%20%20--%3E%0A%3Csvg%20version%3D%221.1%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20xmlns%3Axlink%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F1999%2Fxlink%22%20x%3D%220px%22%20y%3D%220px%22%0A%09%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201107.9%20200%22%20style%3D%22enable-background%3Anew%200%200%201107.9%20200%3B%22%20xml%3Aspace%3D%22preserve%22%3E%0A%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text%2Fcss%22%3E%0A%09.st0%7Bfill%3A%23231F20%3B%7D%0A%09.st1%7Bfill%3A%236DAADC%3B%7D%0A%09.st2%7Bfill%3A%23273C4B%3B%7D%0A%09.st3%7Bfill%3A%23FFFFFF%3B%7D%0A%3C%2Fstyle%3E%0A%3Cg%20id%3D%22Template%22%3E%0A%3C%2Fg%3E%0A%3Cg%20id%3D%22Layer_2%22%3E%0A%09%3Cg%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st3%22%20d%3D%22M86.3%2C89.4V60.8c0-15.4-7.4-22.6-22.6-22.6H0v114.5h27.1v-39.4H43l19.1%2C39.4h28.3l-19.8-41.4%0A%09%09%09C81.3%2C109.4%2C86.3%2C102.3%2C86.3%2C89.4z%20M59.2%2C87.6c0%2C2.5-0.8%2C3.1-3.1%2C3.1H27.1V61.3h28.9c2.3%2C0%2C3.1%2C0.7%2C3.1%2C3.1V87.6z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st3%22%20points%3D%2295.5%2C152.7%20174.3%2C152.7%20174.3%2C129.1%20122.6%2C129.1%20122.6%2C105.8%20164%2C105.8%20164%2C82.5%20122.6%2C82.5%20%0A%09%09%09122.6%2C61.8%20174.3%2C61.8%20174.3%2C38.2%2095.5%2C38.2%20%09%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st3%22%20d%3D%22M246.9%2C38.2h-63.8v114.5h27.1v-37h36.6c15.2%2C0%2C22.6-7.2%2C22.6-22.6V60.8C269.5%2C45.4%2C262.1%2C38.2%2C246.9%2C38.2z%0A%09%09%09%20M242.3%2C89.2c0%2C2.5-0.8%2C3.1-3.1%2C3.1h-28.9V61.6h28.9c2.3%2C0%2C3.1%2C0.7%2C3.1%2C3.1V89.2z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st3%22%20d%3D%22M344.8%2C38.2h-44c-15.2%2C0-22.6%2C7.2-22.6%2C22.6v69.3c0%2C15.2%2C7.4%2C22.6%2C22.6%2C22.6h44c15.4%2C0%2C22.6-7.4%2C22.6-22.6%0A%09%09%09V60.8C367.4%2C45.4%2C360.2%2C38.2%2C344.8%2C38.2z%20M340.3%2C126c0%2C2.3-0.7%2C3.1-3.1%2C3.1h-28.6c-2.3%2C0-3.1-0.8-3.1-3.1V64.9%0A%09%09%09c0-2.5%2C0.8-3.1%2C3.1-3.1h28.6c2.5%2C0%2C3.1%2C0.7%2C3.1%2C3.1V126z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st3%22%20d%3D%22M462.6%2C89.4V60.8c0-15.4-7.4-22.6-22.6-22.6h-63.8v114.5h27.1v-39.4h15.9l19.1%2C39.4h28.3l-19.8-41.4%0A%09%09%09C457.5%2C109.4%2C462.6%2C102.3%2C462.6%2C89.4z%20M435.4%2C87.6c0%2C2.5-0.8%2C3.1-3.1%2C3.1h-28.9V61.3h28.9c2.3%2C0%2C3.1%2C0.7%2C3.1%2C3.1V87.6z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st3%22%20points%3D%22471.2%2C61.9%20501%2C61.9%20501%2C152.7%20528.1%2C152.7%20528.1%2C61.9%20558%2C61.9%20558%2C38.2%20471.2%2C38.2%20%09%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Crect%20x%3D%22566.9%22%20y%3D%2238.2%22%20class%3D%22st3%22%20width%3D%2227.1%22%20height%3D%22114.5%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st3%22%20points%3D%22670.9%2C105.4%20630.5%2C38.2%20602.9%2C38.2%20