LAFC signs Portuguese midfielder Andre Horta as third DP

The MLS expansion team adds the 24-year-old as a designated player.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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Los Angeles Football Club has signed Portuguese midfielder Andre Horta as the MLS expansion team's third designated player. The 24-year-old Horta joins LAFC after playing for Braga in Portugal's top division.

Why it matters

LAFC is looking to build a competitive roster as an expansion team in MLS, and the addition of Horta as a designated player shows the club's ambition to bring in top international talent to compete right away.

The details

Horta, 24, has played the last three seasons for Braga in Portugal's Primeira Liga, where he made over 70 appearances and scored 10 goals. He will occupy one of LAFC's three designated player slots, which allow teams to pay players above the MLS salary cap.

  • LAFC announced the signing of Horta on February 9, 2026.

The players

Andre Horta

A 24-year-old Portuguese midfielder who has joined LAFC as a designated player after playing for Braga in Portugal's top division.

LAFC

The MLS expansion team based in Los Angeles that is building a competitive roster, including the addition of Horta as their third designated player.

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What’s next

Horta is expected to join LAFC for preseason training and be available for the start of the 2026 MLS season.

The takeaway

LAFC's signing of the young Portuguese midfielder Andre Horta as a designated player demonstrates the club's ambition to field a competitive roster in their inaugural MLS season.