MLS expansion draft
Former Charlotte defender Hamady Diop (32) heads the ball during an MLS match against Atlanta United FC on May 13th, 2023 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

San Diego FC made five selections and completed two trades in the 2024 MLS Expansion Draft ahead of their 2025 debut.

SDFC picked Orlando City midfielder Heine Gikling Bruseth, Charlotte FC defender Hamady Diop and Colorado Rapids fullback/midfielder Jasper Löffelsend.

Additionally, the club selected two more players, but quickly flipped them in trades for future considerations.

“We are thrilled to add three more exciting players to our squad as we continue to build our inaugural season roster,” said Sporting Director Tyler Heaps. “We believe that the players we selected all fit into our identity and style of play. We are also confident that the trades we made will provide the necessary resources for us to make additional moves within the league in the coming days.”

The team hosted an event to celebrate the draft at Eighteen Threads, San Diego FC’s official retail shop in Mission Valley Mall. 

Here’s a look at the players SDFC held onto:

  • Bruseth – a 5’10’’ native of Norway, he came to Orlando City from Norwegian side Kristiansund BK in August. The Norwegian youth international, 20, joined the Lions via transfer as a U22 Initiative player, signing a contract through the 2026 season with club options for both 2027 and 2028.
  • Diop – the 6’0’’ native of Senegal, 22, was the No. 1 overall pick by Charlotte FC in MLS SuperDraft 2023, Hamady Signed out of Clemson University, he was a member of the 2021 NCAA College Cup winning squad and anchored a Tigers backline that pitched nine shutouts across his 20 starts. He is currently on loan with Serbian side FK Čukarički through Jan. 15. 
  • Löffelsend – the 5’11’’ native of Germany, 27, will enter his fourth MLS season after appearing in 69 MLS matches with 36 starts for Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids. In 2024, he appeared in 18 matches for the Rapids while helping the squad advance to the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs as the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed.

In the other transactions, after picking up St. Louis CITY SC midfielder Hosei Kijima, SDFC sent him to D.C. United in exchange for $400,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money.

New York City FC forward Thiago Andrade went to Toronto FC in exchange for the club’s natural first-round pick in MLS SuperDraft 2025 and up to $250,000 in conditional GAM if certain performance metrics are met.

San Diego also retains a percentage of a future transfer fee if Andrade is sold out of MLS by Toronto.

San Diego FC, the latest Major League Soccer expansion team, is scheduled to begin play at Snapdragon Stadium in 2025.