602.9%2C152.7%20629.2%2C152.7%20629.2%2C81.7%20672%2C152.7%20697.2%2C152.7%20%0A%09%09%09697.2%2C38.2%20670.9%2C38.2%20%09%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st3%22%20d%3D%22M771%2C38.2h-42.3c-15.2%2C0-22.6%2C7.2-22.6%2C22.6v69.3c0%2C15.2%2C7.4%2C22.6%2C22.6%2C22.6H771c15.2%2C0%2C22.6-7.4%2C22.6-22.6%0A%09%09%09V87.8h-46.3v22.4h19.3v16c0%2C2.3-0.8%2C3.1-3.1%2C3.1h-27.1c-2.3%2C0-3.1-0.8-3.1-3.1V64.7c0-2.5%2C0.8-3.1%2C3.1-3.1h27.1%0A%09%09%09c2.3%2C0%2C3.1%2C0.7%2C3.1%2C3.1V76h27V60.8C793.5%2C45.4%2C786.2%2C38.2%2C771%2C38.2z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M987.2%2C182.3c-8.2-2.6-16.5-19.1-21.7-33.8c-11.7-32.7-18-45.9-50.9-47.4h-1.5c5-3%2C10.4-6.7%2C16.2-11.3%0A%09%09%09c20.1-16%2C41.4-43.3%2C57.2-58c17.5-16.2%2C26.6-1.9%2C27.1%2C2.2c1.3%2C11.7%2C14.1%2C19.7%2C25.5%2C13.4c16-8.9%2C14.5-26.2%2C6.3-36.4%0A%09%09%09c-3.2-4.1-10-11.5-27.9-11c-25.1%2C0.6-42.7%2C13.6-60.4%2C28.6c-24%2C20.1-37.2%2C44.6-56.5%2C58.5c5.6-17.8%2C15.6-47.9%2C16.7-51.3%0A%09%09%09c2.4-7.6-3.5-13.2-9.5-11.5c-8.7%2C2.8-7.1%2C6.7-34.6%2C13.9c-9.3%2C2.2-4.1%2C7.8-1.5%2C12.8c2.6%2C5.2-3.2%2C15.4-13%2C48.1%0A%09%09%09c-8.4-0.4-16-1.1-22.3-3.5c-9.1-3-10.8-8.9-11.7-13.9c-1.1-5-7.4-1.1-9.5%2C2.8c-12.1%2C20.6%2C6.5%2C31.4%2C24.5%2C32.7%0A%09%09%09c3.5%2C0.4%2C8%2C0.6%2C13.2%2C0.9c-4.1%2C14.1-7.6%2C24.5-8.4%2C27.1c-2.2%2C6.7-6.5%2C7.1-10.4%2C10.8c-5.8%2C5.6-5.2%2C11.3%2C3.5%2C11.3%0A%09%09%09c15.6-0.2%2C31.2%2C0%2C47%2C0c4.1%2C0%2C6.9-2%2C7.1-6.1c0-4.3-3-6.1-5.8-7.8c-2-1.3-3.2-2.4-2.6-4.8c3-11.7%2C4.3-18.8%2C8-30.5%0A%09%09%09c7.1-0.4%2C23.4%2C0.2%2C32.3%2C27.3c5%2C16.2%2C9.3%2C44.2%2C25.3%2C51.3c16.7%2C7.4%2C38.3%2C1.1%2C46.3-3.5c3.7-2.2%2C5.6-5%2C4.1-7.8%0A%09%09%09C997%2C182.1%2C995.7%2C185.1%2C987.2%2C182.3z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M1107%2C66.3c-1.5-3.6-7.2-9.2-18.2-11.2c-5.4-1-30.5-6.2-59.3%2C3.5c-35.4%2C12.1-67.1%2C41.4-56.3%2C77.3%0A%09%09%09c4.1%2C13.3%2C17.4%2C25.4%2C26.9%2C30.4c27.1%2C14.6%2C63.8%2C8.9%2C74.2%2C5c4.6-1.9%2C9.7-4.6%2C12.4-7.6c2.7-3.1%2C1.2-4-0.2-4.7%0A%09%09%09c-3.7-1.8-9.7%2C4.6-26.5%2C4.2c-7.9-0.1-17.2-1.9-24-5.3c-12-5.5-30.2-20.1-24.4-48c5.2-25.6%2C30.4-41.2%2C42-46.2%0A%09%09%09c21.8-9.6%2C26.9%2C1.9%2C25.1%2C7.3c-1.7%2C7.1%2C3.9%2C11.4%2C13.9%2C11.2C1106.3%2C82%2C1109.7%2C72.8%2C1107%2C66.3z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3C%2Fg%3E%0A%3C%2Fg%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A)
Don’t look now, Sporting KC fans, but 11 first-team players are set to be out of contract at the end of the 2026 MLS season. The campaign is only five matches old, and two dozen players are currently signed to the team. Sporting Kansas City are in the middle of a rebuild, yet it is difficult not to look ahead to December, when nearly half the squad could be out of contract.
