Luciano Acosta Shocks MLS with Stunning Brazil Transfer as American Chapter Closes
Luciano Acosta, regarded as one of Major League Soccer's all-time greats, is reportedly preparing to depart the league for Brazil's premier competition with little ceremony.
The 2023 MLS Most Valuable Player has been strongly connected to Brazilian club Fluminense in a transfer that would end his brief stint with FC Dallas.
Despite the 31-year-old's impressive resume featuring four MLS Best XI selections and five MLS Player of the Month awards, his integration in Dallas has been unsuccessful. In contrast to his productive periods with FC Cincinnati and D.C. United, he has failed to maintain his standard, and the tactical partnerships under manager Eric Quill have not met anticipated levels.
His difficulties came after a controversial departure from Cincinnati, where he arrived late to preseason training before orchestrating a $6 million move to Dallas just days before the season began. The transfer enabled Cincinnati to acquire Evander from Portland Timbers, who has contributed 15 goals and seven assists while helping the team reach second place in the Eastern Conference.
In contrast, Acosta has become less prominent in MLS while playing for an underachieving FC Dallas squad, recording five goals and one assist across 18 appearances - a significant decline from his outstanding 2024 season with 15 goals and 19 assists, and below his career statistics of 77 goals and 20 assists in 272 MLS games.
Despite his reduced output, Tom Bogert indicates that Dallas will collect $4 million plus performance bonuses from Fluminense, with personal agreements already finalized as the Brazilian club seeks to replace Jhon Arias, who transferred to Wolverhampton Wanderers during the summer.
This move would conclude a turbulent and brief period for Acosta in Dallas, including his controversial comments upon returning to Cincinnati, where he implied supporters should show appreciation rather than expressing disapproval toward their former standout.
"The reality is I understand exactly what I accomplished here," Acosta stated at that time. "I know what I contributed to this organization and honestly, people should show gratitude... I believe we delivered a Supporters Shield, I provided an MVP season and a Goal of the Year. I think they should appreciate that, but I maintain pride in what I achieved for the club."
The experienced midfielder now appears ready to conclude his MLS journey and join Fluminense for the remainder of their Brasileirão campaign, where they currently occupy ninth position after 16 matches.
FC Dallas will move forward without him, hoping to rise from 12th in the Western Conference and close the five-point deficit to the final MLS Cup Playoff position with 10 games remaining.