San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Niko Tsakiris, one of MLS’s breakout players in 2026, is expected to miss 3-4 months after undergoing successful surgery on his right groin.
Tsakiris, 20, has scored three goals and is second in MLS with seven assists for the Quakes, the surprise Supporters’ Shield leaders with a 9-1-2 record (29 points).
His importance to the Quakes is underscored by his league lead in chances created (34), key passes (38) and corner kicks taken (54). In his first four seasons, Tsakiris played 61 games with one goal and three assists.
Tsakiris has been one of the standouts in the U.S. youth national team program, earning the Golden Ball award as the best player at the 2024 Concacaf U-20 Championship and scoring two goals (including a free kick against Italy) at the 2025 U-20 World Cup, propeling the USA into the quarterfinals for the fifth consecutive time.
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