than most in his position, which should help.
A lot will come down to whether or not the club continues to keep three starting CBs on the roster again with him, Tafari and Jose Martinez. That rotation worked well when the club needed it early this season, but it will be expensive between him and Martinez (combined, they’ll cost the club over $1m).

Final thoughts
He had a bit of a rough start with the team that took a minute to get over. Think back to those bad giveaways against Minnesota in the season opener, and you had to immediately question why the club brought him in the first place. But time heals all things, and his level of play got better as things went along. It especially improved once he and Tafari developed the partnership in the back that helped guide the defense to a strong finish in 2023.
Ibeagha seemed comfortable in Dallas, too. At times, in the locker rooms after games, he was easy to chat with off the record along with Tafari. I’m all for having those types of players on the roster if they are able to contribute at the level that Ibeagha can.
Comments