Ranking the Top 75 MLS Players of 2024: 26. Kai Wagner

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Kai Wagner completed his sixth season in Philadelphia in 2024 and it feels like he's been linked elsewhere for all of them. This offseason, it was Parma, but the Italian side opted for a different left back. For now, Wagner is set to stay with the team for his seventh season as one of, if not the best fullbacks in Major League Soccer. His ability to defend the flanks and get forward is like no one else at his position. He assisted 13 goals last season, second-most of his career behind 2022's 15. However, Philadelphia had quite the disappointing season with a 12th-place finish and a playoff miss.

“I would say you need to bring everybody to a mindset that every game could be the last … it depends where the club wants to go and in the moment, I don’t know if it will be with myself," Wagner said to me in December. "A season like this can never happen and is just shocking.”

For now, the German is staying put, but perhaps one day he will make that move away from Philly. He helped defeated Saprissa in the CONCACAF Champions Cup with an assist to Julian Carranza in February. He scored his lone goal in a dramatic 2-2 draw with Atlanta United. He assisted a pair of goals against FC Cincinnati in a wild 4-3 June loss. A few weeks later, he assisted three goals in two games and beat New England 5-1. He closed the season with two assists in the final month of matches, though the Union lost all three of their closing matches to miss the postseason.

Wagner led his position in all of the important attacking fullback stats in 2024. He ranked in the 100th percentile in successful crosses per 90 with 3.13, chances created per 90 with 3.1 and accurate long balls per 90 with 4.52. Those numbers are untouchable and put him in a league of his own. He also averaged 0.29 xA per 90 and was dispossessed just 0.12 times a game. The 27-year-old won just under 60% of his total duels on the defensive end. He has remained an absolute staple for Philadelphia for many years now and plays such an important role on a game-to-game basis. It seems that he will stay put and look to improve upon a down year for his side in 2025. Wagner comes in at No. 26.

26) KAI WAGNER | DEF, PHI | PER 90 STATS (PERCENTILE)

13 ASSISTS

4.52 ACCURATE LONG BALLS PER 90 (100%)

3.13 SUCCESSFUL CROSSES PER 90 (100%)

3.1 CHANCES CREATED PER 90 (100%)