After making one blockbuster trade this winter, FC Dallas is set to make another before the start of the regular season next weekend. On Wednesday, FC Dallas finalized a deal to acquire Designated Player Luciano Acosta from FC Cincinnati for $5 million (plus up to $1m in performance based incentives) in a cash transfer.

Acosta joins FC Dallas as a Designated Player, he is a U.S. permanent resident and will be immediately added to the 2025 roster.

The move is the largest cash-for-player trade in league history. Cincinnati also retain a sell-on percentage of Acosta if he is transferred within MLS in a future cash-for-player trade.

“This is a landmark signing for FC Dallas and a statement of our commitment to building a championship-caliber team,” FC Dallas President Dan Hunt said. “Bringing in a player of Lucho’s caliber—an MVP and proven leader—demonstrates our ambition and desire to compete at the highest level. We are thrilled to welcome him to the FC Dallas family and cannot wait to see him inspire our fans and teammates alike.”

Acosta departs FC Cincinnati as the club’s all-time leader in goals (54) and assists (72). He also donned the captain’s armband 133 times, nearly 100 more times than any other player since the club joined MLS in 2019.

With FCC, Acosta twice led all MLS players with 19 assists (2022 and 2024). His best season came in 2023, when he was named the Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player after leading MLS with 31 goal contributions (17 goals, 14 assists).

In total, Acosta accounted for 29 games of multiple goal contributions and 11 game-winning goals with FC Cincinnati, both club highs. He also holds the club record for consecutive games with a goal contribution (9: April 6 – May 25, 2024).

Acosta was named to the MLS Best XI three times with FC Cincinnati (2022-24) and to the MLS All-Star Team (2022-24). He was named captain of the MLS All-Star Team in each of the past two seasons.

BDS Thoughts

As much as I was hoping for Evander in all of these cash transfer deals in MLS, Acosta was very much a 1B type of player to go for with Evander as the 1A.

To get Acosta for roughly $5 million (plus add-ons), feels like a bit of a steal for FC Dallas. Not only has he been on fire for the last two seasons, he instantly elevates what Petar Musa can do in the attack.

Yeah, Acosta is something that FC Dallas probably hasn't had in the midfield since the days of Mauro Diaz. The creative abilities that he possesses are a big reason why Cincinnati won the Supporters' Shield in 2023. I'd be willing to bet he could have even gone back-to-back in the MVP race had some guy named Lionel Messi not appeared in Miami.

The one downside of a guy like Acosta is how he worked his way out of Cincinnati. He finished last season's playoff run with an early exit to eventual Eastern Conference champions New York saying that his time had likely come to an end with the Queen City club. Then came the start of preseason camp for FCC and Acosta didn't show up until the team had already departed for Florida. He then threw FCC GM Chris Albright under the bus for how he handled things in the offseason.

Saying all of that, Acosta is a passionate player that is a massive difference maker. FCC went from Wooden Spoon winners (or losers depending on how you treat coming in last place) to Shield winners under Acosta. FC Dallas has a real shot to be a playoff contender now with Acosta, provided that the defense comes together.