D.C. United
The money at D.C. United: what it pays its players, what it is worth and who owns it, and what it is paid. The club's games, rosters and history are at soccerstats.us.
Pay
Payroll by season
| season | players | total pay | highest paid | pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 30 | $14,546,167 | Tai Baribo | $2,349,000 |
| 2025 | 28 | $14,919,314 | Christian Benteke | $4,937,500 |
| 2024 | 28 | $16,490,439 | Christian Benteke | $4,687,500 |
| 2023 | 31 | $17,302,163 | Christian Benteke | $4,432,778 |
| 2022 | 35 | $16,282,352 | Christian Benteke | $4,182,778 |
| 2021 | 32 | $11,506,162 | Edison Flores | $1,733,000 |
| 2020 | 26 | $8,816,842 | Edison Flores | $1,733,000 |
| 2019 | 27 | $10,195,277 | Wayne Rooney | $3,507,500 |
| 2018 | 28 | $9,689,538 | Wayne Rooney | $2,776,731 |
| 2017 | 28 | $5,416,549 | Luciano Acosta | $602,000 |
| 2016 | 31 | $6,061,166 | Kennedy Igboananike | $901,667 |
| 2015 | 26 | $4,286,764 | Álvaro Saborío | $493,333 |
| 2014 | 30 | $3,960,396 | Edward Johnson | $613,333 |
| 2013 | 29 | $3,633,031 | Dwayne De Rosario | $645,333 |
| 2012 | 28 | $4,050,727 | Dwayne De Rosario | $663,191 |
| 2011 | 27 | $3,475,415 | Branko Boskovic | $525,367 |
| 2010 | 26 | $2,881,530 | Branko Boskovic | $516,200 |
| 2009 | 29 | $3,278,865 | Luciano Emílio | $758,857 |
| 2008 | 31 | $4,881,669 | Marcelo Gallardo | $1,874,006 |
| 2007 | 27 | $2,276,390 | Luciano Emílio | $293,125 |
Pay is guaranteed compensation where the source gives it and base salary where it does not. Total pay sums it across every player on record that season.
Transfers
| season | player | from | to | move | fee | up to | reported | sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Tai Baribo | Philadelphia Union | D.C. United | within MLS | $4M | $4.6M | 1 2 | |
| 2026 | Louis Munteanu | CFR Cluj | D.C. United | in | — | $10M | 1 | |
| 2025 | Matai Akinmboni | D.C. United | AFC Bournemouth | out | — | $2.5M | 1 | |
| 2025 | Ted Ku-DiPietro | D.C. United | Colorado Rapids | within MLS | — | $1.4M | 1 | |
| 2024 | David Schnegg | Sturm Graz | D.C. United | in | $2M | — | 1 | |
| 2022 | Kevin Paredes | D.C. United | VfL Wolfsburg | out | $7M | — | 1 | |
| 2017 | Paul Arriola | Club Tijuana | D.C. United | in | $3.5M | — | 1 |
Fees paid and received, as reported; nearly all are press estimates. Every transfer on record.
Value & ownership
Valuations
Click or tap a mark to see what it is.
| season | publisher | rank | value | revenue | operating income | sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Forbes | 11 | $785,000,000 | $99,000,000 | $12,000,000 | 1 2 |
| 2026 | Sportico | 12 | $750,000,000 | $73,000,000 | — | 1 2 |
| 2025 | Forbes | 8 | $785,000,000 | $90,000,000 | $10,000,000 | 1 2 |
| 2025 | Sportico | 11 | $720,000,000 | $65,000,000 | — | 1 2 |
| 2024 | Forbes | 7 | $775,000,000 | $85,000,000 | $10,000,000 | 1 2 |
| 2024 | Sportico | 9 | $720,000,000 | $69,000,000 | — | 1 2 |
| 2023 | Forbes | 5 | $700,000,000 | $70,000,000 | $8,000,000 | 1 2 |
| 2022 | Sportico | 6 | $700,000,000 | $59,000,000 | — | 1 2 |
| 2021 | Sportico | 8 | $630,000,000 | — | — | 1 2 |
| 2019 | Forbes | 9 | $330,000,000 | $41,000,000 | $1,000,000 | 1 2 |
| 2018 | Forbes | 10 | $265,000,000 | $26,000,000 | -$6,000,000 | 1 2 |
| 2017 | Forbes | 11 | $230,000,000 | $25,000,000 | -$1,000,000 | 1 2 |
| 2016 | Forbes | 13 | $155,000,000 | $23,000,000 | -$1,000,000 | 1 2 |
| 2015 | Forbes | 13 | $140,000,000 | $21,000,000 | -$1,000,000 | 1 2 |
| 2013 | Forbes | 18 | $71,000,000 | $17,700,000 | -$2,800,000 | 1 2 |
| 2008 | Forbes | 6 | $35,000,000 | $13,000,000 | -$3,000,000 | 1 |
Estimates, not sale prices. Forbes values the team alone, its revenue and operating income are for the season before the list; Sportico includes the team's real estate and related businesses. Every club's valuations.
Ownership
| operator | from | to | note | sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Soccer, LP | 1995 | 2000 | 1 2 | |
| Anschutz Entertainment Group | 2001 | 2006 | 1 2 | |
| William Chang (DC United Holdings) | 2006 | 2012 | 1 2 | |
| William Chang, Erick Thohir and Jason Levien | 2012 | 2018 | 1 | |
| Jason Levien and Steven Kaplan | 2018 | present | 1 |
| year | seller | buyer | stake | price | club valued at | note | sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Anschutz Entertainment Group | DC United Holdings | 100% | $33,000,000 | — | operating rights, then a record | 1 2 |
| 2012 | William Chang | Erick Thohir and Jason Levien | majority | — | $50,000,000 | Chang stayed on as a minority investor | 1 |
Every club's ownership, sales and expansion fees.
Revenue
Sponsorships
| sponsor | named | seasons | a year | in all | note | sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen | shirt | 2008– | $3,000,000 | — | nearly $3M a season | 1 |
| Guidehouse | shirt | 2024–2028 | $7,500,000 | $37,500,000 | five years | 1 |
| Audi | Audi Field | 2018– | $4,000,000 | — | more than ten years, about $4M a year per Sports Business Journal | 1 |
Figures are as reported, mostly press estimates; one in grey italics is worked out from the other figure and the deal's length. Seasons are the first and last the deal covers. Sources are numbered links to the reports. Every club's sponsorships.