Midfielders with the Best Potential in USL Championship 2026

The highest-potential midfielders in USL Championship in 2026, ranked on Field Insider.

Best goalkeepers in USL Championship Best defenders in USL Championship Best attackers in USL Championship Most in-form midfielders in USL Championship Top-scoring midfielders in USL Championship Most valuable midfielders in USL Championship

At a glance

N. Scardina of Rhode Island is the standout for raw talent across midfielders in USL Championship, with a Field Insider Rating of 39.7, and Abdellatif Aboukoura has been the form player this season, grading 33.1.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: S. Djeffal has improved his Season rating most, up +17.4 on last season. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, J. Torres of Charleston Battery is the most valuable name in this group at 7.9.

Abdellatif Aboukoura33.1SsN

Loudoun United

Rising potential

M. Palomino-1.4RTG

Orange County SC · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

S. Djeffal+17.4SsN

Lexington · 23/24→25/26

Top scorer

Abdellatif Aboukoura11goals

50 players · ranked by best potentialCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	N. Scardina Central midfielder	Rhode Island	25	8	4014.7%
2	J. Torres Attacking midfielder	Charleston Battery	25	31	36
3	H. Avayevu Attacking midfielder	Phoenix Rising	23	25	35
4	Abdellatif Aboukoura Attacking midfielder	Loudoun United	21	33	35
5	H. Landry Defensive midfielder	Charleston Battery	25	27	34
6	B. Willey Central midfielder	Sacramento Republic	19	13	34
7	N. Benalcazar Central midfielder	Orange County SC	25	227133.3%	332.7%
8	C. Hegardt Attacking midfielder	Orange County SC	24	12	3215.7%
9	C. Dunbar Attacking midfielder	Orange County SC	23	10	3210.2%
10	B. Diallo Defensive midfielder	FC Tulsa	23	17	32
11	Nick Firmino Central midfielder	Lexington	25	214000%	326.5%
12	A. Sanchez Central midfielder	Rhode Island	24	14	32
13	J. Hernández Attacking midfielder	San Antonio	25	242937.5%	3232.3%
14	M. Vargas Central midfielder	New Mexico United	25	17	328.4%
15	F. Daroma Central midfielder	El Paso Locomotive	25	21	32
16	T. Davila Attacking midfielder	Louisville City	26	21	32
17	Evan Davila Central midfielder	Louisville City	24	4	30
18	B. Mines Attacking midfielder	Las Vegas Lights	26	1169.2%	3028.9%
19	P. Barnes Central midfielder	Pittsburgh Riverhounds	25	10	30
20	A. Rocha Central midfielder	Colorado Springs	25	7	30
21	K. Hernández-Foster Central midfielder	Birmingham Legion	24	11100%	2924.4%
22	J. Cedeño Central midfielder	Detroit City	26	16	29
23	A. Rebollar Defensive midfielder	Monterey Bay	26	22	29
24	C. Holstad Central midfielder	Rhode Island	26	19	29
25	O. Sylla Attacking midfielder	Orange County SC	25	8	29
26	W. Prentice Attacking midfielder	Oakland Roots	26	18	29
27	V. Noël Central midfielder	New Mexico United	27	16	29
28	J. Walti Defensive midfielder	Pittsburgh Riverhounds	26	11	29
29	Z. Bailey Central midfielder	New Mexico United	26	11791.7%	2920.9%
30	N. Okello Central midfielder	Phoenix Rising	26	18420%	2817.2%
31	M. Ngalina Central midfielder	Hartford Athletic	26	9	2814.1%
32	A. Rodríguez Attacking midfielder	Charleston Battery	27	18	28
33	A. Fontana Central midfielder	Colorado Springs	26	132580%	2846.9%
34	D. Gomez Central midfielder	Oakland Roots	26	11	28
35	Pedro Dolabella Attacking midfielder	North Carolina	27	20	27
36	E. Perez Attacking midfielder	Louisville City	27	15150%	2727.6%
37	A. McFadden Central midfielder	Louisville City	27	19235.1%	2725.5%
38	G. Colli Central midfielder	FC Tulsa	26	11	27
39	S. Djeffal Defensive midfielder	Lexington	27	19915.8%	2723.6%
40	A. Shapiro-Thompson Defensive midfielder	Rhode Island	26	6	26
41	B. Makangila Central midfielder	Hartford Athletic	26	6	26
42	C. Allan Defensive midfielder	Charleston Battery	27	11	26
43	A. Stanley Central midfielder	Indy Eleven	26	5683.3%	2629.2%
44	T. McCabe Central midfielder	Oakland Roots	28	8	25
45	C. Vázquez Central midfielder	Miami FC	27	14	25
46	K. ElMedkhar Attacking midfielder	FC Tulsa	27	113566.7%	2528%
47	Y. Hanya Central midfielder	Colorado Springs	27	12	2524.1%
48	D. Hernandez Central midfielder	San Antonio	27	13	25
49	M. Palomino Central midfielder	Orange County SC	25	136.5%	255.3%
50	D. Griffin Central midfielder	Pittsburgh Riverhounds	28	22	24