21-year-old MLS All-Star caps off historic 2022 season & becomes second consecutive award winner from FC Dallas
NEW YORK (Tuesday, October 18, 2022) – Major League Soccer today announced FC Dallas forward Jesús Ferreira as the 2022 MLS Young Player of the Year, after the 21-year-old produced one of the best goal-scoring seasons in MLS history by a player younger than 22 years old. Ferreira is the second consecutive Dallas player to win the award after Ricardo Pepi earned the honor in 2021.
A product of the prolific FC Dallas academy, Ferreira tied the club record for goals in a season with 18, which is jointly held by Kenny Cooper (18 in 2008) and Jason Kreis (18 in 1999). Ferreira’s 18 goals this season were the third most by a player prior to turning 22 years old, behind only Stern John (26 in 1998) and Mamadou Diallo (22 in 2000). Of his 18 goals, none came from the penalty spot, which was tied for the most non-penalty kick goals in MLS this season.
His five multi-goal games in 2022 were tied for the second most in the league, which included his first career hat trick against the Portland Timbers on March 19. Ferreira scored all three goals in the span of 10 minutes, becoming the first player in club history and the 10th in MLS history to accomplish the feat. In September, Ferreira also garnered the No. 1 ranking in the 2022 MLS 22 Under 22 presented by BODYARMOR.
Ferreira reached several historic milestones in 2022, becoming the second player in MLS history to record at least 30 goals and 20 assists in his career before turning 22, joining Diego Fagúndez (34 goals, 24 assists). His 36 goals are already tied with Blas Pérez for the third most in FC Dallas history.
The son of 2010 MLS Most Valuable Player David Ferreira, Jesús Ferreira became the first Homegrown player in FC Dallas history to sign as a Designated Player prior to the 2022 season. He originally joined the FC Dallas academy at eight years old and was the youngest debutant in club history at 16 years and 161 days old when he made his MLS debut for the club on June 3, 2017.
In addition to his success in MLS, the 21-year-old also starred for the U.S. Men’s National Team in 2022. Ferreira scored four goals in a CONCACAF Nations League match against Grenada on June 11, becoming the fifth player in USMNT history to score four goals in a match. He also added a goal in the USMNT’s crucial 5-1 victory over Panama in World Cup Qualifying on March 28. His five goals in 2022 are the most by a USMNT player.
The Young Player of the Year award honors the top player in the league age 22 and under. Players born on, or before, Jan. 1, 2000, were eligible for selection.
The Young Player of the Year award was voted on by MLS club technical staff, media, and current MLS players. Below is a breakdown of the voting results, with Ferreira edging out Atlanta United FC’s Thiago Almada and FC Cincinnati’s Brenner.
PLAYER |
MEDIA |
CLUB |
TOTAL |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jesús Ferreira (DAL) |
15.30% |
58.50% |
23.40% |
32.40% |
Thiago Almada (ATL) |
19.00% |
7.30% |
25.50% |
17.27% |
Brenner (CIN) |
5.80% |
8.10% |
10.60% |
8.17% |
A full list of previous MLS Young Player of the Year/Rookie of the Year award winners can be found below:
About Major League Soccer
Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer – celebrating its 27th season in 2022 – features 29 clubs throughout the United States and Canada, including 2022 expansion team Charlotte FC and St. Louis City SC, which debuts in 2023. For more information about MLS, visit www.MLSsoccer.com.