The good news for sporting director David Lee is that seven of those 11 players have options for at least one more season. The challenge is deciding which options to trigger. Beyond that, Lee must determine which of the remaining players are worth new deals. At this stage, it is fair to question whether any of the four without options will still be with Sporting KC for the 2027 sprint season.
Who’s out of contract at the end of the 2026 MLS season?
Sporting KC Players Out of Contract in 2026
Player
Position
Age
Nationality
Contract End
Option
Market Value
Stefan Cleveland
Goalkeeper
31
United States
Dec 31, 2026
—
€150k
Shapi Suleymanov
Right winger
26
Russia
Dec 31, 2026
Both parties (2 years)
€2.50m
Zorhan Bassong
Central midfield
26
Canada / Belgium
Dec 31, 2026
—
€1.00m
Ethan Bartlow
Centre-back
26
United States
Dec 31, 2026
Club option (2 years)
€500k
Stephen Afrifa
Left winger
25
Canada / Ghana
Dec 31, 2026
—
€500k
Wyatt Meyer
Centre-back
25
United States
Dec 31, 2026
Club option (2 years)
€250k
John Pulskamp
Goalkeeper
24
United States
Dec 31, 2026
—
€600k
Jansen Miller
Centre-back
24
United States
Dec 31, 2026
Club option (2 years)
€800k
Jayden Reid
Left-back
24
United States
Dec 31, 2026
Club option (2 years)
€300k
Ryan Schewe
Goalkeeper
24
United States
Dec 31, 2026
Club option (2 years)
€50k
Justin Reynolds
Right-back
21
United States
Dec 31, 2026
Club option (1 year)
€150k
Four players are out of contract at the end of the season with no options: Stefan Cleveland, John Pulskamp, Stephen Afrifa, and Zorhan Bassong.
Cleveland is a well-traveled backup goalkeeper, a steady presence but not a long-term solution. Pulskamp is currently Sporting KC’s No. 1, but his performance against the Colorado Rapids highlighted once again what the team is lacking at the back. If Sporting Kansas City are serious about competing, the club needs to find a stronger, more experienced option between the posts.
Afrifa has been with Sporting KC for four seasons, splitting time with SKC II. The Canadian has scored just four goals in 39 appearances, numbers that show his limited impact at the MLS level. He did register an assist against the LA Galaxy in 2026, but he remains a fringe contributor rather than a core piece.
Bassong represents a different kind of uncertainty. He was expected to feature at left-back coming out of preseason, but a hamstring injury has kept him on the shelf, and he has yet to appear this season.
Now in his third year with the club, Bassong has made 42 MLS appearances and scored once. Like Afrifa, he remains more of a question than a certainty, with consistency still missing from his profile.
Lee has major decisions to make as the summer transfer window approaches. Does he enter the transfer market to find replacements? Does he try to move some of these players before their contracts expire? Or does he back continuity and offer extensions?