FRISCO, Texas (Oct. 29, 2025) – North Texas SC and MLS NEXT Pro today announced that forward and captain Sam Sarver has been named the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Most Valuable Player presented by adidas. Regular season awards were voted on by the Head Coaches and Chief Soccer Officers at MLS NEXT Pro Clubs as well as League content and broadcast teams.
Sarver signed his first professional contract with North Texas SC on Jan. 26, 2025. In his first professional year, he was named team captain and made 25 appearances. He led the team in scoring with 19 goals, recorded four assists and completed 30 key passes. He registered a league-leading 40 shots on target and 72 total scoring attempts. Sarver scored the club’s first hat trick in MLS NEXT Pro, its first four-goal game in club history, and recorded five multi-goal matches setting a new club record while scoring 44% of the club’s goals this season. He also broke the single-season scoring record with 19 goals, surpassing the previous mark of 16.
“A remarkable season from Sammy. A player that came to us following an outstanding collegiate career at Indiana, and I certainly knew what I was getting,” head coach John Gall said. “He is a competitor, a personality, and is someone with huge aspirations. We drafted him, and I made him captain as soon as he left preseason with the first team. He put this team on his back from day one. One of the things as second-team manager is to put players in the first team, but more than that for me, deliver them ready to make an immediate impact and that’s exactly what he has done. I am so proud of Sam Sarver, and this is only just the beginning for him. I want to be the first to congratulate him on being the best player in MLS NEXT Pro in 2025, his impact on the league and most importantly, his impact on this organization.”
The forward was named MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Matchweek for Weeks 19 and 30 and Player of the Month in August. He was also voted into the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Best XI last week. As captain, he lifted the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Invitational Cup. Sarver becomes the first North Texas SC player to be named MLS NEXT Pro MVP and the club’s second-ever MVP joining Arturo Rodríguez (2019).
“I feel ecstatic. This was one of the goals I set for myself this year,” Sam Sarver said. “It’s a reflection of the whole club and everything they’ve done for me and my teammates. It takes a village, it’s not just me winning the award my teammates are involved too. God’s plan I ended up here because Dallas is so good with rewarding guys, and I feel like I fell into the perfect pipeline. I’m super pumped to win this award. The news coming from Bradley Wright-Phillips is cool since I played with him when I was younger and always looked up to him.”
The Chesterland, Ohio, native signed an FC Dallas contract on July 24 following a breakout season with North Texas SC in MLS NEXT Pro. Sarver made his Dallas debut on July 19, becoming the 37th player to feature for both FC Dallas and North Texas SC. Since making his debut, Sarver has made one start in six appearances and contributed two assists. Sarver started in FC Dallas’ Game 1 of the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One Best-of-3 series at Vancouver last Sunday.
Prior to joining the Dallas organization, he scored 24 goals and recorded 22 assists in his four-year Indiana University career.
MLS NEXT PRO MVP WINNERS
2025 – Sam Sarver – North Texas SC
2024 – David Poreba – Chicago Fire FC II
2023 – Jack Lynn – Orlando City B
2022 – Jacen Russell-Rowe – Columbus Crew 2
