Meet the New Guys - Lucas Halter
(image via Aldo Canale)
Previous Club: Botafogo
Acquired by: Signed on full transfer, contract through the 2029-30 season with club option for 2030-31
Position: Defender
Who is Lucas Halter?
Lucas Halter is a 25-year-old center back who hails from Salto, Brazil. Halter has spent all of his career in his native country. He began at Athletico Paranaense and spent time on loan at Goias. Halter then moved to Botafogo and spent last season on loan at EC Vitoria. In total, he has made 219 appearances in Brazil’s top flight, the Serie A.
Halter was captain at Vitoria last season and has proven to be a leader and winner. He helped lead Botafogo to both the Serie A title and a Copa Libertadores triumph in 2024. Halter has been an up-and-coming talent in Brazil for many years, drawing interest from big European clubs such as Atletico Madrid and Manchester City earlier in his career.
The first thing you notice when you see Halter in person is just how big he is. He looks like a prototypical modern center back. He stands 6 feet 2 inches tall but he is stout and has a strong physique. Another interesting thing about Halter, he speaks very good English. For a player who has never played outside of Brazil, Halter’s grasp of the English language is another example of his leadership qualities.
What Does Lucas Halter Bring to Houston?
One big need for the Houston Dynamo going into this 2026 season was center back. Erik Sviatchenko spent a lot of the season injured and Houston had to cycle through a number of other center backs between Antonio Carlos, Ethan Bartlow, Pablo Ortiz, and Femi Awodesu. Antonio Carlos is the only one still with the Dynamo in 2026 and he, Sviatchenko, and Halter are the only natural center backs on the roster. Left back Felipe Andrade could also play centrally in a pinch.
Outside of need for a new center back in general, the Dynamo needed to get younger at the position. Sviatchenko is 34-years-old and Antonio Carlos turns 33 in March. As solid as both players are, they can’t be counted on at this stage in their career to be available week in and week out of a grueling Major League Soccer season. Halter now gives Houston a future piece to anchor the back line going forward.
On the field, Halter should give the Dynamo another bruising defender to pair with either Sviatchenko or Antonio Carlos. Halter has proven to be dangerous on set pieces, showing an ability to get into the box and score goals. We know how good Hector Herrera can be on set pieces and Jack McGlynn has one of the best left foots in the league from dead balls. Halter should be able to also provide an offensive weapon for a Dynamo team who has struggled to score goals in recent seasons.
The Dynamo made some big signings this offseason to try and compete in 2026. Guys like Guilherme, Agustin Bouzat, and Hector Herrera are veterans that should help this Houston team immediately be better than they were in 2025. Halter does that as well, while also giving the Dynamo a building block for now and the future. This team has a lot of older players, and bringing in someone like Halter, with an impressive resume at a young age, us a sign that the club is trying to turn the ship right around in 2026 while also build something sustainable.
