San Diego FC’s future will indeed include Anders Dreyer.
SDFC and the star winger have agreed to a contract extension through the 2028-29 season with a club option that could carry the deal for one more season. Financial terms of the deal, announced Wednesday, were not immediately available; Dreyer made a reported $2.4 million in 2025 in the first year of his original three-year contract.
Dreyer’s decision comes as SDFC continues to refine its roster following one of the most successful inaugural seasons in Major League Soccer history.
The club announced last week it was parting ways with Hirving “Chucky” Lozano and would be looking for a new designated player to place alongside Dreyer. Designated players, like Lozano and Dreyer, are not subject to MLS’ salary structure.
On Tuesday, the club signed coach Mikey Varas to a new, multi-year deal.
Anders Dreyer #10 of San Diego FC celebrates during match three of the Western Conference Round One of the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs against the Portland Timbers at Snapdragon Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Dreyer, not the better-known and higher-paid Lozano, was SDFC’s breakout star in 2025. The Dane scored 19 goals, third-most in MLS, and tallied a league-high 19 assists. He was named to the MLS All-Star Team and was a finalist for the Landon Donovan Most Valuable Player Award that eventually went to Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi.
Dreyer won MLS Newcomer of the Year honors after becoming one of just two men in league history to win multiple MLS Player of the Month awards while playing for an expansion club. On Monday, he was honored as one of two Pro Stars of the Year at the annual Salute to the Champions dinner in La Jolla.
Dreyer’s success made him a logical candidate to be transferred or loaned out to a larger league during the offseason. SDFC paid $5 million in transfer fees to acquire him from Belgium’s Anderlecht last January, and the club could have gotten significantly more to send him to Europe or elsewhere this offseason.
Anders Dreyer #10 of San Diego FC celebrates after defeating Minnesota United during the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs: Conference Semifinals at Snapdragon Stadium on Monday, Nov. 24, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Instead, SDFC has opted to keep Dreyer around for the long term.
“Extending Anders’ contract was a clear priority for us heading into this season,” said SDFC sporting director Tyler Heaps. “He was able to very quickly show his value to this team through his performances, work ethic, and commitment to the group on and off the field. This extension reflects our confidence in him and our belief that he will continue to play a key role in helping us reach our objectives.”
No player this side of Messi meant more to his team in 2025. The 27-year-old Dreyer tallied 45 goal contributions (goals plus assists) in 2025, meaning he had a hand in 45% of all SDFC scores. He scored the first goal in club history in SDFC’s Feb. 23 win over the LA Galaxy in Carson, and put up four goals and two assists during the club’s run to the Western Conference final, where it lost to the Vancouver Whitecaps.
SDFC opens Concacaf Champions Cup play Feb. 3 with the first of two matches against Pumas UNAM of Liga MX. SDFC’s MLS opener against CF Montreal is set for Feb. 21.