As Nashville SC officially welcomed their new Designated Player Cristian Espinoza to town over the weekend, Mike Jacobs was clearly delighted about capturing the most sought-after name in the 2026 MLS free-agent crop.
So much so that Nashville’s president of soccer operations and general manager happily broke one of his own rules at the Argentine creator’s Sunday introduction at the club’s training facility in Antioch, Tennessee.
“I always try to underpromise; it's hard to do that when you're announcing someone like Cristian,” Jacobs told reporters. “So we don't want to hide behind the fact of what we think [he] represents for our group.”
In securing the former San Jose Earthquake to a three-year deal with options that could keep him in gold until 2030, thus adding a powerful third cog to an attack spearheaded by leading scorer Sam Surridge and 2022 league MVP Hany Mukhtar, the Coyotes believe they’re primed to become a true MLS Cup threat.
“The window of opportunity is right now, for us to take advantage of what this group has done,” said Jacobs.
Proven commodity
One of the most reliable chance creators in the league since his arrival from LaLiga mainstays CF Villarreal in 2019, Espinoza ranks fourth in regular-season goal contributions (119; 36g/83a in 218 league games) during that time, earning two MLS All-Star nods.
Beyond the numbers, NSH liked his selflessness and humility, his willingness to work hard defensively and familiarity with the North American environment. And at age 30, he – like his new team – is keenly eager to win things, and quickly.
“Cristian's really going to complement the really talented group that we have here,” said head coach BJ Callaghan, who spoke of a collective desire “to show up as our best version of ourselves in the most important times” in 2026.
“He's already been an MLS All-Star, he's already been to the playoffs, which is great, and some of these things are individual accolades. But I think all of us, in our careers, get to a point where you're hungry for the ultimate trophy, and he is that.”
Championship ambitions
Last season, Nashville won the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, their first major trophy. As Jacobs noted, it’s one of several milestones NSH have reached since entering the league in 2020: They're one of only five MLS teams to reach two cup finals in the past three years, and one of nine to have qualified for the Concacaf Champions Cup in two of the past three seasons.
Espinoza, who led MLS in key passes last year, took note of all that.
“It was a very easy decision, such an important institution like Nashville, who won the [Open] Cup last year, and who, year after year, have been doing things very well in every sense,” he said in Spanish.
“If you look at the training facilities they have, the stadium they have, the fans they have, it's a whole set of things that make this club one of the most important in the league. And I came here to contribute my little grain of sand and help the club grow in every way I can, and obviously to try to win more titles.”
Missing piece secured
Mukhtar and Surridge bagged 40 of Nashville’s 58 league goals in 2025; NSH believe Espinoza can amplify the duo’s strengths while also relieving them of the full burden of scoring productivity.
Though he’s capable of playmaking in both central and wide positions, Sunday’s remarks made clear they expect their newcomer to own their right flank and strike up slick interplay with skillful right back Andy Najar, a pairing Jacobs predicted will be a “nightmare for opposing teams” already focused on the Best XI-caliber front line.
“This offseason, what was an important aim for us was to be more diverse, more multifaceted in our attack,” said the executive. “For years, we were like a one-trick pony, trying to find Hany, and last year, we only had two attacking players.
“We’ve created a group, we’ve enhanced and added to the group we have; it’s multidimensional, and there’s a lot of different ways that we can attack.”
Thanks to their ConcaChampions involvement, Nashville’s campaign will crank into high gear very quickly.
Within hours of Espinoza’s press conference, the squad was jetting to South Florida to begin a preseason camp ahead of their season opener, a CCC first-round clash with Canadian Premier League side Atlético Ottawa on Feb. 17. Four days later, on Feb. 21, they’ll host the New England Revolution in their MLS curtain-raiser at GEODIS Park (8:30 pm ET | Apple TV).
“I promise to do my best to take this club to another level,” said Espinoza.
“I was trying to find a club who had the best intentions to grow and to achieve great things in this league, and that's why I chose Nashville.”
