MLS Designated Players (DPs) receive more accolades, and more scrutiny, than most every other MLS player. And that makes sense, since the DPs are presumably the best players on their team, are paid the most, and attract the most fans to the games.
Some of the DPs are instantly recognizable. Players like David Villa, Wayne Rooney, and Bastian Schweinsteiger were established stars well before they came to MLS. Others, like Miguel Almiron and Ajejandro Romero — Kaku — have become stars while in MLS. Still others, players like Jonathan Mensah and Santiago Mosquera, remain relatively unknown outside their home team’s city.