D.C. United have selected North Carolina State University center back Nikola Markovic with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft.
Markovic, who’s part of the 2026 Generation adidas class, joins D.C. after helping NC State reach their first-ever NCAA national championship game in 2025.
The sophomore defender started all 22 games last season for the Wolfpack, who outscored opponents 48-9 and posted an NCAA-best 15 shutouts in those matches. For his efforts, Markovic earned 2025 First Team All-American honors.
The Canada native previously played for CF Montréal’s academy before attending NC State.
Markovic joins a D.C. side that’s in rebuild mode after finishing bottom of the table during the 2025 season, while conceding the joint second-most goals (66).
He is the Black-and-Red’s fourth all-time No. 1 pick in the MLS SuperDraft, following Jason Moore (1999), Alecko Eskandarian (2003) and Freddy Adu (2004).
