Three most important players for the Houston Dynamo in 2026
(image via Omar Duran)
The Houston Dynamo kick off their 2026 season this Saturday at home against the Chicago Fire. This much improved Dynamo roster is filled with key players all over the pitch. Let’s take a look at who the three most important players might be.
Lucas Halter
Lucas Halter is a new signing from Botafogo in Brazil. The center back comes with loads of experience for his age, playing against some of the best attackers in world soccer in Brazil. He was brought in to bring stability to the center back position with Erik Sviatchenko aging and the departures of Micael last season, and Pablo Ortiz and Ethan Bartlow this offseason. Lucas has the ability to play out of the back and even get into the attack, similarly to Sviatchenko. His danger on set pieces should also be a huge component with him tallying five goals in Brazil last season. With Jack McGlynn, Augustin Bouzat, and Hector Herrera around, set pieces might be a gigantic part of the game plan this year. We already saw a glimpse of that with Halter scoring against Atlanta United in preseason.
Jack McGlynn
The only familiar face we are going to discuss today is McGlynn, entering his second season in orange. Jack adds so much versatility to Ben Olsen’s tactics with his ability to play deeper in midfield to dictate play, as a more advanced creative midfielder, or on the right where he can combine with Griffin Dorsey and provide a goal scoring threat cutting inside. Jack’s left foot will be a huge part of the team this year with his ability to deliver incredible set pieces and long balls to free Dorsey, Guilherme, and Lawrence Ennali on the wings. With his eyes on a World Cup roster spot, we should see Jack as motivated as ever to give the Dynamo his best ever pro season.
Mateusz Bogusz
The playmaker Houston Dynamo fans have been crying for the last few seasons has finally arrived. While a guy like Amine Bassi was a great creator, Bogusz has it all with the ability to create for others while also being able to create magic on his own and score goals for fun. We saw that in a large sample size in LAFC before he departed to Mexico. Bogusz racked up 31 goal involvements in 2024 with LAFC, cementing himself as one of the best attacking players in MLS. To put it into perspective, a Dynamo player has never even hit 25 goal involvements in a full season before in the club’s history. Bogusz will be looking to recapture that form after a disappointing year with Cruz Azul in Mexico. We’ve seen it before with MLS stars that leave abroad. Sometimes the style of play in MLS just works for them and they come right back and pick up where they left off. If that’s the case with Bogusz, we could see him bring the Dynamo to the playoffs and challenge the best players in the league.
Those are our three most important players for the Dynamo in 2026. Is there someone you think might be more important? Let us know!
