Worst MLS Team’s Multi-Million Dollar Investment Leads to Massive Upset, Bit of Hope

The worst team in MLS might just have a little momentum, as Sporting Kansas City leaned on their new high-priced signing to secure a 3–1 win over Son Heung-min, Denis Bouanga and LAFC on Saturday.

Taking a page out of Inter Miami and LAFC’s playbook this summer, the club shelled out $18 million on 24-year-old Brazilian attacker André Luiz, bringing him in from Greek Super League side Olympiacos on a deal through 2030-31.

While the club has floundered at the bottom of the MLS table all year and currently sits dead last in the 30-team table, Saturday’s win brought a glimmer of hope for the future. Luiz, seen as the first true piece of what is likely a long-term rebuild, scored his first goal for the team with a deft dribble, lethal cut and perfectly-placed shot into the top corner, beating French World Cup champion Hugo Lloris between the sticks.

OH MY ANDRÉ LUIZ! 😮‍💨

His first MLS goal gives @SportingKC the lead!

📺 Apple TV: https://t.co/GmNnEFF3Ch pic.twitter.com/2yrdAskN4a
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 13, 2026

The win marked SKC’s fifth of the season and first in eight games, snapping a run that saw them secure just one of a possible 21 points. After Luiz’s 18th-minute opener, Taylor Calheira and Jacob Bartlett added two more, while Bouanga ensured LAFC didn’t leave in total embarrassment.

“That’s why we brought him,” SKC manager Raphaël Wicky post-match . “That’s why he’s here. He’s a very good player. From the first moment he trained with us, you could see his quality, his individual quality, his change of pace, his one-on-one, and obviously what he showed today here.”

Luiz’s transfer ranked as the fourth-most expensive incoming deal in MLS history, with LAFC’s 2025 deal to bring in Son topping the list at a $26.5 million fee. A few other teams have joined Kansas City in emptying their pockets this year. Atlanta United signed Breel Embolo for $18 million this summer, while Toronto FC inked Josh Sargent to a $21 million transfer right before the season. Inter Miami spent a $15 million fee on striker Germán Berterame in January.

SKC’s investment comes after owner Peter Mallouk took a majority stake in the club and promised to increase spending. Before signing Luiz, the team chased former Liverpool star Mohamed Salah and, in 2023, were the closest MLS team to signing Cristiano Ronaldo.

Sporting Kansas City’s Push for Confidence

Manager Raphaël Wicky is hoping to avoid last place. | Soobum Im/Getty Images

As much as the win brings some confidence back and serves as a beacon of hope for the club’s diehard supporters, any dreams of making something of the 2026 season are unrealistic.

Heading into next week’s clash with the Cavan Sullivan-led Philadelphia Union, SKC sit 12 points out of the Western Conference MLS Cup playoffs and are on pace for just 25 total.

While the team has finished last in the Western Conference three times, it has never finished at the bottom of the entire league table. Although the playoffs may be out of reach, managing to stay above that dreaded last spot on the table remains a viable possibility, only trailing 29th-place CF Montréal by three points.

“We don’t talk about that,” Wicky added, about the fear of finishing last. “When we come into the training facility, there are a lot of TVs around, and the standings are on every TV every day, all day, and that’s enough; we don’t need to talk. I see the standings every day, and it hurts every day, but we’re trying to take it game by game.”

After facing Philadelphia, SKC’s daunting schedule continues, with six of the remaining 10 opponents all currently sitting above the MLS Cup playoff line, including Supporters’ Shield leaders Nashville SC.

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